How do you address a police academy student?

[63dot]

I am newly in law school, again, and the police academy in a nearby town has been going through renovations so they share the same building as the law school.

The police academy seems very militaristic and the students address all lawyers and law students as "sir" or "madam"

In some states lawyers are officers of the court with judges, and other states include bailiffs, stenographers, and law students as court officers

Is there a certain etiquette for a law student or lawyer to respond to a police academy student when they say hello "sir" or hello "madam"?

It's kind of scary with the force the academy students address their professors and legal personnel and sometimes when they are marching down the hall in formation every single student makes this military sounding salutation

...do you say hello, or salute, or what ?

[Chundles]

Mahoneeeeeyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!

[63dot]

Mahoneeeeeyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!

i have never been in the military, so what does that mean?

i really have no clue

[shecky]

http://splinteredsunrise.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/police_academy_1984.jpg

[Chundles]

In Australia we address them as "mate" until they graduate - then when they're full fledged police officers we call them "mate."


I'm serious. We don't call them "officer" unless they start to get official.

[StealthRider]

If it's anything like how we do things, it'll sound something like this (if I'm wrong, let me know):

The cadet/candidate/midshipman/whatever will say something to the effect of:

"Good morning/afternoon/evening, sir/madam/ma'am."

The proper response for you, then, would be:

"Good morning/afternoon/evening."

Keep it simple :)

[63dot]

If it's anything like how we do things, it'll sound something like this (if I'm wrong, let me know):

The cadet/candidate/midshipman/whatever will say something to the effect of:

"Good morning/afternoon/evening, sir/madam/ma'am."

The proper response for you, then, would be:

"Good morning/afternoon/evening."

Keep it simple :)

thank you so much, i was so scared since i know one day, if i am speeding, in my small town of 1,900 people, it will be me calling them sir or madam and any time a cop has ever pulled me over, i treated them like the president of the universe :)

and the california highway patrol, just by their power, and a lot from the tv show "chips", have an almost godlike aura about them...many people i know are either fascinated and/or frightened of them

those funny gold helmets, for chp motorcycle officers, are certainly an icon without equal in california

ok, the red bikinis of female lifeguards ranks higher :)

btw...i have far more respect for cops than any lawyers or judges...i just don't see "spin" with cops, just if i broke the law or not, and i like that honesty

i just want to start off on the right foot...our town is literally that small

so i will say "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good evening"

[Chundles]

thank you so much, i was so scared since i know one day, if i am speeding, in my small town of 1,900 people, it will be me calling them sir or madam and any time a cop has ever pulled me over, i treated them like the president of the universe :)

and the california highway patrol, just by their power, and a lot from the tv show "chips", have an almost godlike aura about them...many people i know are either fascinated and/or frightened of them

those funny gold helmets, for chp motorcycle officers, are certainly an icon without equal in california

ok, the red bikinis of female lifeguards ranks higher :)

btw...i have far more respect for cops than any lawyers or judges...i just don't see "spin" with cops, just if i broke the law or not, and i like that honesty

i just want to start off on the right foot...our town is literally that small

so i will say "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good evening"

Here if you got pulled over it would go:

PO - "Good afternoon sir/madam"

You - "Yeah G'Day mate"

PO - "In a bit of a hurry today"

You - "No officer, I wasn't speeding"

PO - "********* you weren't, I saw ya"

You - "You did not, you're drunk"

PO - "Sir, I can assure you I am sober, speaking of which would you mind counting to ten while I administer a breath test"

You - "Nup, get f*cked copper!!!"

You then speed off into the distance while the copper gently shakes his head smiling and muttering to himself "Huh, fair enough, the little smartarse got me there."

[63dot]

Here if you got pulled over it would go:

PO - "Good afternoon sir/madam"

You - "Yeah G'Day mate"

PO - "In a bit of a hurry today"

You - "No officer, I wasn't speeding"

PO - "********* you weren't, I saw ya"

You - "You did not, you're drunk"

PO - "Sir, I can assure you I am sober, speaking of which would you mind counting to ten while I administer a breath test"

You - "Nup, get f*cked copper!!!"

You then speed off into the distance while the copper gently shakes his head smiling and muttering to himself "Huh, fair enough, the little smartarse got me there."


i love it...i have to stay quiet and not laugh loudly since wifey is sleeping :)

i could say, "you catch 'em, i and i set 'em free, copper!"

[Abstract]

Address them as "Little fella" or "boy". They love that.

[Gelfin]

I'm pretty much just guessing here, but it sounds like maybe they're practicing being respectful and deferential to those in authority. Somebody probably told them to do it. Ticking off a DA, judge or non-uniformed officer will be potentially career-limiting someday.

Don't salute back. It's not the military, you're not their officer and you'll just look like a dork. Try to accept it graciously. Smile and nod in acknowledgement. It's always acceptable to address another adult as "ma'am" or "sir," so feel free to do that as appropriate, but don't feel like you have to match them sir-for-sir.

Or, you know, I could be totally off. The behavior is common enough you feel like asking about it, so maybe try asking one of your mentors there at the school how the relationship works.

[Iscariot]

Don't salute back. It's not the military, you're not their officer and you'll just look like a dork.

If there's anything I learned from Al Borland, it's that a two-fingered salute is never out of fashion.

[EricNau]

I believe their official title is cadet, which is usually how they will introduce themselves (e.g. "Good afternoon, I'm Cadet Wilson").

Although, if you're responding to their greeting, a smile and simple response (e.g. "Good afternoon") would be perfectly acceptable. ...Don't salute.

If you ever strike up a conversation with one of them, it never hurts to ask. :)

[Gelfin]

If there's anything I learned from Al Borland, it's that a two-fingered salute is never out of fashion.

California freeways have taught me the same thing about one-fingered salutes. :D

[Iscariot]

California freeways have taught me the same thing about one-fingered salutes. :D

Is San Fran traffic as bad as L.A. traffic?

[djellison]

If they have a gun - 'Sir' or "Ma'm'

If they don't - 'Kid'

:)

Doug

[Chundles]

If they have a gun - 'Sir' or "Ma'm'

If they don't - 'Kid'

:)

Doug

They've all got guns here, still call them mate.

[RedTomato]

Ask one of your lecturers or professors or any staffer. No doubt they all know about it and have been having their own discussions. Best to ask a few different ones to make sure you get a range of opinions.

Also why not ask some of the police academy students themselves? People are surprisingly responsive to someone asking them a question about something they've just done.

PAS: Good MORNing SUR!

You: Good morning.

PAS: ...<swish> .. <click> .. <thud>..

You: One moment please?

PAS: Sure thing SUH!

You: I'm new here / I've noticed a lot of people here calling me sir / saluting. I'm never sure how to respond. Would you mind explaining it to me?

PAS: NO PROBlem. Just <bla bla bla bla>

You: Thank you very much for your time, and good luck. Good bye.

PAS: NO PROBlem SUH! Good-BYE!

[sushi]

"Good morning/afternoon/evening, sir/madam/ma'am."
Suggest only using sir and ma'am. Drop the madam bit.

[richard.mac]

… We don't call them "officer" unless they start to get official.

funny that? official -> officer…

Here if you got pulled over it would go:

PO - "Good afternoon sir/madam"

You - "Yeah G'Day mate"

PO - "In a bit of a hurry today"

You - "No officer, I wasn't speeding"

PO - "********* you weren't, I saw ya"

You - "You did not, you're drunk"

PO - "Sir, I can assure you I am sober, speaking of which would you mind counting to ten while I administer a breath test"

You - "Nup, get f*cked copper!!!"

You then speed off into the distance while the copper gently shakes his head smiling and muttering to himself "Huh, fair enough, the little smartarse got me there."

haha mate… sooo loving you right now!…

or it could go

Constable: "Good afternoon sir/madam"

You: "G'Day mate"

Constable: "In a bit of a hurry today? You just ran a light"

You - "Nah sorry mate, I never ran a light"

Constable: "********* you weren't, I saw ya!"

You - "WTF as if mate… were buddies here!"

Constable: "Alright then let me check your Driver's Licensce "

Constable: "Nup, get f*cked copper!!!"

You then speed off into the distance while the copper gently shakes his head smiling and muttering to himself "Huh, fair enough, the little smartarse got me there

[Gelfin]

Is San Fran traffic as bad as L.A. traffic?

I've never had to drive in L.A., so I can't say for sure, but my understanding is generally no. It has its moments, to be sure.

[Gray-Wolf]

As to the original question, "Officer"

[Sdashiki]

Piglet?

[63dot]

Suggest only using sir and ma'am. Drop the madam bit.

that makes sense

the first time i heard it in a political sense was with madeline albright as the press often referred to her as madam secretary, and never, "hey you, lady secretary of state" :)

the second time i heard it in a political fashion, it was when nancy pelosi became speaker of the house of representatives, and she became madam speaker...i always grew up hearing mr. speaker and i remember an interview with a senator that said, "the president runs the usa (in a ceremonial sense), but the speaker runs WASHINGTON

i have been reading a book on washington protocol and while some of the military stuff was somewhat foreign to me, the protocol around congress people, ambassadors, and other leaders was downright strange, down to bizarre seating arrangements and memos

there have been many jokes about how vp dick cheney was the real boss, and george w bush being the "yes man", but that may or may not be true, but in constitutional law, the speaker of the house can almost act as master of the universe...kind of strange since the usa wanted to discourage anybody being close to a monarch, and thus limited the power of the president and spread all power evenly over many people with no real point person

over the years, the speaker of the house, some say during the long democratic white house reign from '33-'53 expanded the speaker's power...today, nancy pelosi, known for being outspoken and sometimes not representative of the middle of the road, is feared and highly criticized by many in the middle and on the right...so instead of madam....he he...i am sure some congress people have other titles for her :)

[63dot]

If they have a gun - 'Sir' or "Ma'm'

If they don't - 'Kid'

:)

Doug

ok, that's it folks...best answer of all :)

where i live, small town usa, the young adults go to police academy *at the junior college which is still under construction/remodel, then they spread their wings right before and immediately after they graduate working on the state parks land which used to be an army base, and then they make it to a city nearby

what's funny is the in between stage, when they just graduated and are riding the patrol cars and motorcycles on the state parks land...he he...so many of the male officers are desperately trying to grow a mustache and more times than not, it's like 14 year old peach fuzz, and to make matters worse, they all take to a #1 buzz cut, so they look like chickens that have just been hatched

my good friend used to be chief or assistant chief at the army base federal police station and he would get a lot of interns right after school before they got placed in a city, and his stories were hilarious...he loved to cross dress and his wife helped him pick out clothes, yes in women's clothes - like fbi head j edgar hoover but never at work, and the young, newly minted officers were terrified of him since he had his macho side, too and i doubt any of the officers under him ever knew :)

and for chief "i won't mention his name", the salutation is definitely "madam"

[riscy]

in UK it might be cunstable ??

[Sun Baked]

Nothing wrong with turning out polite police officers ...

Saying sir/madam makes for a lot better dash cam videos.

With the shoulder mounted cop cam around the corner next, always acting like you are on camera is a good defense.

---

Calling people scumbag, and beating them on the head really makes for some nasty news coverage.

[tgildred]

Johnny.

Said in a sort of Cary Grant way.

Then when they ask you to please stop calling them Johnny, say, "Sure thing, Johnny."

[velocityg4]

As others have mentioned "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" will suffice. It is common practice in any US military type training including police training to address civilians as Sir or Madam/Ma'am but it is not expected from civilians. If you were graduated from law school and an officer of the court then adding Cadet would be appropriate, since you outrank them.

For anyone when addressing a uniformed police officer "Officer" is appropriate not Sir or Ma'am, it shows respect for their authority and can help you avoid a ticket.

For an Officer of the court such as DA or Judge it would be appropriate to use there title. Detective, Lieutenant, Captain, Officer (for street Cops) etc...

For a defense lawyer I believe that using the appropriate title is only expected on official business such as questioning for a case.

[RaceTripper]

If they address you with Sir/Ma'am, what's wrong with just returning the courtesy in kind?

[StealthRider]

The only reason I included madam is because the OP used that rather than "ma'am". The military does not say madam; I would be very surprised if a police academy did.

The idea is that they render what's referred to as "the proper greeting of the day", which will be the very formal greeting that you mentioned. Once you return that greeting, the conversation either ends, or you may continue it. Once the formal greetings are exchanged, the conversation can usually become less formal if the higher-ranking individual (you, I suppose) desires.

Do they honestly salute? I read that as "salutation" but others seem to think they render a full hand salute.

[63dot]

As others have mentioned "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" will suffice. It is common practice in any US military type training including police training to address civilians as Sir or Madam/Ma'am but it is not expected from civilians. If you were graduated from law school and an officer of the court then adding Cadet would be appropriate, since you outrank them.

For anyone when addressing a uniformed police officer "Officer" is appropriate not Sir or Ma'am, it shows respect for their authority and can help you avoid a ticket.

For an Officer of the court such as DA or Judge it would be appropriate to use there title. Detective, Lieutenant, Captain, Officer (for street Cops) etc...

For a defense lawyer I believe that using the appropriate title is only expected on official business such as questioning for a case.

in the state of california, state bar, harrison street, san francisco, california...a lawyer is only an officer of the court when in court and a law student is only an officer of the court when in court as a law clerk or in special circumstances a junior co-counsel in the lower court

outside of court, in california, they are not court officers, and in no way are they superior to any police officer or cadet

many a lawyer never spend much time, or any, in court

in a famous case in my city, which i won't mention since it has not been settled yet, the mayor of the city was pulled over for drunk driving....i think he was .05 and had half a glass of wine but still impaired...he tried to pull rank on the cop

the mayor has absolutely no authority over the cop on the street if he sees the mayor, popular and very wealthy in his case, driving impaired

the mayor is like any other citizen

now i am talking of a certain city in the state of california

i have no idea how another city would handle it, and especially how another state would handle it

from a previous post, sure it's not a good idea for a police officer to piss off a lawyer or judge, but it is not a good idea for a lawyer or judge to piss off a cop

btw, the mayor, also a superior court judge, was voted out overwhelmingly despite a close personal relationship with the president who he brought to his city for a speech

i am not aware of georgia, as i mentioned earlier on that different states have different rules

[glocke12]

try "dude" for the males, and "babe" for the females....

[63dot]

try "dude" for the males, and "babe" for the females....

something tells me that the first could work, but the second will not go over very well

try the democratic primaries...and imagine being in a bar watching a debate and obama says something out of the ordinary (good or bad), i could hear people saying "did you hear what that dude said?"

now if hillary said something similar, who would say, "did you hear what that babe said?"

even drunk patrons just would not cross that line

he he...don't get me wrong...i am not young and i think for her age hillary is not a bad looking woman, and during her years as the first lady, she was a babe :)

and i won't be partisan, mrs. bush ain't bad looking, either...and i hope you know which mrs. bush i am talking about...ok...you know, the one that doesn't look like george washington :)