Question for Cops

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DixieRanger said:
Stopped some years back for expired license plate. City LEO canine officer. Handed him license and concealed permit. He ran license with no records showing.. Ask where the firearm was. Told my front right pocket. Ask if he could see it. Gingerly handed to him and said have another beside seat. Ask to see that too. We had a short conversation bout the firearms. Handed back to me and told me to renew plate. No warning, nothing. Renewed plate that day and called his office and left message and advised had renewed. Have great respect for LEO'S and their sometimes thankless, dangerous job. The end.
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I had a situation back around 2011. Drove home and saw a firetruck, ambulance, and 4 or 5 police cars in front of my house. I drove thru my yard to park in my driveway. I was instantly confronted by 3 very angry policeman.

One asked me "who the $$$$ are you?" Told him and he asked for my license, handed him my license and carry permit. They told me to exit my Jeep, then asked me to give them my weapon. I put my arms straight out from my shoulders, and told them there was no way in hell I was going to reach for it, but said you're more than welcome to take it.

Given their mood, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for them to shoot me graveyard dead as soon as I started to reach for it.
 
I was driving down US1 around 0230 going home from work one night. A car followed me a while then pulled up beside me, it was a cop. He drove beside me a while then got back behind me, then lite me up. Pulled over and he said I had a headlight out...I did but honestly didn't know it till then.

It was a young cop, he told me why he pulled me over, and asked the normal where you been and going questions. Then he asked if I had any drugs or guns in my truck. Told him I had a carry permit, but didn't have a gun with me at the time, and had no drugs. He went back to his car for a while then came back and asked me the same questions, then went back to his car a while again. He came back a third time and asked if I was sure there ware no bazookas in my truck, I was thinking bazookas was some kinda drug, and asked him what he meant, he said he meant weapons. He went back to his car, then finally came back and gave me a warning for the headlight. It all took about 45 minutes.

No clue what he was doing.
 
DWalt said:
Fine with me.

Regarding my situation, everything suggests my wife’s experience tonight was clearly an illegal pretext stop as no law was broken or traffic violation existed to warrant a stop. As such, the stop was illegal under both Texas law and the Fourth Amendment. I don’t think it is worth filing a formal complaint against SAPD, but I’m mad as hell over it.
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You are right to feel this way.
The cop was "Fishing"=For what ever reason he had a slow night.
A formal complaint to the Dept Chief could?? get the Officer written up for it??
But, the truth of it, the Chief would give an off the record "Atti Boy" to the Officer..Bill
 
wood714 said:
I was driving down US1 around 0230 going home from work one night. A car followed me a while then pulled up beside me, it was a cop. He drove beside me a while then got back behind me, then lite me up. Pulled over and he said I had a headlight out...I did but honestly didn't know it till then.

It was a young cop, he told me why he pulled me over, and asked the normal where you been and going questions. Then he asked if I had any drugs or guns in my truck. Told him I had a carry permit, but didn't have a gun with me at the time, and had no drugs. He went back to his car for a while then came back and asked me the same questions, then went back to his car a while again. He came back a third time and asked if I was sure there ware no bazookas in my truck, I was thinking bazookas was some kinda drug, and asked him what he meant, he said he meant weapons. He went back to his car, then finally came back and gave me a warning for the headlight. It all took about 45 minutes.

No clue what he was doing.
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THIS=Again=Is called "Fishing"==Cop had a slow night..Bill
 
Must not be much crime where you are at if they have time to fish like that.

The leftist run city I work in crime is utterly out of control, combine that with local LE being understaffed by about 50%, the odds of being pulled over for such a thing are incredibly small. Traffic is a literal free for all where pretty much anything goes.

That’s why I have two homes, a small condo where I stay during my work week, then on my alternate week off I’m up on a mountain over 60 miles away.
 
Sound like a fishing expedition. Happened to me. Game Warden followed me all the way home 10+ miles from a campground site in the local mountains. Used the old "I was speeding" (I wasn't). And my vehicle matched the description of a vehicle wanted for some crime (more BS). Then proceeded to waste my time all the while holding my retired Sheriff ID card. I guess the area I was in has drug smugglers come over the mountain from Mexico (So. AZ). Still piss' me off.
 
AudieMurphy said:
easy enough to spot the ones that were ALMOST cited by pulling out their F.O.P. card
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An "FOP card"....put down the remote; step away from the screen.

I can document that I've stopped thousands of people over my career (from citations and/or arrests), stopped and released at least an equal number, and have never seen an "FOP card". The only retired police badge I've ever seen was the one I delivered to a newly retired officer who chose not to pick it up at HQ.

Do some cops give other cops breaks? Yup. Is having ever been a cop anything like a universal and forever get out of jail free card? Nope.

Again, if you want folks to love you, be a fireman.
 
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I have, like I'm sure many LEO posters here, pulled over cars that matched the description of suspicious cars or wanted cars. I always explained that to the citizen after my brief investigation exactly why and what I was doing. Then I thanked them for their cooperation and assistance. I was never afraid to offer my badge number and name if they wanted to make a complaint or if they felt I was wrong about the stop. In my entire career no one ever made a complaint under those circumstances. I worked in the inner city in the busiest district, so it happened often. People can tell when you are feeding them a line of BS. And in my experience, people appreciate it when you take the time to explain what you are doing. Of course, I would explain after I was finished with my investigation and before I let them go. A little public relations goes a long way.
 
The only times I've ever been pulled over is because I was going faster then the posted speed limit. The first and only time here in the 10+ years I've been in Texas the speed limit was 45 and by the time the Sargent was behind me I was going under 70 mph. (New Jaguar convertible).

I'm a retired CWO4 and a retired CBP Officer and I do carry concealed. My top was down; and a side street was coming up. I pointed to the side street and he said yes pull over and stop. As he approached my car I had both hands on the windshield frame, waiting for him. As he approached he asked if I knew why he pulled me over and I said that I had a pretty good idea why! When he asked me for my license and insurance card I said yes sir but I need to tell you that I am a retired LEO and I had a pistol in a shoulder holster on my left side. He stood there and we BS'ed for a few minutes and then he said try to slow down to the speed limit please.

I'd like to think I wouldn't have gotten a ticket anyway because I "passed" this Deputy's attitude check. I learned a long time ago that the officer will tell me why he (or she) pulled me over; if I happen to disagree with that well the side of the road isn't the place to question their motives.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas; and remember that the Monopoly Game, "Get out of Jail Free" card doesn't apply to being pulled over!
 
Interesting discussion. It comes down to “depends…”; Laws are seldom precise enough or individual situations clear-cut enough that most points couldn’t be argued either way. Downside of being human.

I have a few stories, but the only one that might break any new ground was back when I was a 17 year old motorcyclist. Not in the post-WWII outlaw era, not in the Nicest-people-on -a-Honda era, maybe just before, where we were suspect JD’s just for riding. The summer before graduation I was pulled over on my Honda 160 for speeding… almost 40 times!

Total tickets issued: 0. The rest I was just warned.

I took that as a “he’s not really speeding, we just want to harass him a little”.
 
biku324 said:
If you want people to love you, be a fireman.
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Except where I live. A cop will arrive first and save your life. I beat the Fire Department every time. I pulled people from burning buildings. We beat the ambulance too. CPR dosen't work like in the movies.

No doubt, there are Dirty Cops, and the good ones hate them, and I reported them every time, I was small Town LEO, and reported a Sheriff Deputy to my Chief. Got a Thank You call from the Sheriff. I was in a small enough Town where there was no politics. And, we were not revenue based. We had Officers that never wrote a ticket. I did probably 12 tickets a month, and most of them were for OWI. I worked nights. LOL.

Carl
 
14daMoney said:
now this is pure horse manure.... just tell the motorist that you're looking for a similar vehicle for whatever reason and be done with it. Most drivers then say, "Oh, I see, Thank you"..... 1-n-done!
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Exactly this ^^^^^^^^^^ and as Steelslaver put it , don’t bend and brake rules while expecting me to follow them.
 
Norton 750 said:
I am one of the good guys. If a cop pulls me over looking for bad guys, I don't have a problem with that.
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I don’t think anyone here has a problem with it. Just be honest about it. Otherwise it feels like cop is implying I’m up to no good or breaking the law. I can appreciate that they have a tough job. And should I see one in distress, I promise you I’ll be the first one in to help. Just show me the same respect and don’t jerk my chain.
 
Being stopped on a pretext really irritates the fire out of me. But I know that it is a necessary practice that keeps us safer in the long game. In the moment it really makes me upset but after a few minutes I calm down and go on with my life.
I would not prohibit the practice or discourage it.
 
biku324 said:
An "FOP card"....put down the remote; step away from the screen.

I can document that I've stopped thousands of people over my career (from citations and/or arrests), stopped and released at least an equal number, and have never seen an "FOP card". The only retired police badge I've ever seen was the one I delivered to a newly retired officer who chose not to pick it up at HQ.

Do some cops give other cops breaks? Yup. Is having ever been a cop anything like a universal and forever get out of jail free card? Nope.

Again, if you want folks to love you, be a fireman.
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Oh they are real in NY.
 
Legendarylawman said:
Except where I live. A cop will arrive first and save your life. I beat the Fire Department every time. I pulled people from burning buildings. We beat the ambulance too. CPR dosen't work like in the movies.

No doubt, there are Dirty Cops, and the good ones hate them, and I reported them every time, I was small Town LEO, and reported a Sheriff Deputy to my Chief. Got a Thank You call from the Sheriff. I was in a small enough Town where there was no politics. And, we were not revenue based. We had Officers that never wrote a ticket. I did probably 12 tickets a month, and most of them were for OWI. I worked nights. LOL.

Carl
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I think “dirty cop” is a little strong for this thread. I’d say disrespectful cop.
 
Bald1 said:
Oh they are real in NY.
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We stopped folks from all over on I-40 and I-10. Guess I must have been lucky.

The most common corrupt practice I saw was from Chicago-area residents who occasionally would hand you their driver's license with a $50 or $100 bill neatly folded and stuck to the back.
 
biku324 said:
If you want people to love you, be a fireman.
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:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: I drove on a three-lane highway daily for work, when a vehicle in distress was parked over on the shoulder of the road, a trooper or local police would always pull up behind the vehicle with their lights flashing. The fire department would block 2 of the 3 lanes of rush hour traffic with their rig to check out the scene and cause traffic backups and additional vehicle collisions for the troopers and local police to deal with.
 
I can see that this is quickly devolving between people that dislike cops and those that are or do like cops. How many people here criticizing cops are standing in a glass house.

Merry Christmas to all here. I hope that 2026 is better for you.
 
DWalt said:
Driving home tonight, my wife was pulled over on a busy access road by a San Antonio cop. Bear in mind she never got a traffic ticket for anything in her life and she went into panic mode. The cop told her that her rear license plate light was “too dim” and wrote her a warning ticket. Additionally, the cop took her drivers license back to his car, and she said he was there for at least 10-15 minutes, I suppose checking for anything outstanding, which of course there was not. She came home extremely disturbed. I checked her rear plate lights, two of them above the plate, factory standard, and both were OK, neither was burned out. The license plate was well illuminated and very legible, black letters on a white background. So why would something like this happen? Maybe her car was the same make and model as a BOLO. Nothing makes sense to me about the incident.
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What does the warning ticket say? What is the law that was cited? If it's a judgement call and BS I'd call the department and ask them to explain what was happening. A sergeant or LT should be able to say what the problem was, or if there was something else going on.

I wouldn't shrug it off. Supervisors need to know what their officers are doing, give attaboys if deserved and give corrective action where warranted.

BTW, I had 27 cops direct reporting to me before I left the job. It's hard to keep an eye on all of them and I always appreciated feedback from the public.
 
If you file a complaint, there's a 99.8% probability that nothing will be done. They will investigate themselves and find that they've done nothing wrong. And with qualified immunity, they're untouchable. I won't mention the corruption.
 
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