How would you address an officer?

[LISA]

this is a stupid/random/too late for an answer question but I have to ask anyway..
Ok, yesterday I had to fortunate opportunity to speak with a cop, he gave me his card and asked me to call him regarding an issue at the park across the street from me.. I got his voice mail and had no idea how I was to address him, I mean, they call each other Sergeant so and so or Officer __ but on the voice mail should I have said "this message is for Sergeant Steve"? it went directly to his box so it was him picking it up not third party etc..I just ended up saying "hi Steve this is Lisa.. " was that wrong? :shuffle:

[marcy]

Did the card he gave you have a title along with his name? I would have gone w/ Officer or Sgt, unless there was something else on the card.

[valeria73]

Did his voice mail message say something like, "Hi, this is Steve ____ of the blah blah blah" or did it say "this is Officer/Sergeant Steve of the...."? If the former, I think addressing him as Steve was fine. And hell, it is his name after all. ;) I wouldn't worry too much about standing on ceremony in a vm message.

[kalm]

My OB/GYN always refers to herself by her first name, and I've followed suit, but it's always felt weird to me to (despite the fact that we're the same age). I think using someone's first name is totally acceptable. Most businesses are very casual these days and the person would have to be a huge stick in the mud to feel offended by someone calling them their name. I wouldn't worry about your message in the least.

[MrsPeacefrog]

If he introduced himself to you as Steve, then that is what I would have called him, but if he introduced himself as Officer So and So then that is what I would have said. If I he didn't introduce as anything I would have just said "Hi this is Lisa, blah blah blah" and avoided the name calling at all :lol2:

[TtownAnne]

I would have said officer, even if he didn't introduce himself as that. It's a title, and a mark of respect, just as I would address a priest as "Father" or the President as "Mr. President" (although my brain would be shouting "buckethead!" :devil: ), or something like that.

[Nichole]

or the President as "Mr. President" (although my brain would be shouting "buckethead!" :devil: )

That's much nicer than what I come up with.:awink: :lol:

I would have gone by how he referred to himself on his voicemail message and his business card, I think. It would feel weird to just call a police officer by their first name if I'm not friends with him. Kind of like how I'd still want to call my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Davis after all of these years. :lol:

[LISA]

I also felt weird just calling him Steve instead of Officer/ Sergeant Steve but for some reason I thought I would sound like a first grader :lol: Hello Sergeant Steve :lol:

[Eva]

I would have gone by how he referred to himself on his voicemail message and his business card, I think. It would feel weird to just call a police officer by their first name if I'm not friends with him.

I would do the same. Also with the exception of a friend or my brother who sadly I can't even remember what ranking he is now. :blush:

[Melissa]

I remember the first time that I called DH, all I had was a phone message for me. It said that Sergeant E---- called. My first thought was, "oh crap what did I do now?" When I asked for him, I asked for "Sergeant E-----." Whenever I call his office phone number and he doesn't answer, I do need to say Sergeant E because they rarely ever call anyone by their first names in the Army.

[Bev]

I would have said officer, even if he didn't introduce himself as that. It's a title, and a mark of respect, just as I would address a priest as "Father" or the President as "Mr. President" (although my brain would be shouting "buckethead!" :devil: ), or something like that.

Patrick agrees with this statement. He said it is a title they have worked hard for and earned and he prefers that. :)

Eva, he's probably in the CFL program: Constable For Life. :lol:

I probably would have avoided it and said, "Hi it's Bev...."

[Clare]

Like Deb, I probably wouldn't have used his name at all on a VM. Just "Hi, this is Lisa for such and such". :dunno:

[LISA]

Thanks guys..I'm going to ask my chiro to ask her hubby, he's a cop, I'll see what he thinks, hopefully it's not a big snub that I used his first name...I guess I was kind of nervous and flubbed it up :shuffle: no matter, I probably won't be hearing from him any time soon, shame too, he was so cute!:shuffle: :lol:

[Eva]

Eva, he's probably in the CFL program: Constable For Life. :lol:



:lol: Actually, he got a promotion this year. :) I think at the time he was considered "Acting Sergeant". Not sure if he is Sergent now or not.

[Bev]

:woa: He's doing well. Patrick is in the CFL because he wouldn't move to a crummy 3-man detachment in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention that he is also lazy. :lol:

[nicolet]

DH is a state trooper.
He is addressed as "Trooper (Last name)". If you are a Sergeant it should be "Sergeant (last name).

Then again if you get pulled over it's hard to see their name badge, you can always go with "sir".

[Michal]

OT- Dh and I have a friend who is a police officer and his last name is Officer. We call him by his first name, but I guess in uniform people call him officer Officer :lol:

[TtownAnne]

A likewise OT - there's a dentist in town named Lawyer. So he's called Dr. Lawyer and sounds like a complete overachiever. :lol:

[Silke]

They pretty much work like the military :lol: "Title" and last name or Sir or Officer so and so :lol: unless you know him/her personally.

[Lissa]

A likewise OT - there's a dentist in town named Lawyer. So he's called Dr. Lawyer and sounds like a complete overachiever. :lol:

That is funny! Sidenote: I've always wondered why lawyers aren't called Dr. Smith -- it is a doctoral degree lawyers hold.

I would say call him either Officer/Lt/Captain Smith but it's also okay to address him by his first name. I think society as a whole doesn't stand on ceremony as much as they used to and to use his first name is a-okay.

[MrsPeacefrog]

OT- Dh and I have a friend who is a police officer and his last name is Officer. We call him by his first name, but I guess in uniform people call him officer Officer :lol:

:lol2: that's funny!

And I am loving the Dr Lawyer! don't people think about what profession they are going into! :lol: