Portland Parking Laws Include Police

Wow. That's made the state of Oregon a whole lot safer. I wonder if he'll be so suit happy when we're 30 seconds later responding to him getting robbed or shot. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bryant. I had park in the south forty and it affected my response time."

Then again, he probably WILL be suit happy. Can't have it both ways, people.

i have to agree with the comment above this.

Once again common sense prevails, or not. Because we wear a badge and drive a patrol car, it doesn't permit us to violate the law we are sworn to enforce. Even when it is an emergency we have to drive, park, stand with due regard for life and property.

We all know that there is someone out there in the general population that hates cops, or has a higher sense of right and wrong that will not hesitate to make all of us look like fools. I agree with Chompers to a point. A delayed response time may have been the officer's reason for what he did. In meantime, we need to remember that there are two segments of population out there that do like us. The first are the citizens that know we are needed,wanted and appreciated. The second group are attorneys. Need I say more about the latter?

All we need is to think about what we are doing and how is it going to affect you and the department. Might I suggest a law change granting you the right to disobey the laws? Right, well that will never happen! Seriously, I have no problem backing my officers if they use common sense and obey the laws. Obviously we did not win in this situation and it was a minor one. Please, I am not condemming, nor endorsing the officer's actions in this matter. I wish him well.

If the squad wasn't in a Handicapped space, blocking the flow of traffic or creating a "safety" issue, Whats the problem.
I wonder who this " lawyer" will sue when his kid gets hit by a drunk and the responding ambulance, squad or engine was blocked in cause they couldn't park street side or in an "easy-out"
The state I work in has over 400 traffic laws, not including the multiple local ordinances. I wonder if he ever broke one?

I cant believe this lawyer even gives a crap were the polcie park, he must not have much of a life. and ya the police could respond much faster if they park in a no parking zone as long as there not parked blocking the road way, or handicapped space. THere the POLICE the save lives every day they should be able to park were ever they want, it comes with the job.

First and foremost, officers of the law are citizens of the United States of America. As such, they are bound by the laws that govern her citizens. While it IS an inconvenience to have to park legally, to not do so is in violation of one of the very laws that officers are sworn to uphold.

I feel sorry for the fireman in Oregan now. As do the police here, firetrucks also park in the firelane #1 because there isn't a parking place big enough for the truck #2 makes for a faster response time in case of a call. So I would only asume that this goes for firetrucks in Oregon as well.

This is an issue of common sense and reasonableness. Common sense would say that an officer needs to have expedient access to his/her vehicle at all times. Is it reasonable to expect an officer (especially in a crowded downtown district) to park 5 blocks from his car just so he can be "legally" parked? I'm highly confident that most of the common sense thinking populace would say "no." A police officer is an emergency responder and his/her vehicle is how he responds to emergencies and calls for service. Thus, he needs to have immediate access to it while on duty.

Would we apply that same "unreasonable" parking standard to our US Postal carriers, Firefighters, or general trucking and delivery persons?

I'd like to take the little s o b out back behind the wood shed for a little while and beat some sense in to him with my baton.

Law enforcers wonder why there is so much distrust and hatred for them, just look at some of the above comments or everytime a officers action is questioned. It always about life and death, how it is going to cause a death or how is it someones life may not be saved. I am a retired officer and if I recall if you call out for lunch, that mean you are "out to lunch". That the dispatcher has enough car to cover anything that may occur, if not you are refused lunch. Lets use some common sense, expect us to follow the laws we are sworn to enforce.