Metro officers..

[fish_eat_sleep]

I really don't appreciate being treated like i'm stupid, where is the professionalism in our state conservation officers?

Today I really lost respect for these guys.. Growing up, I always looked up to them as they were trying to protect our lakes (and land) from invasive species, poachers, over harvest and other harmful behavior.

I honestly couldn't believe how rude they were to me today. I completely understand the routine safety/license checks but after today i think i will avoid them if possible. The way they introduced themselves, the way they asked to see my license, and throwable. Yeah, they were doing their job. but really? If i was a CO i would be a lot more friendly, and get to know my fellow minnesotans.. and NOT use the intimidation technique.

Usually i appreciate seeing them on metro lakes. which rarely ever happens anyway but now my opinion and perception has changed.

There is an appropriate time to be tough, and an appropriate time to be friendly.

as you can tell i was not impressed. not a big deal. just thought id share my fishing experience from today.

[CatholicConis]

Now we're all curious. What happened?

[fish_eat_sleep]

It was simply not a positive experience. i didn't get any tickets or anything like that.. just more of disrespect issue.

I don't know if anyone can relate to this.. I felt it was similar to a TSA guy at the airport, that is maybe not as friendly as he could be, you know, making the regular screening or random pat down more awkward and more hassle than it needs to be. maybe not quite apples to apples but it was just a negative experience, thats all.

[CatholicConis]

That's too bad. I've been checked by the CO on Minnetonka several times and by others elsewhere in the state; always friendly and professional.

Maybe some guy right before you gave him some lip or something and the CO was a little grumpy afterwards.

[Proskier2038]

Maybe some guy right before you gave him some lip or something and the CO was a little grumpy afterwards.

This would be my guess. Ive always had pleasant experiences.

There has been a few drownings around lately too, so Im not surprised they are out ensuring people have their ducks in a row... not to mention the upcoming holiday.

[BassFisherman]

Fish Eat Sleep im in the same boat as you are. I have had it a few times and seen it a few times how they treat people and it isn't right or professional as you stated.

[th64]

How was the fishing F.E.S.? My experience with land owners where I portage into a lake (legally of course) is they are very friendly if the lake is off and not so friendly if the lake is on. I had a less than pleasant encounter with a CO in Cass Co. and I got the impression that I was on one of 'his' lakes that he fishes-(all those guys fish)

You know at a casino staff will be very friendly to you if you loose a lot and often, if you win a lot and often they will kick you out!

Just makes me wonder about your catch that day.

[fish_eat_sleep]

th64, The fishing has been pretty bad in my experience in then last 2 weeks. been on fish, spring, prior, orchard, and crystal. nothing worth bragging about. even the bass fishing wasnt great. crappies were few and far between everywhere.

[mallardnwalleye]

He probably thought you were doing something illeagal. I have had the same CO one day come up and help me pull a jon boat 100 ft. up a muddyshore to the truck landing.

A year latter he thought I took an overlimit of ducks and was using a spinner early. His niceness was replaced by quick questions and a bit of a bull rush of intimidation. They do this to when they suspect something as they are looking for non verbal signals indicating deception.

The CO I am talking about above is a great guy as I have talk 'd with him many times since.

I feel for you FES as I have had the bullrush done to me by more than a few CO's. Once I learned that it is a tactic when something is suspected I have let go of it.

[Tom7227]

Well it's been a hot three days and they just pulled a kid out of O'Dowd so maybe it's been a rough time out there. Someone mentioned tactics and you have to remember that most of the time these folks are out there alone without much chance of backup. They are taught and quickly learn how to use their demeanor to their advantage.

Make a call if you think the officer was out of line. If nothing is done nothing will change.

District 13

K350 Supervisor: LT Todd Kanieski 763-576-8876

[Westy]

hopefully he was just having bad day... We all have them.

[EBass]

I've had good and bad experiences regarding their attitude when they spoke to me.

[mrklean]

like said above they do that sometimes to get a reaction out of you to see if you are doing something wrong, there job is to catch violators not be the happy police

[LightningBG]

like said above they do that sometimes to get a reaction out of you to see if you are doing something wrong, there job is to catch violators not be the happy police

But keep in mind. They work for us! No need to be rude to your boss.

People in customer service often deal with negative situations and have "bad days". You have to learn to set it aside while you're on the job.

I'm trying to think of any other professions where its acceptable to be a jerk and get it written off as a "bad day"? Cant think of any right now.

[mrklean]

But keep in mind. They work for us! No need to be rude to your boss.

People in customer service often deal with negative situations and have "bad days". You have to learn to set it aside while you're on the job.

I'm trying to think of any other professions where its acceptable to be a jerk and get it written off as a "bad day"? Cant think of any right now.

Next time you get pulled over tell a cop that he works for you let me know how that goes. I stand by what i said there job is to catch violators and if he thinks someone is doing something illegal so he puts some pressure on them maybe give them a little attitude then so be it. A CO's job customer service that's a good one never heard that one before

[goblueM]

I've had nothing but good experiences with all CO's I've interacted with, even when they wrote one of my group members a ticket they were still courteous.

There's exceptions, but I think if you are reasonable and courteous with them, they reciprocate. If you are standoffish and sketchy, they may not be so nice

[mainbutter]

I'm trying to think of any other professions where its acceptable to be a jerk and get it written off as a "bad day"? Cant think of any right now.

I'd expect to get fired if I wasn't anything except friendly and smiles at any job I've ever had.

[Zelmsdawg]

Next time you get pulled over tell a cop that he works for you let me know how that goes.

You beat me to that example. I think if you're going to present an argument about it, thats not the logic to follow. But, yes one would hope people be respectful. It is easy to forget what a tough and thankless job it is, at least in my opinion. And you could have had the luck of dealing with the one Ahole in a large bunch of otherwise decent beings. I too have had all positive experiences but hopefully you don't let one experience wreck the rest.

[harvey lee]

Never once have I had a CO do anything but be respectful while they checked me for whatever. Typically I end up talking with them and one can get alot of good info from the CO's.

I do not know what happened in your case but there are times a CO can have a bad day as mentioned above, they are human.

They see kids that have drown becuse thier parents did not make sure they had a life jacket on and they have to in some cases pick the child up dead in the water.

I can see at times when a CO can have a bad day.

So many people out there think a CO is out to get them. They are there to protect our resourse and help keep people within the law which benefits us all.

I have 3 friends who are CO's and they can tell some real stories on how people that they are checking treat them. Some of the stories I cannot believe.

[Doufish2]

Not long ago, we were fishing a club tourney. A couple of CO officers scream up to our boat, real nice to us. Asked to see our license, asked about our life jackets. I always have my inflatable on, but it was hot as hell and took it off for a little bit. My partner had is Stearns laying at his feet. The CO kept asking me for my other life jacket, I pulled up my throwable, that was not what he was looking for. He finally told me that if you use an inflatable as a PFD, you must have it on at all times. I did not not that, and put it on an thanked him. The funny part about the whole incedent, as they pulled away, I watched them go into one of their storage compartments and pull out their throwable. Guess they are human too!!

[LightningBG]

Next time you get pulled over tell a cop that he works for you let me know how that goes. I stand by what i said there job is to catch violators and if he thinks someone is doing something illegal so he puts some pressure on them maybe give them a little attitude then so be it. A CO's job customer service that's a good one never heard that one before

Is that their job? Simply to catch violators? If you go to the DNR website, the job description looks quite a bit more involved.

Since they are LEOs, does the motto "protect and serve" come into play at any time?

To assume that the OP was doing something wrong without witnessing something is where the bad attitude rubs me wrong. If you watched a guy shoot a deer from his pickup, fine, put the screws to him. If you're going to come check me for PFDs, leave the attitude behind, I haven't done anything wrong yet.

[jac714]

To assume that the OP was doing something wrong without witnessing something is where the bad attitude rubs me wrong. If you watched a guy shoot a deer from his pickup, fine, put the screws to him. If you're going to come check me for PFDs, leave the attitude behind, I haven't done anything wrong yet.

My feelings exactly, if you are not there to arrest or cite me be a decent human being I will tend to be much more cooperative. I find my attitude often mirrors the attitude of the person (LEO, CO, man on the street, etc...) I have been forced to deal with.

[goblueM]

if you are not there to arrest or cite me be a decent human being I will tend to be much more cooperative. I find my attitude often mirrors the attitude of the person (LEO, CO, man on the street, etc...) I have been forced to deal with.

Couldn't agree more. But it also is a two-way street - think about all the jerks that LEOs have to deal with, they love it when people are pleasant and cooperative

[jac714]

Couldn't agree more. But it also is a two-way street - think about all the jerks that LEOs have to deal with, they love it when people are pleasant and cooperative

I have a pretty good idea of what they have to put up with. I am a recovering inner city (North Minneapolis) High School teacher. I can see where they can get angry about how the last person treated them, however I don't see where that gives them the right to take an attitude with the next person they deal with.

Whether we like it or not dealing with difficult people is part of their job description and if they cannot let things go they are in the wrong business.

[th64]

God bless you I taught in North Mpls too-makes you appreciate a quiet day of fishing.

[jmd1]

I guess if they should put the screws to the guy who shoots a deer across his truck and you are complaining that they were not nice to you asking about your PFD, then they can put the screws to you too for not following the laws of the water. How is the deer vs PFD any different. I think that i would thank them for not citing me and go about my business. Imagine the garbage they have to deal with every single day, from hunters with weapons, fishermen with weapons, and the everyday citizen they may have to encounter for something else. Deal with all that and make less than the LEO.

[jac714]

I hate to say it but the bottom line is that they knew they were going to be dealing with difficult people in difficult situations when they took the job; just like i knew I was going to be dealing with difficult adn sometimes dangerous kids working in the inner city. The fact that some kid had just spent the last 15 minutes screaming in my face things I don't want to discuss did not give me the right to project that onto another kid. Same situation for a CO.

To parse your example; it is immediately obvious that the guy who shot the deer across the road had violated the law, the not wearing an inflatable PFD is not a violation until there is not another PFD on board for each person.

We are getting much too far into this issue, it is a CO's job to enforce the law and to be a positive representative of the DNR. We all have bad days I imagine it would be easy to excuse the CO based on that idea, but I don't get cut that kind of slack in my classroom and I don't have the power or force that a CO does.

I still maintain that if I have violated a law and put myself in the situation where I am being cited or god forbid, arrested the LEO can be as hard on me as they need to be, but if they are just conducting a check they better treat me with respect and be friendly about it or I am going to be incensed and will voice my displeasure to the highest level at the DNR, PD, MSP, etc...

[rough_rider]

I had a similar experience this past weekend. CO made a B-line for me, had his game face on, probably expecting to catch me for something. No greeting, no smile, no "how's the fishing? may I check your license?". He was very straightforward, like a police officer on some cheesy reality cops show: "got your license? you keep anything? what's your buddies name?"

Hey Mr. Testosterone-mixed-with-Authority, I am a multiple time DNR fisheries intern, relax.

[OnAFly]

Jac714 - I don't think anyone would disagree that, regardless of how your day is going, you should be polite, respectful, and patient with everyone you talk to, but keep in mind that we're all human. If everyone got fired for not being cheery to everyone else they came across at work 100% of the time, we'd all be out of a job.

Can anyone on here honestly say they have never spoke to someone in a harsh manner then afterward felt bad about it, realizing they were inadvertently taking out their frustration on them for something they had nothing to do with?

[arrow]

I think we all agree that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. If I did not treat my clients with respect and in a friendly manner I would lose all my customers as I depend on referrals for work. That is not how government operates, they can pretty much treat you anyway they want and there is very little you or I can do about it. I have been treated pretty well by the DNR on most occasions but I too have encountered some officers that treated me like I was public enemy number one with no reason or tickets to follow. I think some officers get jaded and begin to assume everyone is guilty until they prove themselves innocent.