The quote was "lighten up, Francis".
Some people are not as comfortable giving out their personal information as others. My crappy left handed writing precludes my name from being legible at the top of the ticket. However, the badge number at the bottom is always easy to read.
This isn't a case of trying to escape detection from accountability for actions on the street. With computer assisted dispatching and GPS, it is impossible to do much without it being tracked. Yes, if someone really puts their mind to it, they can find out your name. However, you generally have to identify yourself, so that starts a trail.
There are a great many people who don't appreciate what police do. Last year, one of our members homes was firebombed by the HA's after he arrested one of their up-and-comers. Members from the OPP and Customs intelligence also have had their cars firebombed in their driveways after significant drug seizures and/or arrests. Recently, and RCMP officer found out that one of the eastern organized crime groups was trying to put together a contract on his life. Another incident that comes to mind is a few years ago the son of a BC MP got arrested being a drunken dink in the downtown core. His group of buddies decided that a GTA-style "cops are racist" BS-fest was in order, and were trying to get the crowd going (typically, that garbage doesn't get anyone too ramped up here). One guy was trying to get badge numbers, and one of our guys gave him it. Well, didn't he suddenly become the central figure in the drama, despite his being something like the eighth guy to arrive and was only holding a perimeter. The written complaints he received were unreal, and the local rag was absolutely thrilled to print everything these clowns were spouting. The paper would have published that officers name in a heartbeat if they had it, and as it was the splash headline was all about racism and cops. That guy would have gotten totally screwed over in the media, and he was not involved with the arrest in any way. And of course the retraction comes out on page 9 of section C if it ever does. This is the crap we have to deal with.
For my part, I go with the "be prepared, not paranoid" as well as "Complacency kills". Both of our personal m/v's addresses are registered to police headquarters, as well as our drivers licences. Heat checks on the way home can't hurt either.
So Bitter, what service are you with? I've never heard of it referred to as "internal standards" and surely you know that the numbers on the cruisers are less than useless in identifying a person?
**sniff, sniff**
