 | The examples and perspective in this articledeal primarily with the United States and do not represent aworldwide view of the subject. You mayimprove this article, discuss the issue on thetalk page, orcreate a new article, as appropriate.(August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Aride-along is an arrangement for a civilian to spend a shift in the passenger seat of an emergency vehicle, observing the work day of apolice officer,firefighter,paramedic, orsecurity.
Ride-alongs are offered by many police departments worldwide. There is a minimum age to participate in a ride-along. Depending on the department, it is often somewhere between the ages of 12 and 18. When participation of those under 18 is permitted, consent from a parent orlegal guardian is required. Individuals with criminal records or those under investigation by any law enforcement agency are prohibited from participating. People who also have problems with previous ride-alongs may also be denied. When citizens are selected for a ride-along, they must read and sign a waiver stating the rules and expectations for participating, as well as agreeing that situations can turn dangerous at any time. The most common form of ride-alongs areLaw Enforcement Explorers, Auxiliary or Volunteer Police officers, and participants inCitizen's Police Academy programs.
People go on ride-alongs for various reasons. These include interest in a future career in law enforcement, personal interest in law enforcement officers without such a career,journalists wishing to write reports, and those interested in community relations. Some emergency departments require dispatchers to go on ride-alongs so they can get a first-hand feel for the area they are responsible for. Regardless of the reason, all citizens who meet the department's eligibility requirements are generally welcome to participate in a ride-along.
The television showCops is made with a variety of police ride-alongs put into a half-hour segment.
Ride-alongs face a variety of issues.
For the most part, the safety of the person on the ride-along must be considered. Officers with ride-alongs generally drop off the person in a safe place before an emergency response if they believe the call may pose a danger, and another available officer will attempt to pick up the person. Many departments require applicants to sign aliability waiver before participation. It is not always possible for the officer to avoid a situation in which the person riding along may be in danger.
In 2007, a woman inBoise, Idaho, was on a ride-along when she witnessed two police officers fatally shoot a suspect following ahigh-speed chase.[1]
TheTV seriesTop Cops, which aired 1990–1993, once told the true story of the 8-year-old son of a police officer whose father took him on a ride-along after obtaining an exemption to the department's policy in which the minimum to apply was 14. During the shift, the officer was called to abank robbery, in which the robber claimed to be armed with a live-wire bomb, and demanded the tellers take him to the vault. The boy, who did not understand the potential danger, was not harmed.
Most participants in ride-alongs do not have ill intentions; however, in 1991, famed journalist andserial killerJack Unterweger went on a ride-along with theLos Angeles Police Department allegedly to learn the location of the area'sred light districts. Shortly thereafter, several areaprostitutes weremurdered, and Unterweger was considered the prime suspect.[2]
In theUnited States, ride-alongs have raisedprivacy concerns. In 1999, theU.S. Supreme Court ruled that allowingjournalists orphotographers to enter and film private homes during a ride-along is a violation of theFourth Amendment.[3]
The 1993 filmCop and a Half portrays a boy on a ride-along, who witnesses a murder committed by a gang.
In the TV seriesFriends, the episode entitled "The One with the Ride-Along" features Chandler, Joey, and Ross on a ride-along with Phoebe's then-boyfriend, Gary, who was a police officer.
InThe Simpsons episode "Separate Vocations",Bart Simpson goes on a ride-along with Springfield police officersEddie andLou, following an aptitude test which suggests that Bart is best suited as a police officer.
An episode ofEverybody Loves Raymond, "The Ride-Along", involves Ray going on a ride-along with his cop brother, Robert.
In thefirst episode of the TV seriesBreaking Bad,Walter White goes on a ride-along with hisDEA agent brother-in-law,Hank Schrader.
In the 2009 filmObserve and Report, Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen's character) goes on a ride-along.
The 2014 filmRide Along focuses on a security guard (Kevin Hart) going on a ride-along with a police officer (Ice Cube) whose sister he wants to marry.
In 2016 TV seriesLucifer featuresLucifer Morningstar working withLAPD Detective Chloe Decker, with the latter referring to the former as a "glorified ride-along" in the fifth episode.[citation needed]
In9-1-1 episode titled "Awful People", Maddie Kendall, a 911 dispatcher, goes on a ride-along withLAPD Sergeant Athena Grant as part of her training.
In the episode named "The Ride Along" of the 2018 TV seriesThe Rookie, a Hollywood director goes on a ride-along withLAPD officers John Nolan and Talia Bishop to research for his new film.
