CSA 2010 and Arizona DPS
 

I'm going to try and do this while it's fresh in my head, and only after calming down a bit ... I've been in this Industry for 33 years and I've never heard anything like this. Quarterly safety meetings were yesterday and our Safety Supervisor invited Arizona DPS to come in and give a presentation on the CSA 2010 regulations which are now in effect. We had a lot of questions and were looking forward to a productive meeting, boy did we get fooled. Shortly into the meeting we knew were in trouble, this Officer of the Law proclaimed, and the quote is verbatim: "It's my job to put the screws to you...." Seriously. Most of us lost track of how many times this guy said "It sucks to be you..." and that seems to pretty much be his answer to a lot of well thought out and insightful questions. We knew it already sucked to be us, but we were looking for some guidance and information to make this workable for everyone, not this smug, arrogant and cocky attitude he was throwing around. During a break I asked him a question about where a Driver has resources to get a safety issue resolved when he can't get it with the Company. His answer: "How many friends do you want to make?..." I just looked at him not knowing what to say. I thought it was a good question as much of the time we're not sure who to talk to for legitimate issues. The best question came from our Safety Supervisor herself when she pressed him, she asked if he inspected his own vehicle before starting his work day. His answer: "Am I supposed to, yes. Do I, no...." So kids, it's a do as I say, not as I do kind of world out there. And when you get pulled over by DPS in Arizona just remember, "It sucks to be you...." We already knew that, but thanks just the same.

I spoke with OOIDA yesterday in their Compliance Division....they say the Officer should be reported to his Superiors for coming off like that. His comments were unethical, unprofessional and over the line in most everyone's opinion that I've presented this to. I'm going to sit on this for a few more days and get some input from some of my fellow Truckers out there.

What say you? Am I on the right track or not?? Any and all input appreciated, not sure what exactly to do with this at this point.

There really isn't any reason to "sit on it"...or wait a few days. The "safety supervisor" should have put an end to this guy's visit, once he delcared his opinion. She should have sent that turd packing.

OOIDA was right. You should have already spoken with that joker's superiors.............................more to the point...................... that "safety supervisorr" should have.

The thing to remember is..."Payback" is a b*-itch. That trooper and his like-minded buddies will hammer on your company's trucks hard for the complaint....regardless of how wrong the dummy was for the things he said.

my 2.5 cents

I concur with orangetxguy. This guy is obviously out there to make a statement or point no matter the cost, and he was trying to instill fear in your group.. which is totally unprofessional in my opinion. Their job isn't to "put the screw to you" but to make sure you are doing the job in the safest manner possible. I know for a fact they don't teach that crappy mentality in the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy (or ALEA) so this officer has gained his ego through other means. Him telling you that is like an officer telling you during a regular innocent contact that his job is to find ANY reason to arrest you.

I would go to the branch office and file a written complaint, along with whatever other drivers you can get to do the same. Many think nothing will be done but all of these complaints go straight to Internal Affairs. Most cops hate IA because their job is to "put the screw" to dirty officers.

There was a female CMV officer acting this same crappy demeaning way in, near, or around Casa Grande... There were alot of complaints about her on the radio and I think landline now did a quick blurb on her.. but I haven't seen nor heard anything about her in quite a while. Wonder if she was finally dealt with...

I can't help but wonder if this is the prevailing attitude among many DOT these days. States are cash poor and this industry is an easy target. In any case, I would file a complaint. There are enough hassles out here without having to deal with people such as this guy. I would also get your safety person to go with you or file a separate complaint. It might lend more weight when you have someone from administration voicing a complaint. From your post, I am not sure that I could have contained myself when he started his threats.

My thoughts exactly.

I am still of the opinion that the safety supervisor should have shown that POS the door as soon as his antics started.........and should have immediately contacted the POS's commander.............or the ADPS head-office..........and filed a complaint. Any LEO that is out on a visit like that, is representing the entire Arizona police force, at every level. The thought that some POS can sit down with.................or stand in front of........a group of professional drivers and mouth off like that is unimaginable.....as well as unprofessional.

A complaint from the management of the trucking company that invited the ADPS to send in an officer to discuss CSA, will go a lot farther towards getting an investigation started.....................and attitudes adjusted, than complaints sent late, from the drivers present. Over the years I have gotten to sit in different conference rooms, listening to various DOT officers from states such as Oklahoma, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Oregon and Washington...and never heard anyone come off that bad. Yes...some "Frank Honesty".....but not belligerence like has been described.

It always has a greater impact for someone from mangement to get involved.

Sorry, but this thread was accidently closed.

Thanks for the replies,....and I agree that all of you are spot on. I am concerned that if I report this guy that things will get tough on all of us and we'll get hammered out there. We travel I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson heavily every day and all you see stopped out there is truck after truck. They definitely have a huge blind spot where cars are concerned. I don't think the Safety Supervisor will say anything, she has to work with these guys on a routine basis so she's trying to maintain a good relationship. It's touchy no matter which angle you consider it from.

GMAN,...thanks for your quick response to my E-Mail, much appreciated !!

Touchy situation or not, sometimes it is best to take a stand. I have found that it is better to stand up to people such as him and let them know that you will not sit back and take a lot of abuse. Perhaps if more were to stand up then there would be fewer who would be like him. The best way to take down a bully is to confront them. One of the worst bullies is one with a badge. I like to think that most cops are fair. From you post it sounds like this guy is anything but fair and plans to target truckers. If you report him and see that your trucks are being targeted more then I would file a complaint about that as well. In fact, it would be a good time to get media involved. The last thing people like that want is the spotlight when they know they are doing something wrong.

OK, here's an update. I finally made the call to DPS. They got back to me quicker than I expected actually. Someone from the Lieutenant Colonel's office called me back this afternoon. After I explained the whole situation to him and told him what all the guy had said, his response was "He said what ??" Long story short, he agreed with me, the Officer was unprofessional and way out of line. He also assured me that this is NOT the mentality of DPS. Was he playing me? Not sure, but at this point at least someone knows what this Officer is up to when no one else is looking.....even though someone was with him at the meetings. He said he was going to pull him in and discuss these matters and would get back next week. Guess I'll wait for his response....

Thanks for all the input at this point, it's much appreciated....

Well.....Let us know if the company you work for sees an increase in the stops by ADPS. OR...If you get a dress-down from your boss for making the call as well!!

So Rev. is a D.O.T. cop now??? :lol: :smokin:

I think you made the right decision to get with this guy's boss. It will be interesting to see if actually gets back with you and what he has to say after discussing the matter with the guy.

The Company doesn't know....and I didn't broadcast it. Only a couple of other coworkers know I talked to them. I also learned that one of the Drivers who has been in the Safety field for years and testifies at Federal Court cases filed a Federal level complaint. The Feds were not amused with his comments as I understand. Lots of things in the mix right now but will let you know what transpires from here....thanks again for all the input.

I can hardly wait to hear the outcome of this situation.

I tried to PM the original poster with no luck so I'll ask here.....did this LEO's last name end with a R? I have dealt with an Arizona DPS officer with the exact same demeanor and even same quotes...i.e. it sucks to be you etc. Thanks in advance.

Tried to PM you as well azclimber.....actually no, his last name starts with a "W."

There is an update to this.....will post it tomorrow, you'll find it interesting.

Just wanted to see if this is working,...posted a lengthy reply and it won't post....

OK, I'm going to try and not be too lengthy with this, I want to re-emphasize the meaning of my original post. I am NOT upset with my Company, I am NOT unhappy in my job. I have been careful not to mention their name here. Our Safety Supervisor acting on behalf of the Company did the right thing in asking DPS to attend our safety meetings, what we received is not we had hoped for in my opinion.

As it turns out, there were in fact things going on behind the scenes I did not know about. As I understand it, sometime after the meeting I attended this Officer was pulled off to the side and asked to please tone down the “it sucks to be you” comments. A handful of Drivers who attended after that actually say they learned something and were happy with the meeting. I also understand that the conversation that I had with DPS in the Lt. Colonel’s office wasn’t confidential as I thought it was. In a conversation with the Safety Supervisor on Saturday she told me that he “slipped” and gave my name. Personally I don’t think it was a slip, I think he wanted her to know exactly who called. It’s OK, I did nothing more than express an opinion…one in which DPS agrees with me, or at least they claim to. Two other Drivers were going to call but were asked not to because the Company was already on it. She says they sent copies of the recorded meeting to the DPS Office. She also agrees with me that the Officer was unprofessional.

I thought I had heard it all, but as I understand as well, this guy made another outrageous statement in another meeting that I was not attending. He proclaimed in front of the group that he likes writing tickets in a certain part of the State because, in his words….”I’m in good with Judge “X” … when I go into Court I have a 13 page citation, your driving record and you don’t stand a chance. If perhaps this is true it opens up another whole can of worms. I spoke with my Cousin who’s an Attorney in another State and she understands completely, this sort of thing happens all the time. However, that being said, if someone decided to force the issue and there was an investigation, not only would the Officer be brought up charges, but the Judge could (and probably would) be removed from the bench. Every case they worked together would have to be retried with taxpayer dollars. I certainly am not pursuing this, frankly I can’t be bothered with the expense and time involved and I feel the guy has enough going against him already. I’m passing it along for informational purposes only. Correct me if I’m wrong, but last I knew one had the right to face their accusor, have their case heard, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Not with this guy, he’s already told us he’s won, just because he and the Judge are buddies….pitiful.



Those that liked the meeting were asked to sign a letter that is in the Dispatch Office. In the sense of fairness I’m passing it along for your opinions, it reads as follows:

Department of Public Safety
To Whom it May Concern

The Drivers of _____ are writing in regard to the safety meetings held earlier this month.

We would like to thank You and Officers “X” and “X” for their time. We appreciate their honesty and candor in responding to our questions regarding the new Federal Law CSA 2010. We wish to thank them for their personalinsight as to what they are looking for while on duty keeping our highways safe. Officer “X” was very knowledgeable and managed to keep the meeting light and entertaining while discussing the importance of Federal Rules and Regulations relating to Truck Drivers and their equipment. Officer “X” answered every question and gave us valuable information to use daily in our effort to be safe.

The majority of Drivers felt that Officer “X” being brutally honest was more informative than offensive. This knowledge encourages us to remain vigilant doing our part to keep our trucks and roads safe. We want to maintain a good reputation of safe and responsible Drivers for our Company.

Thank You again for making your Officers available and your continued support.

I’m not really sure who the author is, but time to pick it apart.

1. If you’re looking for “brownie points” with this guy, you’re out of luck, If he pulls you over he will crucify you, his words….
2. If you think the majority of Drivers is in agreement with you, that is a huge misconception on your part.
3. While Officer “X” may have plenty of knowledge, his level of unprofessionalism was off the charts.
4. Perhaps you need to look up the word “candor” in the Dictionary. One of the definitions is “freedom from bias, to be fair and impartial" Honesty and candor do not go together where this guy is concerned.
5. If you consider such statements as “It sucks to be you” – “It’s my job to put the screws to you” – “If I have an argument with wife and I’m in a bad mood, I’m going to get you for everything I can” and “I like writing tickets in a certain area because I’m in good with the judge” to be nothing more than brutally honest, then perhaps you need to look up those definitions as well. And ultimately, I’m even more worried about being stopped by this guy.

As of now, that’s it. I have to step away from it, my blood pressure is up and frankly, I’m sick of dealing with it. What happens now is out of my hands. I would still appreciate any and all comments. If anyone thinks I’m being unfair, feel free to speak up. I’ve tried to keep it factual as well as expressing an opinion….

Please be safe out there, I hope you don’t have a change encounter with DPS here anytime soon…..

There are other rumored things to be going on with this Officer, but I will not pass along until I get them confirmed...

OH, and just a quick footnote.

The letter in Dispatch when I left last night only had 4 signatures attached to it. There are about 150 of us. Speaks for itself, 'nuff said.

Wait another week or so...and see how many sig's are on it.

You have done all you can do. Hopefully it didn't land on deaf ears.

I just want to clarify something, CSA 2010 is not a regulation, nor a set of new laws. It is the same old laws enforced the exact same way. The difference is how FMCSA deals with violations and passed inspections. More information is also available to street level enforcement officers.

Just a quick update.....after a week there are 37 signatures on the letter. That's roughly 1/5 of the Drivers. It seems that after the Officer was asked to tone things down a bit there may have been some who actually got something valuable out of the meeting. To them, kudos. For the rest of us, well, I guess it "sucks to be us."

It was claimed that videos of the meeting(s) were sent to DPS....seems as though they may have been "edited." My guess is that the juicy stuff is no longer there for viewing. The Company is in damage control mode, for all the wrong reasons IMO. They're trying to silence those who were upset at this whole fiasco. Doesn't matter really, the guy said what he said in front of too many people. You cannot take back the spoken word. At the end of the day he's still in the wrong, it doesn't matter how many signatures you can gather or no matter how hard to you try to silence the opposition...my guess is that not much more will happen with this. In the end, the people that needed to know what this guy was up to now know. What happens to him is really none of our business I guess, but if I do hear I'll post the update.

Thanks again for everyone's input, much appreciated.

Things aren't so rosy at DPS.....interesting story.

Arizona Department of Public Safety workers unhappy, survey finds