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Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page contains the answers to many of the common questions that people have relating to the Cookeville Police Department. Before you contact the Police Department about a question, read through this list as its possible that your question has already been answered. We will be adding many more questions and answers to this section in the future.

 

Uniform Services

1. What am I supposed to do when I get pulled over?
2. What am I supposed to do when involved in a crash?
3. Do I need a police report for a crash?

 

1. What am I supposed to do when I get pulled over?

Any time that an emergency vehicle approaches you, you should remain calm, verify that it is safe to change lanes, and immediately pull to the right and stop. This applies even if the vehicle is approaching from the front. If you are being stopped, the officer will position his/her vehicle behind your vehicle in a manner to protect both of you from passing traffic. For everyone's safety, remain in your vehicle and allow the officer to come to you. Try to keep your hands where the officer can see them. It's a good idea to rest both hands on the steering wheel. Avoid any sudden movements especially toward the floorboard, rear seat, or passenger side of the vehicle. The officer might think you are reaching for a weapon or concealing some other object. Do not immediately reach for your license or other documents until the officer requests them. If your documents are out of reach, tell the officer where they are before you reach for them. If the stop occurs during darkness, the officer will likely use a bright spotlight to illuminate your vehicle. You can help by turning on your interior lights so the officer can see that everything is in order. If there are passengers in your vehicle, encourage them to remain quiet and cooperate with instructions. As the operator, you are solely responsible for your vehicle and its occupants. The officer may issue you a ticket. If you feel the reason is vague or unclear, ask the officer for details. If you wish to contest the violation, you will have an opportunity to address the matter in court. Do not argue with the officer. Be honest with the officer. If you really didn't see the stop sign or were unaware of the speed limit, let the officer know. Being honest about any situation is the best approach. Finally, if you receive a ticket, please accept it calmly. Signing it is not an admission of guilt, it's only a promise to appear in court at a later time. State law mandates that if you refuse to sign the citation, you will be arrested.

2. What am I supposed to do when involved in a crash?

This question is frequently asked and seems to be confusing to most people. The first thing to do is check to see if anyone involved is injured, and render aid if possible until the police, the Ambulance Service, and/or the Fire Department arrives. If no one is injured and it is safe to leave the vehicles where they are, do so. However, if leaving the vehicles in the roadway creates a hazard, you should try to move the vehicles out of the roadway to a safer place to prevent possible further collisions or additional injuries from other traffic. If the vehicles are not capable of being driven, leave them in the roadway and walk to a place of safety (such as the sidewalk) and wait for the police to arrive. For safety reasons, we do not want people to stand in the roadway to wait for us.

3. Do I need a police report for a crash?

Tennessee Code Annotated 55-10-106 requires the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in fifty dollars ($50.00) property damage or more, injury, or death to immediately give notice of the crash to the appropriate law enforcement authority. This applies to crashes occurring upon highways, shopping centers, trailer parks, apartment complexes, or any other premises generally frequented by the public at large. Property damage crashes resulting in less than four hundred dollars ($400.00) damage, including those occurring on public roadways, currently are not filed with the Tennessee Department of Safety. Any crash occurring on the streets or any other premises generally frequented by the public at large inside the city limits of Cookeville where damage to property of any one person (including the driver's) exceeds four hundred dollars ($400.00) or injury or death requires the completion of a Tennessee Uniform Traffic Crash Report.