Police ride-alongs common

December 17, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Policies allowing the public to ride along on patrol with law enforcement officers vary among police agencies. Representatives from different police departments spoke about who would be allowed on a ride-along.

Sgt. Rick Roberts, an instructor at the Alaska State Troopers Academy in Sitka, said they don't address the issue while training recruits because the issue is determined by agency policy.

&#8220Some don't allow it at all,” Roberts said. &#8220Some will, with a waiver.”

Trooper recruits may go on ride-alongs before their field training, but until they are done with field training, they aren't allowed to wear uniforms, he said.

&#8220Who knows what's going to happen on a ride-along?” he said. &#8220It comes back to liability and training. Things can go bad in a hurry in a ride-along.”

As for taking a civilian to a murder scene, Roberts said he might, but only after enough time had passed.

&#8220I would if I was recruiting,” he said. &#8220If it had been long enough, maybe adjudicated in court. I'd talk about it to give them a clear picture of the job. I don't know if I would tell them what occurred. That stuff, to me, seems like common sense.”

The Palmer police chief and city attorney in 2000 decided the liability issue was too great, and dissolved the ride-along program, said Lt. Tom Remaley.

The attorney confirmed liability waivers don't mean much, and the program went away, he said.

But even when the program was alive, an armed member of the public wearing some sort of uniform wouldn't have gone on a ride-along, he said.

&#8220We never did allow that,” he said. &#8220We said come in comfortable business attire. Dress professionally and respectfully.”

The Wasilla police established a ride-along program when the department formed in 1993, said Angella Long, deputy chief.

&#8220It's an educational tool,” Long said. &#8220It's so different from the way its portrayed on TV. There's a lot of paperwork, and you don't solve the case in an hour.”

Wasilla's police department has pretty stringent policies, Long said. Only those sanctioned as Mat-Su Explorers or department reserve officers are allowed to wear uniforms on ride-alongs, she said.

Civilians have to sign a liability waiver and agree to certain conditions, such as, in case of emergency, they may be dropped off before the officer responds to the scene. So they need a cell phone and cab fare, she said.

Civilians riding along may not carry cameras or recorders, must understand they are under the authority of the officer they ride with, are not allowed to leave the patrol car without the officer's permission and can only ride once every six months, she said.

&#8220We look to the safety of the rider, first and foremost,” she said. &#8220Then we're concerned with public safety, to make sure contacts are safe. We try to screen riders.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@ frontiersman.com.