Cop Talk: Waving

Q Yesterday I waved at a police officer as we passed on the street, but he didn’t wave back.  Why are some officers so unfriendly?

A Just this past week I was confronted by a friend who asked the same thing. I was embarrassed, but the fact is – I didn’t see her.

Some folks take great offense if you don’t wave back. But there are some valid reasons why an officer may not return a wave. There are also lame excuses – I’ll let you sort them out.

When an officer is on patrol, aren’t just driving to a destination like most motorists. They are constantly scanning about 120 degrees in front, watching for traffic violations as far as a block ahead. As other vehicles approach, the officer may look at the license plate to see if it is expired, or if it is speeding the officer must look at the radar for the reading. And this is just activity on the road. The officer also scans yards and open areas, down alleys and side streets, and around buildings, watching for suspicious activity. The eyes are constantly moving, and with attention to so many things, the officer simply may not see you wave.

“I waved and you were looking right at me, and you didn’t wave back.” Well, I may have been looking but I couldn’t see you through your tinted windows. Yes, just because you can see me doesn’t mean I can see you. Strangely, the ol’ two-finger-off-the-steering-wheel-wave is more easily seen, and officers will usually respond in kind.

Perhaps the lamest excuse is the most common – “I waved, but you had already passed by and didn’t see me wave back.” It happens to me a lot. I’m not sure any of my friends believe me.

Now, there are times that a police officer will not wave back. If an officer is directing traffic, waving to someone can be dangerous – a motorist might mistakenly think the officer is signaling them to continue, and boom – a traffic accident. If the officer sees you waving, at best you can expect them to respond with the ol’ chin nod.

An officer on a traffic stop must have their attention on a number of things, ignoring anything not directly affecting interaction with the occupants. In this case, you might not even get the chin nod. Don’t honk and wave, either – distracting an officer while conducting inherently dangerous tasks will more likely get you a dirty look, and if they know you, you can expect a lecture when you next meet.

Sadly, in larger cities with high crime rates, waving at a police officer may indeed be met with an icy and suspicious stare – in those areas, nobody waves at a cop…well, not in a friendly manner.

But not around here. Most of us are friendly sorts and we like it when people are friendly toward us. An officer seeing a child waving at them can make an otherwise rough day a little more pleasant. So, go ahead and wave.

Doug Dickey is a retired Carthage police officer, and is currently serving with another local department. Answers to questions here are general in nature and may not pertain to all agencies, nor should they be interpreted as legal advice. Contact your local agency or an attorney if you have specific questions regarding law enforcement or legal matters.