Jan
24
Hmmm, just hope he doesn’t pull me over till after the anger management classes. Or maybe he had too much coffee. Read it all here. How much did the city spend on the legal proceedings?
Hmmm, just hope he doesn’t pull me over till after the anger management classes. Or maybe he had too much coffee. Read it all here. How much did the city spend on the legal proceedings?
Let me get this straight, a non-uniformed/off duty officer makes an illegal “u-turn” in a non-official car and pursues a motorist at a high rate of speed (endangering others) for a minor traffic offense, and then confronts the motorist in a threatening manner (i.e road rage). Seems to me that criminal charges should have been brought against the officer. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a lot of respect for our men and women in blue, especially off-duty cops that prevent felonies in progress, but is he going to go Rambo on the next guy he sees running a yellow light? Definitely gives good cops a bad name.
just doing his job i guess
I have noticed, with mixed emotions I suppose, that there has been a marked increase in traffic control cruisers in town as of late. I say mixed emotions because although, as a mom of four young kids, I am glad to see that the safety of our streets is a priority in Aurora, as the recent receipient of a traffic ticket, I am left wondering if all of the officers here in town are able to use discretion in upholding that priority. I was pulled over about two weeks ago while traveling 15 miles an hour in front of the library by a cruiser that was blasting its sirens, flashing its lights, and in general proceeding as if it were responding to a felony-in-progress. I had two of my small children, ages 4 and 2, strapped into car seats in my minivan, and was clearly wearing my seat belt. It was 3 in the afternoon, very snowy, and I was able to produce my license, regisration and proof of insurance. After being told that I didn’t come to a complete stop, the officer proceeded to his cruiser. Minutes later, he reappeared and, having to yell over the confused cries of my toddlers, handed me a 125 dollar ticket. My very first! Now I, as a former judicial attorney and the wife of a former prosecuting attorney, have had the pleasure of dealing with, on both a personal and professional level, many, many police officers. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the field. I understand officers are called upon to make split-second decisions, based on gut-feelings and the circumstances involved, which are sometimes examined in hindsight and seen as less than wise. I just hope this officer and others on the force, don’t continue this heavy-handed treatment of the very people who pay their salaries and support their roles.
I bet you speed on Pioneer Trl all the time!!! Heavy handed? You should have told him about being a lawyer blah blah, he would have backed right off  :)
You’re one of those frantic moms with a cell phone in one hand aren’t you.
Number one, don’t own a cell phone, number two, I was going about 22 mph when I was pulled over, speed wasn’t an issue (refer to above)- Did I hit a nerve, are you an traffic patrol officer, or, probably more accurately, is it women drivers you dislike, or specifically mothers who drive (or just lawyers??? lol) Probably, based on the bitter tone of your response, all three, waa, waa, waa. Chill dude, and find some happiness.
Officer LaPerna is the same officer who used to sit outside the highschool giving students tickets for having their music too loud, who bought a tint-meter (to check the tint on car winshields) with his own money after the department denied the purchase, and who pulled his gun on a friend’s nephew in town from germany after not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.
I’m chillin and finding happiness.
Everybody speeds in aurora, it was unfair of them to give you a ticket.
How’s that?
Again, I wasn’t speeding. One thing that I know you are definitely NOT is an editor. Glad you’re finding some love.
I know officer LaPerna and he is passionate about his job and punishing those who vagrantly disobey the law.
What you don’t read in the Advocate’s article is the many commendations LaPerna received during his career of more than 16 years.
You also don’t read that he is a committed father and church-going member of his community.
Did he overreact that day when he did his best to get a suspected drunk driver off the road? Maybe. But I no longer have my daughter because of a drunk driver that no one bothered to stop.
I would rather have an officer react like LaPerna, than the officers that fit the often-true stereotype of sitting in a donut shop doing nothing.
If more officers were like LaPerna, I might have been able to hear my daughter say “Happy Father’s Day, daddy” yesterday.
I respectfully disagree CavsFan. You may have a pleasant personal relationship with officer LaPerna, but his church attendance and fatherhood skills don’t make him a good police officer. I have personally witnessed several offenses.
Officer Laperna fits the stereotype (this is conjecture, not fact) of a high school student who was pushed around and became an officer to “get back”. It is a disgrace that he was rehired.. frankly, it was a disgrace that he was hired in the first place.
For the record — not only am I a major supporter of the Aurora police, but I have never had a single (even minor or traffic related) run-in with the law.
I happen to feel that after pulling a gun on an exchange student that should have been the RED FLAG and TIME OUT FOR OFFICER Laperna. Give him time to Re Think about the field of his career.
It seems mostly today while Police do have a very hectic job they become cops for the “POWER” and to FEED THEIR EGO!
In regards to his personal “TINT METER” used for work, he pulled over a teenage boy going to his job in an ice storm and a 6 car pile up occurred. Not pointing any fingers just stating the facts, you figure it out.
The people with the real problem are those who are haters of the police (GH). I love how everyone knows the “real story” about what happened to Officer LaPerna.
I wish GH would read his ignorant comments. “I have personally witnessed serveral offenses…” then “but I have never had a single (even minor or traffic related) run-in with the law.”
Either you are a jealous colleage of LaPerna, or you are attempting to be dramatic by disparaging an officer with more commendations than any other officer presently working in Aurora. Hmmmm….sour grapes???
Officer LaPerna is a model officer and people like you who “know someone who knows someone who knows someone” who got busted by him need to advise your friends to obey the law and stop bitching when they get caught.
Thank you, Mrs. LaPerna. I’m sure your son appreciates your support!
Can you imagine how scary being a cop is? They never know what they are going to get when they pull a car over. You speed in a residental area..you deserve a ticket! Now that school has started it is scary! Put down the phone and Starbucks and pay attention. Maybe your kids will see that Mommy was going to fast and not paying attention and see what happens…..CONSEQUENCES!
The police need to be more agressive with speeders. We have begged the police to pull speeders over in our neigborhood. By the way, the majority of speeders in my neighborhood are mom’s on their cell phones.
Lisa A… you have a lot of opinions..if you don’t like it here leave this blog to people that still live here. If you want attention maybe you should go do a meet for disgruntled former residents up at beachwood place. Put your energy into something more useful.
CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FROM NATIONWIDE:
Parents Keep Their Eyes on the Road While Driving; Teens Keep Their Eyes on Their Parents;
Nationwide Survey Shows Children as Young as 10 Are Keen Observers of Parents’ Driving Behaviors – Good and Bad
Although they may seem to be involved with listening to music, chatting with friends or gazing out the window, pre-teens and teens are keen observers — and students — of their parents’ driving habits. As found in a new study of more than 2,200 parents and children by Nationwide Mutual Insurance, 82 percent of 10- to 18-year-olds pay attention to their parents’ driving at least half of the time they spend in the car.
“Teens are learning the rules of the roads by watching their parents. Parents play a significant role in shaping the type of driver their child will become and they recognize this duty. According to the survey, 85 percent of parents say they try to promote roadway safety by driving safely themselves,” said Bill Windsor, Nationwide associate vice president of safety.
While parents recognize they are being observed and need to lead by example, this often gets lost in practice. Two out of five parents surveyed say they curb their bad driving habits in front of their children but many children report seeing their parents drive aggressively, feel around for items in the car, talk on cell phones and refrain from wearing seatbelts.
The survey underscores the significant opportunity parents have to model smart driving habits with their children. The cost of missing this opportunity is significant – according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, automobile crashes are the leading cause of death among American teens. For 16-to-18-year-olds, crashes account for more than one-third of all deaths.
“Parents can help their children learn safe driving skills by putting safety into practice whenever the ignition is turned on, regardless of whether children are in the car or not,” Windsor continued. “And when it comes to potentially saving the lives of young people and protecting others on the roads, very few conversations are more important than discussing how to be a smart driver with pre-teens and teens.”
Key findings from the study:While nearly half of parents report that they typically drive at or below the speed limit, 80 percent of children observe that their parents drive over the speed limit.More than half of children have observed their parent multi-tasking behind the wheel (talk on cell phones, adjust radio and/or correct a misbehaving child), arguing with a passenger, and/or arguing and yelling at other drivers.Nearly three in ten children surveyed have been scared by a parent’s driving and 53 percent of parents have been scared when riding with their teen driving.More than half of children have not told their parents how they feel about their driving – including 20 percent who never found the right time or way to bring it up.27 percent of teens with their driver’s license have never had formal instruction and have learned from watching their parents and other people drive.Teen drivers are 66 percent more likely to obey speed limits and 51 percent more likely to keep both hands on the steering wheel than their parents.
Parental influence on the driving habits of their children is confirmed by research from the IIHS.
“IIHS has found that parents with traffic violations or who’ve been in crashes are more likely to have teen drivers with violations or crashes,” said Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at IIHS. “Our research and Nationwide’s survey should send a clear message that when it comes to learning good driving habits, parents matter.”
For more information about teen driving and how parents and children can communicate about driving smarter, please visitwww.nationwidesmartride.com.
What did I say that was incongruous? I *have not* ever been arrested or even received a warning or traffic ticket and I *HAVE* personally witnessed Officer Laperna go “out of bounds” on several occasions.
I am a big supporter of our police force, just not this one particular officer. Am I to believe that, just because one is a police officer and has received awards, we shouldn’t examine their misdeeds? Should we just ignore them because they’ve also done some good?
Seems the latest with this officer being reinstated is deeper than we were lead to believe. I understand he is now suing the Chief of Police and the Mayor In Aurora, in Federal Court, nonetheless!!
The Media is one sided, of course. I now see the bigger picture of this fiasco done to this guy. I hope things work out and he gets the desired outcome,….He Deserves it, I think!
As an attorney who worked for years within the state and county court systems, I can tell you, just because you file a suit doesn’t mean you have a case, not by a long shot. Additionally, suing governmental officials is particularly tricky business- many try, few succeed. I guess I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to say- is it that the fact that this officer has filed a lawsuit operates as proof positive that he was treated unfairly? I don’t see the logic in that. I hope the fair and just outcome is what prevails, not the outcome that he “wants” Judging by his past behavior, he surely doesn’t “deserve” anything more.
Again, I disagree. I personally know of a fellow gay police officer of equal rank to Mr. Laperna and of two gay city officials who have had absolutely no negative reaction to their sexual preference.