NYC cops angry bc their union made it a tiny bit harder to abuse their power.

[DetlefK]

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-buy-new-york-citys-get-out-of-jail-free-card-1822312921

New York City cops are mad that their biggest union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, has stopped them from handing out 30 PBA cards (often called “get out of jail free” cards) to friends and family every year. Instead they can only hand out 20 a year. Retired cops get 10.

PBA cards, common in New York and New Jersey, work very simply: If you’re pulled over or otherwise approached by a cop, you can hand your card over along with your license, and they might let you off. If you’d never heard of them before, they might strike you as a flagrant abuse of power, because they are.

...

When reporter Kevin Manahan tried to confirm whether the cards work, most cops simply hung up on him. But four anonymous officers told him that a PBA card can often get you excused for a minor offense like speeding.

The cards won’t save you from a more serious charge, and some cops disregard them. They will absolutely not get you out of jail. But in a 2004 Newsday article hosted on the official NYCPBA site, PBA head of PR Al O’Leary said outright, “This union encourages its members not to write a ticket over a card.” The article includes instructions for using your PBA card:

Hand over the card along with your driver’s license, and casually mention the name of the person who issued you the card.

...

Cards currently sell for $50-$150, issued from multiple police organizations, with multiple levels of personalization. Some are signed by officers or include an ID number; others are gold “family member” cards that reportedly carry more persuasive weight. (Craigslist has just one relevant, but sketchy, listing.) There are also various stickers and donation-based cards, but there’s less evidence that they’re effective.

Be careful when buying one. Some might be fake or useless, and you definitely can’t ask an official source to check over a card before you buy it. Selling the cards isn’t illegal, but it’s condemned by the union, who have been trying to stop the eBay sales for years. After all, what if a citizen were to get a little leniency without buttering up a cop?



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Here's one on sale for $250.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2018-NJ-PBA-CARD-hard-plastic/162864901552?hash=item25eb812db0:g:twQAAOSwJRZaZh2c

[brewens]

1. They took away special license plates for our state legislators here in Idaho. It's been

several years ago now. They served one purpose. There was an unwritten law that the state patrol would look the other way when seeing a car with those plates speeding.

[Faux pas]

2. K N R-ed

[Iggo]

3. They sell them?

Jeezus.

Cops, everybody! They're the fucking best!