Let me call you back: I have to arrest a guy for talking on his phone

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August 26, 12:38 PM

by Rob La Gatta & Mike Baldwin, Seattle Crime Examiner

 

 

The state has made it so that you can't talk on your phone while driving.  Pretty much unless you are currently on fire and your cars breaks have gone out while you hit speeds over 100 mph on a direct course with an orphanage and you need to call 911, you're not supposed to drive without a hands-free device, or you'll get a ticket. 

Unless you're the person who's supposed to give the tickets.

It seems that the good old law enforcement officers in this state are exempt from the hands-free law.  According to a quote in the Seattle P-I, State trooper spokesperson, Trooper Freddy Williams, the reason for the exemption is as follows:

"Troopers are sometimes contacted by our dispatch centers via cell phone to direct them to areas and situations that we do not necessarily want broadcast over the radio, such as bomb squad and SWAT situations," Williams said.

I don't really care that the officers in this state are exempt from the law.  They're already exempt from a bunch of other stuff as far as I'm concerned and being angry about this feels a little like pouting because your big brother can stay out late on Friday, while you're in bed by 10.  In other words, that's just the way it goes.

But Trooper Williams reasoning for unabated cell-phone use is a laugher.  They are completely exempt fromt he entire law because of bomb squad and SWAT situations?  I'm no criminal justice major, but I'm guessing these things don't happen often enough for this to be the actual justification.  If you catch your wife humping your neighbor, do you believe her when she said she simply fell over with her clothes off?  No.

No matter what any of us think, the cops are not going to be exempt from these laws (although judging by the soundoff on seattlepi.com, more than a few people think they shouldn't be exempt), I just wish we could get a straight answer.  If Williams had responded to the question with a "screw you, they're cops, don't worry about it," I'd be happier.  Maybe the election year has simply made me anxious for a straight-up answer, but the reasoning here I find fault with.

So remember, the next time you see a cop on his cellphone, hold back the urge for a citizens arrest.  He's on his way to a SWAT situation.

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