Using ambulance as a cover...good or bad??

[akflightmedic]

More than a dozen Portales police officers and Roosevelt County sheriff's deputies borrowed an ambulance to swoop down on a county residence and serve a search warrant.

They came away with three arrests and $1,700 worth of suspected methamphetamine.

The bust happened this week after an informant gave authorities information on drugs and surveillance equipment in the home that was used to monitor police activity.

Dispatchers put out a fake call for ambulance crews to respond to a neighboring residence. That provided cover for authorities to be in the neighborhood.

Arrested were 38-year-old Armando Ontiveros, 22-year-old Juan Tovar and 31-year-old Anastacio Saenz Jr.

[kuo34]

Though this may be completely legal, I feel that it is quite unethical. This is like moving combat troops in red cross/crescent marked vehicles.

It makes people question EMS everytime such a tactic is used.

[AnthonyM83]

I don't like that idea. MAYBE if they were trying to make an arrest for something really major like a murderer, rapist, or a hostage situation, but not for drugs. You don't want people getting a fear-association with EMS workers.

[medic001918]

I don't like that idea. MAYBE if they were trying to make an arrest for something really major like a murderer, rapist, or a hostage situation, but not for drugs. You don't want people getting a fear-association with EMS workers.

While I don't agree with the tactic, I wouldn't say that a meth dealer isn't a major crime. Meth is a rather heavy drug and is a major problem in many areas of the country. It would certainly rate up there with rapists and murders. It's not something I would want in my neighborhood. There are other undercover means that they could have applied to get in there to perform this operation. I'd like to know why they chose this one. But that's not really something we will ever get to find out.

Shane

NREMT-P

[Ridryder 911]

Oh great !.. Now we are going to get shot at everytime we have a paranoid cranker sees an ambulance coming down the road.... thanks guys!... You could had not used another approach huh..?

R/R 911

[AnthonyM83]

While I don't agree with the tactic, I wouldn't say that a meth dealer isn't a major crime. Meth is a rather heavy drug and is a major problem in many areas of the country. It would certainly rate up there with rapists and murders. It's not something I would want in my neighborhood. There are other undercover means that they could have applied to get in there to perform this operation. I'd like to know why they chose this one. But that's not really something we will ever get to find out.

I wouldn't rank prossession of meth (which a local PD could make several arrests per day on) up there with murder and rape which causes immediate devastation to the victim and family. Also a murderer, rapist, kidnapper or others of that sort are much more of an immediate threat to the community, while meth is a slower process. I would probably worry about other things like drunk drivers, pedophiles, or domestic violence, even major meth labs before simple street level possession. They're all major in that they're felonies (except first offense DUI) and that they're bad dangerous things, but when drawing a distinction between what might justify using an ambulance as concealment, I rank it on the low side...relatively.

[DwayneEMTP]

I can't believe that anyone with personal experience with violent crime would ever compare a meth lab to rape or murder...

Maybe we could debate that all day, though I hope most of us wouldn't...

Using the ambulance....asinine! Not two ways about it. I can't imagine a better way to get ambulance personnel killed...

Perhaps next they will dress leo as priests, or social workers....

Getting meth off the streets...high priority....making sure someone can and will come in an emergency....the highest.....

Dwayne

[Dustdevil]

Bad, bad idea.

Have been on a department who denied the PD the use of our equipment when they wanted to use our ambulance or bunker gear to make a bust. They raised hell and went to the mayor who insisted that we allow it. The fire chief told the mayor that he and the entire (paid) department would walk if it happened. It didn't happen, and the DA sent the police chief a written statement that he would support charges for impersonating a public servant against his officers if the fire chief requested them. That pretty well ended that debate.

I maintain the same opinion as my former fire chief on this.

[THUMPER1156]

Dispatchers put out a fake call for ambulance crews to respond to a neighboring residence. That provided cover for authorities to be in the neighborhood.

Correct me if I'm wrong :Isn't a false report a crime also :roll:

[zippyRN]

totally unethical

use a UPS or DHL van , use a municpal van or a utilities company van , use a spot hire van ( not unknown by Uk police forces)