ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Trooper Steve on Thursday was asked by Patti, “Can I remain anonymous when reporting an incident on the roadway? I am always concerned of possible retaliation.”
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In short, the answer is it depends on the nature of the incident.
“As a law enforcement officer this is not something I tend to think about, but from someone who may not encounter tense situations often I can definitely understand this,” Trooper Steve said. “There is a large difference between reporting a traffic-related incident and a serious crime.”
When reporting an incident on the road, police will respond. However, the officer would need to witness a violation in order to conduct a traffic stop.
“Reporting the incident is the first step in getting emergency services to respond. We would not need your full information for that specific traffic-related call,” Trooper Steve said. “If you were reporting a serious crime that has occurred with elements of criminal activity, witness testimony would then be needed in order to further investigate the crime.”
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