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Do's and Don'ts of Police Vehicle Stops
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
What Should You Do - And Not Do - During a Police Vehicle Stop?
Bruce Mandelblit
Tuesday, April 9, 2002
It is normal to be nervous when you see those blue and red strobe lights in your rearview mirror.
You may be wondering: Why me? What did I do? Why is that cop "picking" on me? Well, guess what. The police officer is also very concerned.
So-called routine vehicle stops are one of the most dangerous functions a law enforcement officer conducts. It's an unfortunate fact that police officers are killed, or seriously injured, every year while conducting traffic stops.
What steps can you take, as a law-abiding person, to help reduce the stress and danger involved with police vehicle stops?
Here are a few ideas suggested by law enforcement:
It is important to understand why a police officer may be stopping you in the first place. Law enforcement may not only stop your vehicle if they observe a traffic or equipment violation, but also because your vehicle may match one used in a crime, or they may want to warn you about a potentially dangerous situation, or the officer thinks you may need help, or you may have witnessed a crime.
When you see the blue and/or red overhead flashing lights (and/or hear a siren), remain calm, slow down and pull over in a safe location off the roadway. Quick security tip: Some states may use only red, or only blue, or a combination of both colors for police emergency lighting - so be sure to check with the jurisdiction in which you are traveling for this important information.
Please do not exit your vehicle unless you are asked to do so. This is both for your safety and for the safety of the law enforcement officer. Anyone exiting their car during a vehicle stop will make an officer VERY nervous. Remember, the police do not know what condition you are in, who you are, or what may happen next. Don't exacerbate the situation.
Keep your hands in plain view by placing them on the steering wheel so the law enforcement officer can see them.
If you are stopped at night, please turn on your interior lights (i.e., dome light).
Be sure to inform the officer if you have any weapons in the vehicle and their location. Do not reach or point to the weapon's location.
Avoid any sudden movements, especially toward the floorboard, rear seat or passenger side of the vehicle.
Please comply with the law enforcement officer's request to see your driver's license, vehicle registration and insurance information. Quick security tip: If any of these documents are out of reach, please tell the officer where they are located before you get them.
It is best to answer all questions honestly, and to avoid becoming argumentative with the officer.
If the police officer does issue you a citation, and if you don't understand the reason, please cordially ask the officer for details of your violation. Quick security tip: Remember, if you disagree with the violation, you will have the chance to address the issue in court.
If the law enforcement officer asks you to sign the citation - please do so. Quick security tip: signing a ticket is not an admission of your guilt, and in some states, your refusal to sign a citation could result in your arrest.
You have the right to politely refuse a request by a law enforcement officer to search your vehicle - unless "probable cause" exists. Then the officer has the right to search your vehicle without your consent.
In general, a police officer will provide you with his or her name and the reason you are being stopped, upon request.
If an unmarked police car signals you to pull you over, especially at night, and you are not sure the person is a law enforcement officer, please put on your four-way (hazard) flashers and dome light, and slowly drive to the closest well-lit public area. If you still are not comfortable with the situation, you may ask the officer for a marked police vehicle to stand by during your stop.
If you have a complaint about your treatment during a traffic stop, contact the officer's law enforcement agency within a reasonable amount of time and ask to speak with a supervisor.
On the other hand, if you have a compliment about the officer, please be sure to take a moment and write a letter of appreciation to the officer's department.
A final thought: Please remember that when a law enforcement officer pulls you over, he does not know whether you are a law-abiding person or a wanted mass murderer. That is why he must take reasonable steps for the safety of all parties involved - including himself. Therefore, it is always best to be cooperative and polite during a vehicle stop. If you are courteous to the officer, he will, in the great majority of cases, be professional and respectful to you.
"Staying Safe" with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com magazine. Bruce welcomes your security, safety and crime prevention questions. He will answer questions of general interest in his column. Bruce's email address is: CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.
Bruce is a nationally known security specialist, as well as a highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer. He also writes a column for the trade publication Security Magazine.
Bruce was recently commissioned as a "Kentucky Colonel" - the commonwealth's highest honor - by Governor Paul E. Patton - for his public service.
Bruce is also an active screenwriter. The synopsis of his latest completed script is available to bone fide agents and producers upon request.
This column is for general information purposes only. Please contact your local law enforcement agency for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/4/9/81853.shtml
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Bruce Mandelblit
Tuesday, April 9, 2002
It is normal to be nervous when you see those blue and red strobe lights in your rearview mirror.
You may be wondering: Why me? What did I do? Why is that cop "picking" on me? Well, guess what. The police officer is also very concerned.
So-called routine vehicle stops are one of the most dangerous functions a law enforcement officer conducts. It's an unfortunate fact that police officers are killed, or seriously injured, every year while conducting traffic stops.
What steps can you take, as a law-abiding person, to help reduce the stress and danger involved with police vehicle stops?
Here are a few ideas suggested by law enforcement:
It is important to understand why a police officer may be stopping you in the first place. Law enforcement may not only stop your vehicle if they observe a traffic or equipment violation, but also because your vehicle may match one used in a crime, or they may want to warn you about a potentially dangerous situation, or the officer thinks you may need help, or you may have witnessed a crime.
When you see the blue and/or red overhead flashing lights (and/or hear a siren), remain calm, slow down and pull over in a safe location off the roadway. Quick security tip: Some states may use only red, or only blue, or a combination of both colors for police emergency lighting - so be sure to check with the jurisdiction in which you are traveling for this important information.
Please do not exit your vehicle unless you are asked to do so. This is both for your safety and for the safety of the law enforcement officer. Anyone exiting their car during a vehicle stop will make an officer VERY nervous. Remember, the police do not know what condition you are in, who you are, or what may happen next. Don't exacerbate the situation.
Keep your hands in plain view by placing them on the steering wheel so the law enforcement officer can see them.
If you are stopped at night, please turn on your interior lights (i.e., dome light).
Be sure to inform the officer if you have any weapons in the vehicle and their location. Do not reach or point to the weapon's location.
Avoid any sudden movements, especially toward the floorboard, rear seat or passenger side of the vehicle.
Please comply with the law enforcement officer's request to see your driver's license, vehicle registration and insurance information. Quick security tip: If any of these documents are out of reach, please tell the officer where they are located before you get them.
It is best to answer all questions honestly, and to avoid becoming argumentative with the officer.
If the police officer does issue you a citation, and if you don't understand the reason, please cordially ask the officer for details of your violation. Quick security tip: Remember, if you disagree with the violation, you will have the chance to address the issue in court.
If the law enforcement officer asks you to sign the citation - please do so. Quick security tip: signing a ticket is not an admission of your guilt, and in some states, your refusal to sign a citation could result in your arrest.
You have the right to politely refuse a request by a law enforcement officer to search your vehicle - unless "probable cause" exists. Then the officer has the right to search your vehicle without your consent.
In general, a police officer will provide you with his or her name and the reason you are being stopped, upon request.
If an unmarked police car signals you to pull you over, especially at night, and you are not sure the person is a law enforcement officer, please put on your four-way (hazard) flashers and dome light, and slowly drive to the closest well-lit public area. If you still are not comfortable with the situation, you may ask the officer for a marked police vehicle to stand by during your stop.
If you have a complaint about your treatment during a traffic stop, contact the officer's law enforcement agency within a reasonable amount of time and ask to speak with a supervisor.
On the other hand, if you have a compliment about the officer, please be sure to take a moment and write a letter of appreciation to the officer's department.
A final thought: Please remember that when a law enforcement officer pulls you over, he does not know whether you are a law-abiding person or a wanted mass murderer. That is why he must take reasonable steps for the safety of all parties involved - including himself. Therefore, it is always best to be cooperative and polite during a vehicle stop. If you are courteous to the officer, he will, in the great majority of cases, be professional and respectful to you.
"Staying Safe" with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com magazine. Bruce welcomes your security, safety and crime prevention questions. He will answer questions of general interest in his column. Bruce's email address is: CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.
Bruce is a nationally known security specialist, as well as a highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer. He also writes a column for the trade publication Security Magazine.
Bruce was recently commissioned as a "Kentucky Colonel" - the commonwealth's highest honor - by Governor Paul E. Patton - for his public service.
Bruce is also an active screenwriter. The synopsis of his latest completed script is available to bone fide agents and producers upon request.
This column is for general information purposes only. Please contact your local law enforcement agency for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/4/9/81853.shtml
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Comments
PC=BS
Fire away....................
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
How about a big, wet, smooch too.
This guy's written too many TV/movie scripts.
Mudge the amused
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
Edited by - mudge on 04/11/2002 07:33:21
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
#1, when you see the lights behind you stomp on the gas for 5 seconds then lock up the brakes.
#2, as the officer approaches splash water all over your face.(don't let him see you do this)
#3, when he asks you why you did that, stutter.
#4, look up at him and act as though you just saw the devil.
#5, when he asks you if you have any weapons, get real jerky, look around the vehicle acting nervous and say no.
#6, when he asks you to step out of the vehicle, start crying like a baby.
#7, when he tells you to turn around and starts to cuff you, fall down and scream rape.
#8, as he goes to search your vehicle start crying even louder while kicking the ground like a spoiled brat.
#9, when he come back and asks you what your problem is, start reciting satanic verses.
#10, After this cop is completely baffeled about you , straighten up and speak in an adult manner and politley ask him why he stopped you and then beg him to let you go.
If you take this advise I have just gave you, you need locked up!
To you LEO's out there, I hope you see the humor in which that was intended, I have nothing but respect for you and will do nothing to make your job harder.
This is a true story and it's short. I was in the Joplin MO chicken house with another driver, after the DOT cop gave him a ticket and a rough time, the driver looked at him calmly and said," I forgot to tell you, your wife said to get some milk on the way home". I don't think I ever saw a man with a badge so close to commiting murder in my life! Good thing about it, the cop forgot why I was there and let me go!
If you want my guns you will have to kill me first. I was born free and to take that from me you better be ready to fight.
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
You have the right to politely refuse a request by a law enforcement officer to search your vehicle - unless "probable cause" exists. Then the officer has the right to search your vehicle without your consent.
In general, a police officer will provide you with his or her name and the reason you are being stopped, upon request.
NO! No officer has the right to search your vehicle without your consent based upon "probable cause". The officer has the right to get a Search Warrant based upon "probable cause". (I know illegal searches happen everyday, and people don't fight it because of misinformation like this.) Also there is no requirement that you be "polite" in your refusal to give consent to a search of your vehicle (although it's not a bad idea).
And NO!, it's not "in general, a police officer will provide...the reason you are being stopped, upon request"--the officer is REQUIRED BY LAW to provide that information when you request it (there might be a few State exceptions).
Generally, this is good information, but I think this guy still has a little bit of a "badge heavy" attitude.
The officer is a PUBLIC SERVANT; and most times when he/she is making a traffic stop he/she knows the person being stopped poses no threat. Too often, the "danger excuse" is used by officers who are just plain RUDE in their traffic stops.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
This is got to be the most arrogant statement I have ever heard!!There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop would not want you as an FTO
Glen!!
Save, research, then buy the best.Join the NRA, NOW!Teach them young, teach them safe, teach them forever, but most of all, teach them to VOTE!
If cops were so worried about your and thier safety at a traffic stop, why dont they just leave you alone and tend to thier own business. Then you both would be safe.
Tell that to the family that just got hit head on by a drunk driver!
Glen!!
keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Maybe crime does pay!! Gonna go rob the bank now, since the cops know me, I'm sure they will give me preferential treatment, maybe split the dough, and we'll go and bust people for nothing, just for the hell of it!!!
Yep, there are a lot of bad cops out there! But the good, so far, outweigh the bad.
Think one thing: Saying that a cop is bad because he's a cop is no different than saying a black is a "n*****", or a Hispanic is a "s****", or that a white is a "h****",, or is a racist just because he is white, and owes someone something. It's no different than calling all gun owners bad because the ones who get the publicity are the ones who abuse guns. Yeah, so WE are all bad because we own guns......
You guys just said the same thing about cops, they're bad because they wear a badge.
Poof away, I don't care.
Hypocrisy apparently is not the sole ground of anti-gunners.
Edited by - nunn on 04/12/2002 16:09:17
As an alternative, what if we separated traffic enforcement from LAW enforcement? Use unsworn, unarmed, officers, trained in traffic law, to do traffic enforcement; leave law enforcement to a much smaller corps of sworn, trained, armed police.
This would allow for a MUCH higher level of training for either group and remove the risk element from the traffic stop. (except for the traffic accident risk - being hit while stopping another car) After all, if the person could not arrest you, why would anyone shoot them?
Just a thought, any comments?
Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
Where did we ever get the idea in this country that we can bend or break a few laws without earning the consequences? If you don't screw up first, chances are you'll never run into a traffic cop. These guys are paid employees who want to go home to supper at the end of a shift like any other working stiff. If a driver thinks a "free country" means the right to bend or break the traffic law, no wonder he or she thinks cops are Nazis. I say, pull over and take your "consequences" like an adult.
The 2nd Amendment is about security, not hunting. Long live the gun shows, and reasonable access to FFLs. Join the NRA -- I'm a Life Member.
I think that was from our most recent ex-pres "Slick Willie".
Boomer
Protect our Constitutional Rights.
To you, and you know who you are, I make a suggestion:
File and run for Sheriff or Constable in your county. No experience or training is required, and you can put your ideas into practice. That is, if you can find anyone who will work with you.
Certified SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of the General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the premier gun auction site on the Net! Email davidn
keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
When you get pulled over, tell the officer that you have no license because it was revoked. When he asks for the registration, tell him the vehicle is stolen and there was no registration when you put your stolen gun in the glove compartment. When he asks to search the vehicle, give him permission but tell him not to look in the trunk because there is a dismembered body there. He will notify his supervisor who will then approach your vehicle. When he asks about your revoked license, look at him funny and hand him your valid one. When he asks to look in the glove compartment, tell him that he will find the valid registration (in your name) there. When he asks about the gun in the glove compartment, give him a funny look. When he tells you that the other officer told him that there's a body in the trunk, get upset and tell him that the other lying sack of you-know-what probably said you were speeding too.
SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY
B - BreatheR - RelaxA - AimS - SightS - Squeeze
Re: your post where you didn't become a LEO due to not wanting to enforce laws you don't agree with.
There is a wonderful thing we have called "officer discretion". Just because someone decided that something was bad and made it against the law doesn't mean that I have to enforce it!! Perfect example is the Traffic Code i.e. Seatbelt Laws. Guess how many tickets I have written for this Felonious activity???? If no one has figured it out, NONE, never have, never will, period. Same with others of a like kind.
Since the day (long long ago) when I decided to be a Cop I continued to be an individual.
Just a rambling thought.
"We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*
**Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
Please....all you LEO's...enforce the seat belt law! You'll probably never know about it, but it could save a life.
Mudge the concerned
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
Edited by - mudge on 04/14/2002 11:27:41
Mudge the Deputy hehe
Thieves in 3 piece suits = Politicians,Doctors & Lawyers
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
IMO anyone not wearing a seat belt is an idiot just waiting to be removed from the gene pool.
PC=BS
However, I am adament that it is the individuals decision to wear or not to wear seatbelts. It is not the place of Government to make that choice, no matter what the consequence. Period! When this "mommy and daddy" Government mentality becomes generally accepted where does it stop? Are we to police what you eat so you stay healthy? Do I come in to your home and make sure your firearms are secured so your child can't access them? And on and on and on and on.
People getting hurt over their own stupidity and bad decisions is the price you pay to live in a free society. And I do cite for child restraints they are to young to make that decision.
"We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*
**Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
Edited by - lt496 on 04/18/2002 14:36:00