What the f*ck is wrong with Farmers Branch police???
Posted by MagicWishMonkey@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 118 comments
Every morning and afternoon I drive down midway to spring valley to pick up/drop off my kid (school) and more often than not I see at least one person pulled over for speeding or whatever. That's fine and I don't have a problem with it.
The problem is when they act like absolute lunatics and put other people in danger to go after people for silly stuff like only mostly stopping before turning right on red. I've seen them tear ass across multiple lanes of traffic, weaving around other vehicles, to chase after someone who probably didn't realize they even did anything wrong.
A few months ago I was in a left turn lane at an intersection (there are two left turn lanes, and I was in the outside one). The light turned green and we started to go through the intersection when the guy in front of me decided they wanted to go straight instead of turning so they moved into the completley empty lane on the right and went straight. Suddenly the SUV cop next to me hit the lights and sped in front of me, nearly sideswiping me, to chase after the person. I had no idea what they even did wrong because I was in shock that the asshole nearly clipped my car to go give someone a ticket.
Yesterday I saw another SUV cop hit the lights, do a u-turn and jump a curb, then floor it while weaving around congested traffic and then flying through an intersection to chase after a guy that I assume had not quite come to a full stop before turning right on red.
That area always have tons of vehicles on the road and a surprising number of pedestrians, and these cops act like they are captain fucking America putting people in danger to go chase after someone for doing something they probably didn't even realize was illegal.
What the fuck is wrong with these police? It's only a matter of time before they hurt someone. I would be so pissed off if some asshole clipped my car and jacked up my insurance premium because he wanted to get someone for not using a turn signal. They have no awareness of risk before acting. I don't know if it's just one jackass cop or if they are all like that, but they really need to take it down a few notches.
somethingnottaken7@reddit
You should have seen how excited they got when I drove my truck down the cart path at Brookhaven country club. Yes... Many moons ago.
FuturePin7127@reddit
I drove my vw bug over the cart bridge and they couldn't follow. They camped out at the end of the street all night waiting on me they knew I pulled into a garage...lol
I_SmellFuckeryAfoot@reddit
farmers branch, addison and the other close by "city" i dk the name are the only areas i actively watch my speed.
FuturePin7127@reddit
Carrollton
SMF67@reddit
Allen, The Colony, Dalworthington Gardens
Elegant_Section_6861@reddit
Southlake and Colleyville
IntoTheTrebuchet@reddit
I once had a Grapevine cop flash his lights at me to warn me I was approaching a Colleyville cop's speed trap. King move.
SadAdministration438@reddit
Pantego is more notorious than Dalworthington Gardens with the amount of times I’ve seen cops pulling over people.
soggyballsack@reddit
It's farmers branch, copper and Irving. They've always been like that since the 90s.
radarksu@reddit
Carrollton.
MagicWishMonkey@reddit (OP)
I totally get not speeding, and I can't really argue that it's bad for the police to make sure people don't speed too much.
But when they are completely reckless and put other people in danger to go after someone for not using a blinker... that's crazy.
SaltyCurrent4975@reddit
What was the huge, egregious scandal a few years ago? Something about racism or not renting to certain demographics?
MaybeBaby716@reddit
I was moving into the townhomes near spring valley and midway. After packing my last load of items from my old apt, I decided to go to the McDonald’s there for a milkshake and fries. After I got my order, I drove through the parking lot and cut through to midway. I was pulled over for cutting through the parking lot. Obviously the dickhead couldn’t ticket me for anything so I was let go.
Medical-Orchid4215@reddit
Small Town PD in the middle of the big city.
rmcswtx@reddit
So it's OK to actually serve the law except when it's around you? Can we say self absorbed???
Low_Item1558@reddit
This happened many years ago, back when the DNT had buckets you had to throw change in. Worked in Addison and lived downtown at the time and always had a roll of quarters with me. Apparently one day something got jammed or bounced out. They issued a fucking warrant for it and I had no idea. Nothing in the mail, etc. Fast forward and I was on my way to the office after grabbing some lunch. This fat fuck FB cop pulls me over and arrests me in front of my office right when my boss and VP were also returning from lunch. Literally over 25 cents. He was just hanging out at an intersection running people's plates. I wasn't in FB, it was aAddison! So I get booked in and spend like 7 hours in what I guess you would call a drunk tank surrounded by degenerates. To add insult to injury the jailer that booked me in called me shortly after I got home and said you seem like a nice guy and then proceeded to try to rope me into some MLM scheme.
Imadeafire@reddit
There is nothing for them to do in the 12 square miles of FB besides pull people over for speeding.
BlueHorse_22@reddit
It's a totally MAGA suburb, so go figure. I'd never live there and I avoid driving through it because of the police intimidation.
Imadeafire@reddit
It is totally NOT.
987YouBloodyTulip789@reddit
Reminds me back of when I lived in Murfreesboro. I'd see cops violating every traffic law imaginable, driving excessively fast while taking a turn, speeding in-general, ignoring stop signs.
They also have a nasty habit of turning on their lights just to get around a few cars, including during red lights. One time, I saw a few cars in-front of a cop car, so the cop turned on his lights, went onto the shoulder lane, turn back onto the main road, and turned his lights off. Everytime I bring it up, I get some bootlicker saying "Wow, don't judge, they might be driving to a call that was canceled!" The call lasted for a whole 10 seconds coincidentally when the cop was behind some cars? You really expect me to believe that?
Extension_Meringue37@reddit
They probably have a quota to fulfill
BrightAardvark@reddit
More likely they have literally nothing better to do. It’s Farmer’s Branch for crying out loud.
Extension_Meringue37@reddit
Irving pd here is speeding all the time 😭
virgo_em@reddit
I’ve lived in Dallas, Irving, Arlington, and Fort Worth. I have never seen a cop car that hasn’t sped past me while I was already going 5 over.
highspeedpcb@reddit
I once overheard a cop conversation, referring to "radar field calibration" as an excuse for driving at high speeds... Insert "Cool story, bro" at your discretion.
bigyittiezz@reddit
One time I was dropping a friend home pretty late around downtown Irving it was like 3am. And there were two Irving PD vehicles and they were racing each other. Your hard earned tax dollars at work folks!
uwpxwpal@reddit
Hopefully not, cause quotas are illegal.
TheFeedMachine@reddit
You get around it by not having quotas, but rather promoting people that write a lot of tickets because they have proven to be good at their job. Suddenly, everyone is incentivized to write tickets without a quota.
radarksu@reddit
As if that's ever stopped them.
MetalAngelo7@reddit
Bored cops are one of the worst types of cops you can face. They’ll pull you over and ticket you for the most ridiculous shit.
soggyballsack@reddit
Reminds me of the trooper that pulled me over for having a headlight out. At 2pm. On a sunny day. It was one of the daytime running lights. Even my passenger was like WTF?
Elemino@reddit
I would have turned the headlights on and got out to look.
Looks like they’re both working to me. 🤷🏽♂️
dajenkumgod@reddit
In Mansfield near rendon a cop pulled me over because I was wearing a beanie and said I didn't slow down enough when I went over train tracks. He said he lived in the area and hadn't seen me around before, and asked where I lived, I said I had moved in with my grandma down the street a month ago. He says I should have legally changed my address within two weeks and gotten a new license, but he'll let me go with a warning because he just got off work and was off duty. I honestly think he said he was the sheriff, he was pretty old
Zhombe@reddit
There’s a whole list of Texas towns know for their devil may care police forces.
It’s why there’s been talk more than once of a federal policing standard and centralized guidance oversight organization. But that’s commie talk. We all know that good free markets have Wild Wild West cops.
IntoTheTrebuchet@reddit
It's a federalism issue, dictated by the Constitution.
MetalAngelo7@reddit
Same here he was asking me all sorts of random questions like where I live what I do for work and what I’m doing out so late ect. I think he was just really bored.
Elegant_Section_6861@reddit
Southlake sucks, too. I got pulled over there because my front left tire crossed the solid line a little too early when I was merging into the turn lane. I also got pulled over there for “turning left too fast”.
Also, about 20 years ago as an 18 year old woman, I was driving and my friend was in the front seat and two guy friends were in the back. I was completely sober, hadn’t had a single drink, and we were going to the movies. I got pulled over and the cop called back-up on me, made me take a sobriety test, and grilled me about why the girls were in the front seats and the guys were in the back seats. I hate Southlake
drinkywolf@reddit
That’s… illegal. He can’t stop you if you hadn’t committed a violation. Your tag expiring in a week is not a violation.
rat_penis@reddit
You've obviously never been fucked with by the cops. They do this shit.
MetalAngelo7@reddit
Yeah I was so dumbfounded; he also took so long to check my ID and car insurance I think he was trying to find SOMETHING to ticket me with
Durian__Gray@reddit
They’ve had that reputation for a loooong time
sarcastibot8point5@reddit
I got pulled over for a one week expired registration. They asked to search my car, brought 4 other cop cars when I refused, and kept me pulled over for 1.5 hours while writing me a ticket for nothing else. It was the dumbest interaction I’ve ever had with a cop.
They also pulled me over for “Not stopping at a stop sign.” I have a dash cam. The judge laughed his ass off when he saw the video and said “I don’t know if they wanted you to turn off your vehicle to prove you had stopped or what, but this is ridiculous.”
Truly the worst.
tripleblue85@reddit
I took classes at Brookharvard twenty something years ago and they were notorious for pulling people over for the smallest infractions. I think a lot of them are trying to get you for weed or dwi.
toodleroo@reddit
Brookharvard 😂
OakCliffGuy214@reddit
What is a Brookharvard?
toodleroo@reddit
Brookhaven
happyklam@reddit
The 13th grade
1uno124@reddit
Can confirm... I ended up getting a ticket for going 37 in a 35, high tailed it out of farmers Branch ASAP
AntiqueBasket9903@reddit
Nice! I have 2 degrees from Brookharvard. Entitled level 10...engage
SBTHorn@reddit
USC : University of South Carrollton
MikeFromSuburbia@reddit
I’m using this as a USC alumni
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
I used to cross Farmers Branch daily to reach my business in Addison and knew to drive slowly there.
Still, I surely helped them pay for that new (at the time) police station at the corner of Marsh and Valley View with my involuntary contributions.
3Time4Eater3@reddit
The smaller the department the bigger the balls, the smaller the brain
StronglyHeldOpinions@reddit
Can confirm, they've always been like that.
Best to just stay out of Farmer's Branch if you can.
ThePlumThief@reddit
I used to work at a recording studio over there and the musicians would usually go out back to smoke weed. Cops knew this and on at least one occasion had a rapper literally rap for their freedom. They told him if the freestyle sucked he was going to jail (because they wouldn't believe he was actually an artist there to record) but if it was good he was free to go back and record. In that case the freestyle was good enough and they let him go and didn't even take his weed.
They were clearly just bored and wanted to fuck with people in the classic cop/bully way. Like i got pulled over once when i was a pizza guy (for no reason besides the cop felt like it) and the cop kept making "jokes" about how the pizza was gonna get cold, 30 minutes or it's free, and that i should drive more carefully or the pizza might tip over and kept laughing like this was the highlight of his year. Then he gave me a warning for not using a turn signal or some shit and drove off.
shitp0stspectacular@reddit
I regularly cruise at 60 on midway with no issues.
Unlucky-Tadpole-8698@reddit
…stop doing that?
shitp0stspectacular@reddit
It’s called flowing with traffic
Temporary-Round653@reddit
Sounds really annoying and frustrating. And if the rest of the good drivers are put at risk that's not cool. But honestly, I'd rather have a PD that does their job (within reason if an infraction has been committed) than a PD that does nothing and just sits while people break the law. Case in point; in North Dallas I've witnessed, everyday, school buses loading and unloading kids and cars speeding by while the bus has their lights and sign on to stop. Literally every single day. The other day as I was driving by I saw a police car parked right at that intersection and thought "oh nice, finally someone is gonna take care of this problem!" Boy was I wrong. The cop sat there in the car, staring at at least 12-15 cars that sped by while the bus was loading. Couldn't believe my eyes. Needless to say, the problem persists. 😒 Thanks for the heads up tho!
AdaTHADwagon960@reddit
Dw Allen P.D. is soo much worse. The things they do are probably illegal. Like one night I was driving along obeying the traffic laws n stuff and got pulled over. (I thought nothing of it thinking its probably a light burnt out or smth like that.) That mf gave me a warning for "speeding" when he admitted that it was the car ahead of me.
Another one around the same time: (going out w/friends) im in the car with my good friend thats driving and we see a patrol car coming by we think nothing of it again and drive off normally going to our destination. A few minutes later the same car is pulling us over and we're on the i-75 and there's an exit about 600ft. He puts on his hazards and we signal to the cop we're going to pull off the highway and stop. So once we get to the base of the ramp going to the side to stop. That mf rams us hard makes us flip over 2 times(we were ok just mild bruises) we climb out to find he clocked us for speeding 2MPH OVER THE DAMN LIMIT! Car was totaled and they refused to pay for anything and wouldn't even drop the charges so we had to pay an additional 300 over the 68k in damages to his car.
sweet_greggo@reddit
Can’t fill a ticket quota napping on the job.
reaveres@reddit
Because there’s literally nothing going on in farmers branch the whole dept is just a traffic unit.
jwilliam85@reddit
Went to jail in Farmers Branch lol
benqueviej1@reddit
I tell anyone who asks that they should be extra careful in Farmers Branch, especially if they are not white. The culture of any organization comes from the top.
sacandbaby@reddit
It's just a money grab. Nothing to do with safety.
SpecialMud6084@reddit
That's unfortunately just FB, very ticket happy, I also suspect that with the mass deportations happening there are absolutely cops looking to pull people over to check citizenship.
My family is white (and was the only white household in our FB neighborhood when I was growing up) and a few years ago my brother was driving us somewhere in his shitbox covered in duct tape. Cop pulled him over at Valwood and Josey, came up to the window, saw to his absolute shock, sober white people driving a shitbox and froze. My brother asked him why they pulled us over and the FB cop said "you didn't use your signal within 100 feet of your right turn". My brother responds "wow officer, I was really certain I had my signal on". And the officer dead ass said "well you turned it on more like 80 feet before the turn. Not 100. But I'll let you off with a warning this time"
That officer was 100% hoping to pull someone over who didn't speak enough English or was too scared of immigration to fight the most bullshit ticket I've heard of.
dageekywon@reddit
They have nothing to do. They sit in a lot of places and stop people. There is a motorcycle that likes to sit on Welch and nail people all day. It's a 30 zone that needs reevaluating, especially on the section thats 2 lanes each direction. 30 on that feels like you could bicycle faster. And he makes his salary and then some every time he sets up there.
I warn the drivers where I work to keep it under 35 or he'll get you. In the 7 years I've worked there, 5 people where I work have met the guy. He writes everyone, even the girl who was doing 36 according to the ticket. That one got tossed. The other 4 were for higher and they stuck.
If that's his conviction rate, FB is printing money with him.
DavidTheBlue@reddit
Call, report, and complain about it. Send dashcam video.
thetruckboy@reddit
There's a philosophy of policing that if you crack down hard on traffic infractions, you suppress crime overall. It's not incorrect in theory.
That's a fine and great strategy but how do you enforce that?
Quotas.
Quotas become a way of ensuring officer activity and standards, then the cash starts rolling in.
Then the dept starts to rely on them.
JingAnPeace@reddit
Pantego PD fits this bill.
SadAdministration438@reddit
I was just commented this to a reply that mentioned DWG. I’ve seen more people getting pulled over in Pantego than in any other municipality in the metroplex.
AntiqueBasket9903@reddit
I hope everyone knows by now to keep it within the speed limit west on valley view between marsh and webb chapel. They've been pulling people over at that same spot for at least 40 years and I just shake my head ever time I see someone pulled over there.
KennyDROmega@reddit
One of them almost hit me in their cruiser running a stop sign, then still flipped on their lights and made me stop to tell me he knew he ran the sign, but I was driving too fast. He'll let me off with a warning.
Motherfucker, YOU blew the goddamn stop sign! Fuck out of here with your we both made mistakes bullshit.
Kreative333@reddit
That’s wild, especially him admitting he ran the sign and still turning it on you. I get they have priority calls, but that kind of double standard is frustrating as hell.
Kreative333@reddit
I’ve noticed the same thing in that area, they go from 0 to full chase mode really fast.
DerpVaderXXL@reddit
Quotas!
JasonTheX@reddit
Many years ago they pulled me over after a martial arts competition. Suddenly one of the them saw my weapons from the competition in my back seat. He tried to get the door open but it was locked. He immediately pulled his club and before I could say anything he started wailing on me. I was still seatbelted when my lights went out. Woke up in a cell, cuffed on the floor. I was sent to Lew Sterrit in the morning with a notice to release. When I got there they found there was a bolo for me cause my parents put it out when I didn't show up at home. Long story short after filing a complaint the officers were fired but they immediately went to work for Plano Police Department.
Saamari@reddit
Ahh yes….takes a drag…..FBPD……standard operating procedure
bulldozer_nation2012@reddit
FB has always been a no go zone for me because of those storm trooper ass cops there.
OkDesk7930@reddit
I live in this area and have for a long time. And drive a yellow z06. I’ve never even been pulled over or a second look or thought given.. so I’m not sure. I go down spring valley to the ice rink in fb a lot.
Texy@reddit
Wait, you didn't know that cops are above the law and that they can do literally anything they want? This America. Welcome home
CycloneCowboy87@reddit
First day in the United States? This is what cops do. Sure, in bigger cities they’re a lot more likely to turn a blind eye to minor traffic infractions. But if you’re just now figuring out that cops don’t give a flying fuck about the people they’re supposed to be protecting, well better late than never I suppose.
anycaliberwilldo99@reddit
Get a dash cam and start filing complaints. Then start posting the clips on your locks FB page. When they receive enough feedback/backlash from the public they will make changes.
emilier98@reddit
Welcome to suburban policing. They’re that way in Farmer’s Branch, Coppell, Rockwall, and a lot of suburbs. They’re bored, military wannabes with way too much funding, a serious superiority complex, and they face zero consequences for their actions.
mir82jp@reddit
No because I just moved to Farmers Branch and it’s ridiculous the amount of people I see pulled over in the same spots everyday, the same cop cars sitting in the middle of the road, especially on Belt Line. Addison / FB Target always has someone pulled over from driving on Marsh LN.
yamarashis@reddit
lol i saw a work van blow through a school zone with a FB cop camped in the parking lot next door and didnt do jack shit about it
sportsnatik@reddit
Yup. Been pulled over by the Luby’s on Midway for going 7 mph over the limit. They let me off with a warning tho. Honestly, I think they’re bored most of the time and look for a reason to fuck with drivers.
pogybait24@reddit
You can thank the other drivers that think they can drive 60+ on midway and other roads. These drivers cause fatality accidents that can be prevented. The officers aren’t bored and looking to “fuck with drivers” , they are trying to deter people from driving like assholes and putting other drivers at risk. Even tho you were only going 7 over the speed limit , other drivers see that the police aren’t bored actively enforcing traffic laws and acts as a deterrent.
prw361@reddit
Tell me your name is Karen without telling me your name is Karen.
txaaron@reddit
Los Colinas and Irving police can be the same way. Motorcycle cop pulled me over on a street that has a large down hill segment near Los Colinas blvd. Clocked me at 33 in a 30 because I was going downhill. (Wasn't a large hill, but still). First and only ticket. I even stopped before he completely pulled out because I notice he had his lights on.
A cop in south Irving profiled my car for being dirty. Let me off with a warning for expired registration (it was the month it expired). A buddy of mine on the police force said they were trying to get excuses to search people's cars at the time.
loaba@reddit
Fuck FB. They've been like that since before I could drive (1990).
Suspicious-Pea-7481@reddit
First ticket I ever got was in Farmers Branch at 18 years old for speeding in a school zone. I'll never do that shit again! Second ticket I ever got was in Farmers Branch ! I'm 41 years old now and I've still never ever gotten a ticket except for in that hellhole. Coincidence? I think not.
Abject-Ad9082@reddit
The cops on the motorcycles tend to be very annoying off Luna and 635 some even camp on the shoulder headed towards Irving.
Zhombe@reddit
What’s not wrong with Farmer’s Branch? That’s the better question.
They’ve had a burr up their saddle ever since they realized that they’re not Las Colinas and are never going to be Las Colinas.
They desperately want to be elitist and ultimately racist but don’t have the appropriate demographics for it.
streminem@reddit
As someone who grew up there, you should give it another chance. The young kids are adults now, we had a good run of mayors that gave a damn about reshaping that reputation.
The racist apartment renting law was 20 years ago at this point. People don't forget, but still...
Zhombe@reddit
Well and the police…
streminem@reddit
You're right, wrote a whole bunch of words unrelated to the topic. I guess you struck a chord lol. Fuck the FB police, on that we can agree.
misterblackvenom@reddit
Is this on Midway? They’re always acting batshit on Midway (that’s where I usually see them).
Luckily, I’ve never had a problem with them. But I’m only over there when I’m in town working.
MagicWishMonkey@reddit (OP)
Yea, it's only on midway and I only drive like half a mile but I've run across way more shitty cops in the last year than I have in the 20-25 years I've been in Dallas. I'm glad I don't live there.
Crypto-Robin@reddit
I’m from Farmers Branch, and I’ve never been pulled over. Sometimes, I roll down my window and say, “Hi” to the cops.
Im_Scruffy@reddit
acab, but especially farmers branch police.
Snobolski@reddit
Inferiority complex because they’re not even Carrollton.
HunterSuspicious371@reddit
Cops are a pretty low iq bunch. Judging risk might be a challenge…
Christopger@reddit
They’ll ticket you for going 2mph over the speed limit.
mathmagician9@reddit
Yeah I had to drive to the dmv over there and there was a school zone with a stop light followed by another stop light 10 yards after that. I didn’t see the school zone sign because I was trying to figure out the stop lights. Meanwhile there’s a cop there, inbetween both stop lights, looking for confused visitors.
Daddioster@reddit
I have worked in Addison for 20+ years. Was told early on when driving through Farmers Branch to drive exactly the speed limit because even though the road is two or three lanes and divided and should have a speed limit of 40-45, it don’t, and those traffic cops are just waiting for you to forget about it.
noncongruent@reddit
Get. A. Dashcam. Seriously. Especially if you get hit by a cop they're going to want to go after you in retaliation, having video makes it much more likely you don't end up behind bars.
lemurvomitX@reddit
I graduated from Greenhill over 30 years ago. The only traffic ticket I've ever gotten in my life was from the FB police, going south on Midway from Spring Valley my senior year. I'm still not convinced I was actually speeding.
Worried-Rooster6400@reddit
You are so right. I'm not sure about their police dept. There are others like that too.
TheRaveChef@reddit
Lowkey the problem with low crime areas, cops are bored and usually dicks about it
David_Parker@reddit
They’re a land locked city without a lot of resources.
A lot of these cops are the equivalent of a small town police department. But they’re limited. They don’t get to know all the townsfolk and neighbors as much because they’re surrounded by people who live outside their city, so they’re kinda just rude, useless cops.
For any of the cops reading this: I get it. You’re still a cop, you’re still trying to do some good. Tighten up the department.
Affectionate-Act6127@reddit
Farmers Branch instituted the ban on renting apartments and housing to illegal immigrants then spent at least $5 million dollars litigating a sure fire loser.
technoskald@reddit
I learned to drive in Dallas over 30 years ago and Farmers Branch always had a reputation for extremely aggressive enforcement. Running stop signs and red lights should be cited, but not in a way that creates even more risk.
Heretogetthingsdone@reddit
Don't tint your windows!
Make sure the cops can see you are white!
Spirited-Sort7664@reddit
I don't know but I've gotten two tickets in the last 20 years in both were in that area even though I don't live there. And both times were really really stupid things like a tiny neighborhood and I didn't come to a complete stop at the stop sign. The cop told me that people have complained about it I guess so he basically said he was just going to write tickets sitting there and what's funny of course is I saw him it because it was this tiny little area I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Been in the second time I was turning right past some construction and I guess I wasn't allowed to turn right there for some reason I can't remember what it was but it was something else like very very innocuous that normally I don't think anyone would get pulled over for.
CarryTheBoat@reddit
8 year olds dude
Sirsnacksalot23@reddit
I have seen them do lots of questionable maneuvers over the years.
mclmawee@reddit
Had one completely blow past the pedestrian crosswalk across Valley View. It was dusk and there were two other cars stopped with the flashing lights on and I was just about to cross from the median and I see the SUV come flying down the road no lights or anything. I flipped him off and actually called the city on it. Nothing happened but it’s still fuck FBPD