View Full Version : Does the Marine Corps Military Police have discretion?
Good morning Marines!
I'm curious about this. Your particular views on MPs and the MOS notwithstanding, does anyone know if garrison MPs have discretion on whether they cite or don't cite someone they contact?
I seem to recall someone telling me that everyone they stop gets a ticket.
Thank you,
-nrml1
Beltayn
05-07-10, 09:04 AM
Don't speed and you wont get stopped.
Was this some kind of trick question?
Don't speed and you wont get stopped.
Was this some kind of trick question?
No, I was just curious as to whether all of contacts automatically got cited no questions asked. I'm genuinely curious.
Beltayn
05-07-10, 09:18 AM
No. That would be silly.
Not an MP so can only answer based on experience. If an MP pulls you over and radios the desk that you slow rolled a stop sign and he says take down his info and give him a warning then that is what happens.
The only real discretion they have is whether to pull you over or not.
polizei
05-07-10, 03:13 PM
I can ask one of my buddies, if it's REALLY important to know...but basically it's their choice to pull you over, and it's their choice to cite you if they want. My MP instructor had an "open door" policy, where...if he opened his door (ie pulled you over) you were getting a ticket.
martinj
05-07-10, 04:46 PM
My MP instructor had an "open door" policy, where...if he opened his door (ie pulled you over) you were getting a ticket.
See i cant stand mother ****ers like that. ****ing douches get a hard on by screwing a fellow Marine.
Zulu 36
05-07-10, 07:52 PM
I would say, it will depend on the base and the desires of the CO and the PMO. Even that may change from time to time.
When I was Lejuene, we had fairly broad discretion on whether to cite or not. There was also the option of a written warning.
At Pendleton, there had been a rash of fatal accidents involving speeding, so the PMO ordered stop and cite on all speeding violations 5mph or over. No warnings, written or verbal. On many other violations we still had some discretion, but the PMO was a hard-nose pr*ck and the base CG loved him.
Therefore, like many things in the Marine Corps, the answer is: It depends.
Outstanding Marines! I appreciate all of your input and for taking the time to quell my curiosity. "It depends" works for me.
Be safe out there!
-nrml1
I got pulled over by an MP once in my existence. He didn't give me a ticket, just explained that the speed limit dropped 10 mph in front of the air station on Pendleton.
Sgt Leprechaun
05-11-10, 01:44 AM
It depends is the perfect answer. Sometimes the MP doesn't have a choice, based on what the command is telling the Provost Marshal. Other times, they are left to their own devices. There are two types of citations nowadays, BTW...the "1408", which is a ticket that gets referred to your command (and/or the base traffic judge) to be handled however they see fit. (That can be anything from an azz chewing or an NJP). And, then there are the "Central Violation Bureau Notices", known in the trade as 'CVB's'. (They used to be called '1805's' for the form number, but that has changed in more recent years). A CVB is a real, no sheet, citation, just like a copper out in town gives, that is a 'money' ticket. It gives you points, you can go to jail with it, etc. With the trending on many posts towards 'civilian' Marine Corps police, and less MP's, I predict that many of what used to be 1408 violations will, in the coming years, be converted to CVB's. The civilian police will be less forgiving (considering the trend is also to hire NOTHING but 'former' Marines) and quite possibly issue more of the CVB's. (Because the 1408's are considered to be more like a 'warning' than anything else).