Seems nowadays more cars have these badges in there windshield than not. So what do these badges mean? You can break the law without consequence? Seems every car I see with them are either speeding, or beating a red light, or passing on a double solid line, or parking in a handicapped spot, or......etc, etc, etc. You would think you lived in a state where everyone was a cop. I don't know, I think if your not actual law enforcement personnel you shouldn't be allowed to have one. Then again, if you are LE officer than you really don't need one do you? And the ironic thing is most LEO will not break the motor vehicle driving laws when off duty. I think they should be banned.

 

 

 

My personel favorite is the Cadillac Escalade with 2 in the windshield doing 75 in a 25mph school zone.

 

 

=Dave

My favorite is that about 90% of the times when you see that, the person is CLEARLY not LEO. Whatever, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" has always been a fact of life, it doesn't bother me much anymore.

I just looked up "PBA Badge." Holy crap, I thought they were geocaching laser tag targets. My bad!

I just looked up "PBA Badge." Holy crap, I thought they were geocaching laser tag targets. My bad!

 

 

What does that statement mean?

each cop can get a couple.. they normally go to family..

 

nothing is "implied" by them.. "75 in a 25" would most certainly get the attention of any LEO doing his job irregardless of any badge in the window.. it is not a "free pass"..

I thought you get them for a donation to the PBA, or what Vlad said about cops giving them out almost like PBA cards.

 

You could always buy one off ebay. That's what a lot of people seem to do nowadays. But I dunno how you would explain how you're family...

I thought you get them for a donation to the PBA, or what Vlad said about cops giving them out almost like PBA cards.

 

You could always buy one off ebay. That's what a lot of people seem to do nowadays. But I dunno how you would explain how you're family...

 

 

you get a little laminated card stating you are legally in possession of said badge.. no card.. you are a** out..

the LARGER gold badges (PBA specific) are as described.. available through PBA... and minimum availability..

 

there are also gold FOP badges out there.. which seem to be a tad bit more common..

What you really want is the little tiny yellow NJSP insignia decal. Maybe 1.5" wide, 3/4" tall. Hard to see, hard to get, seems to do wonders in stops if you're polite.

I thought you get them for a donation to the PBA, or what Vlad said about cops giving them out almost like PBA cards.

 

You could always buy one off ebay. That's what a lot of people seem to do nowadays. But I dunno how you would explain how you're family...

You get 2, and a 3rd you can pay for..period. they go to immediate family or they are forfeit if they go to anyone else. What you see TONS of are FOP "Associate member" badges Unlike PBA you dont need to be a cop to be an associate member of the FOP you just have to pay the FOP to get the shield. ANY NJ State PBA Shield for sale on Ebay is stolen property.

Some cops don't give a crap what you have or who you know and are on total power trips. My uncle got a ticket once for crossing lanes at a bad spot before the Lincoln tunnel and he told the guy, my nephew is a lieutenant gave badge number and everything. He said I dont care and gave him the ticket, my uncle called my cousin he sent one of his guys in a squad car to talk to the guy out of the ticket he said no. They went to his superior and the superior even said the guys a a** and basically made him get rid of the ticket.

Being nice admitting your wrong doing if you did something wrong and apologizing will get you farther then any sort of card sticker or plastic window badge.

Ive been trying to get one of those from my 1st cousin for years. He can only get a couple and from what he told me they are only supposed to be used in vehicles that the LEO actually drives and can be taken away if not.

Clearly that doesn't happen to often. The aluminum family member cards with your name embossed on them work well if you are not being a complete Ahole and use common sense. Beside that they say property of the bearer ,

meaning very unlikely to ever be taken away. If it is ,it's supposed to be returned to the officer who issued it . I agree a lot of people seem to think they are above the law with the shields in their windows. They dont mean you get to be a douche nozzle and i have seen quiet a few cars pulled over with them shining brightly in the window. That said, drive like a human being,use common sense ,be polite and you probably wont need one.

I carry a gold(metal) PBA card in my wallet, and in the whopping 2 times I've been pulled over in the last 6 years I didn't show it, because both times I was doing something stupid and didn't want to embarrass the family member who gave me the card. I feel that most ACTUAL family members behave the same way.

the LARGER gold badges (PBA specific) are as described.. available through PBA... and minimum availability..

 

there are also gold FOP badges out there.. which seem to be a tad bit more common..

 

PBA/FOP, let's just say any shiny gold badge in hour windshield. Does it give boy the right to break the law and endanger everyone around you?

 

Next time your doing 70mph on the highway look at the car that's up your a**, I bet it has a badge in the windshield.

90% of the time, the only reason to display a shield or card is to get out of something that one did unlawfully.

hmmm

 

it seems to me from the discussion above, and I think that some people in it are LEO, that the whole point of these cards in their various forms, is to get extra "consideration" from the police if you're pulled over by them. In other words, different treatment, in other words, to get off from a ticket solely because one of your family member is a police officer, in other words, be excused from what would otherwise be a crime.

 

Can someone please explain to me why that is in any way right?

 

G

Never had one, don't really want one or need one but for our current and retired LEO's on the board, what's the deal with PBA and FOP cards.

 

I got pulled over once in January on my bike, wasn't dong anything wrong, found out during the stop that the officer rode also and like my bike and wanted to get a better look. Well at first I though I did something wrong and I had my folder on the tour-pack open to get my license and registration and insurance at first and I just happen to keep a little over 2 dozen PBA and FOP cards with my paperwork. He noticed the cards and said I don't need any for this stop and mentioned that they wouldn't do me any good anyway being they most of them were old. I had current ones but some of the cards I had dated back to the 80's. I guess my question is, why not take an old card, would that not show a LEO that I don't really have a need to use them and I figure an old cards shows I am either a responsible driver/rider or just damn lucky.. lol

 

Harry

So did he like your bike, or what? Finish the rest of the story Harry, LOL!

 

Dave

hmmm

 

it seems to me from the discussion above, and I think that some people in it are LEO, that the whole point of these cards in their various forms, is to get extra "consideration" from the police if you're pulled over by them. In other words, different treatment, in other words, to get off from a ticket solely because one of your family member is a police officer, in other words, be excused from what would otherwise be a crime.

 

Can someone please explain to me why that is in any way right?

 

G

 

+1

I got stopped once and had a 10 year old PBA card that a grateful student gave me when he became a police officer. The officer looked at it and said "If you haven't done anything to have this taken away in 10 years, you can't be that bad a driver! Have a nice night...and slow down a bit".

Some cops don't give a crap what you have or who you know and are on total power trips. My uncle got a ticket once for crossing lanes at a bad spot before the Lincoln tunnel and he told the guy, my nephew is a lieutenant gave badge number and everything. He said I dont care and gave him the ticket, my uncle called my cousin he sent one of his guys in a squad car to talk to the guy out of the ticket he said no. They went to his superior and the superior even said the guys a a** and basically made him get rid of the ticket.

Being nice admitting your wrong doing if you did something wrong and apologizing will get you farther then any sort of card sticker or plastic window badge.

 

So, was the ticket for a legitimate offense? Or no?

hmmm

 

it seems to me from the discussion above, and I think that some people in it are LEO, that the whole point of these cards in their various forms, is to get extra "consideration" from the police if you're pulled over by them. In other words, different treatment, in other words, to get off from a ticket solely because one of your family member is a police officer, in other words, be excused from what would otherwise be a crime.

 

Can someone please explain to me why that is in any way right?

 

G

 

Exactly my thought. I am offended that these badges exist at all, I'm quite serious about that. I am full of contempt for anyone that carries one.

 

It exists for no other reason than to be "more equal than others" and that's complete BS. My brother is a Deputy and even when he and I lived in the same state, I wouldn't carry his card because I believe that justice should be blind. I'm against traffic enforcement as it is in the USA today with our ridiculously low speed limits but I really have an issue with people who believe they are above the laws as written.

So did he like your bike, or what? Finish the rest of the story Harry, LOL!

 

Dave

 

Oh yea he liked it, I said you should see my kick only Shovel. As far as the stop, nothing happened, just talked about bikes for a few, would have been nice if he had an extra coffee though.

 

Harry

Ive always had shields in my front window.. was only there with hopes of minimizing traffic stops in my worked cars for inspection based nonsense "altered suspension" for example.. I would never consider it a free pass to put others at risk (speeding.. driving carelessly.. etc..)

Ive always had shields in my front window.. was only there with hopes of minimizing traffic stops in my worked cars for inspection based nonsense "altered suspension" for example.. I would never consider it a free pass to put others at risk (speeding.. driving carelessly.. etc..)

 

So, let me get this right - you didn't follow the letter of the law, and wanted consideration for something right on the edge of the law?

 

Reminds me of USSR. We have the Politburo and then we have "everyone else"

100% of the time I see a giant gold badge suction cupped to the front window of a car they are driving like complete asshats. Usually in an Escalade.

 

I got out of my way to drive slowly in front of them.

 

It's fun.

Exactly my thought. I am offended that these badges exist at all, I'm quite serious about that. I am full of contempt for anyone that carries one.

 

It exists for no other reason than to be "more equal than others" and that's complete BS. My brother is a Deputy and even when he and I lived in the same state, I wouldn't carry his card because I believe that justice should be blind. I'm against traffic enforcement as it is in the USA today with our ridiculously low speed limits but I really have an issue with people who believe they are above the laws as written.

 

 

"Everyone is Equal, Some People are more Equal than others" Animal Farm-George Orwell

So, let me get this right - you didn't follow the letter of the law, and wanted consideration for something right on the edge of the law?

 

Reminds me of USSR. We have the Politburo and then we have "everyone else"

 

do you ALWAYS go exactly the speed limit? no.. you don't... and when you are going say 5mph over the speed limit do you have an expectation that even though you are breaking the law you are not going to get a ticket?

 

ever have or use a PBA card?

 

as MOST LEO will tell you even though there are a million and one laws on the books.. not every law is going to be enforced every time... so sometimes if LEO sees a car they consider suspicious they will use a minor violation to initiate a stop... "modified Honda civic cruising through Atlantic City at 2am" for example.. I just have the hopes that the shield in the window will minimize "fishing stops".. like I said.. I drive cars that seem to draw attention.. the shield is just an effort to counter some of that attention..

Gold PBA shields are not a pass as discussed on this board. I have badges in all my cars because my realtives are LEO's. I never pull out a PBA card and my relatives say that I am stupid and they are police officers. I never look for a pass. A police oficer is going to enforce the law at his DISCRETION. It is so funny, I was travelling back with my friend and he is a detective and he said when he worked in traffic, he would only ticket cars at 90 mph and above. He said alot of tickets will get downgraded and at that speed limit, it would downgrade to 1-15 mph ticket. Anything over 5 mph would downgrade to a seatbelt. So, againg it is disecretion. One of friends is a Captain and he went to a motor vehicle stop to speak with the drunk driver who was a daughter of a chief in another town. He offered to have her father pick her up. She called him the "N" word and he gave her the tickets and locked her a** up. So, I don'y think it is the card, badge or wallet badge. It is the cop and discretion. Just my $.02