Question for traffic LEOs.

[walnutred]

I've had my vehicle searched once by a LEO. Was speeding (45 in a 35) one morning and got pulled over. Young LEO noticed several boxes of ammo on the floorboard and told me that was probably cause for a search. I told him I could save him some time, there were two handguns, two rifles and a shotgun in cases locked in the bed of my truck.

The LEO said he didn't care what was locked in back, but he needed to search the cab. After a couple minutes watching him rummage around in my truck I said: Your a braver man than me. Why, he asked. Because, I replied, I have a 10 year old and an 8 year old. Last time I stuck my hand under the seat of that truck I came out with a half eaten Happy Meal that had to be two months old.

He stopped the search, wrote me a ticket, and we both went on our way.

 

[Jellybean]

I too agree with Lobo, and a few others. At my last PD this topic had gotten to the point where I had typed up my resignation and then realized I wasn't there "for" those guys, I was there to protect the citizens "from" those guys. To me that's where "to serve and protect" has ended with all the new age cowboys in uniform. Most of the ones I worked with weren't fit to wear the badge or the uniform.

We had one in particular that would use the "can I search your vehicle for my safety?" routine every time he pulled over a teen or younger 20ish driver. It wasn't for his safety, it was his excuse for a fishing license and he abused it, and several other laws, to the extreme.

We worked on a small dept. in a small jurisdiction where everyone knew everyone else. He would pull over a teenager that he knew for years, and push them around like they were wanted felons, then he would ask them if he could search their car for his safety. Well, every 16 year old girl with tears in her eyes and fighting to not pee her pants gave her permission every time. I talked to the chief and the sargeant which did no good. I confronted this jerk face to face several times, which did no good. I even told him if teenagers scare him that bad he's in the wrong line of work and should find another career, which did no good. He finally went to Cleveland PD, but not before he trained a couple new guys to take his place.

Alright, I got off course so I'll stop and finish with this. All police officers are not the nice guys we would think they are. It's nothing new but I do think it's getting worse too. Tell your kids they have rights and if they are being pushed in a direction they shouldn't be to ask to call you. If that doesn't work tell them to demand it. Don't let them become a victim of some .... that just wants to make a name for himself.

 

[walnutred]

The town I grew up in had maybe 1200 people in it and as far as I remember the police were all part time and did not have long guns until the early 1970's. However once in the late 60's I was standing in the hardware store with my dad when one of the LEOs came in all excited. Said there was trouble at the freeway and he needed to borrow a rifle. Probably stopping at the store was quicker than going home to get his.

The old man behind the counter simply handed him a bolt action rifle and two boxes of shells. Said to make sure and clean the rifle before he returned it but he was sending a bill to the town for the shells.

Seems odd now but being a small town I'd bet the LEO could have stopped at almost any house and been given the loan of a long arm for official use with little question.

On the other hand, one of the part time police officers was the Mayors son, which was also the only reason he was allowed on the force. The kids called him Barney behind his back because he was so obnoxious and his gun handling was so poor he was not allowed live ammo. I do not think he was even allowed to have the one bullet in his pocket.

 

[SWMP15A3M4]

yeppers

"" But more than ever, our current generation of young people are a product of our liberal educational system. They are entitled. They want at age 25 what it took the previous generations a lifetime to accomplish. ""

Ben said it right "Spare the Rod, Spoil the child"

and now society wonders why they are the way they are.

do not touch your kid or even verbally let them have it is it ABUSE

for hecks sake there is the problem.

 

[feralmerril]

Ok, me again. I am right wing, republican, law abideing as you can get. Also a old poop that dislikes gangbangers, druggers as much. I no doubt done more searchs than any five dozen cops reading this put together. That is because my job for 35 years was as a lockheed guard in high security areas of the plants. A lot of our guidelines and dutys was dictated by the dept of defendse. I hated to search and snoop more than anything about that job!
However my job was far different than a LEOs from the standpoint that everyone I dealt with had already signed their life away just to work in those areas, and was well forwarned that they were subject to search at anytime and had signed permission just to get the job.
As said in my other two posts, what gets me, is people that give up their rights without a wimper due to obvious ignorance. In particular in my area, I hope this area is a "abergation" and the rest of the country isnt like here. I have seen just too many searchs of kids along the road here with their luggage strewn all over the embankment. Now, I aint no cherry joe citizen type, I have worked all my life in high crime area of southern california, and never seen a fraction of the gestoppo type searchs as I have here, and its starting to piss me off!

 

[kcode]

On the other side of the coin, I'm retired, caucasian, with white hair. Last fall, I flew to San Diego to help my daughter move back to Kentucky. We rented a Uhaul 12 ft box truck and car trailer for her SUV which was packed to the top. Coming across I-8 in Arizona after dark we were stopped at a Border Patrol inspection point. The BP agent was in his late 20's, I expected a thorough search. He asked where we were going and coming from and permission to search the vehicles, I had no objections, I only mentioned that he does it at his own risk. He walked to the SUV with his flashlight, glanced through the windows and returned to the truck and told us to have a safe trip to Ky. Not all young ones have a chip on their shoulders.

 

[Faulkner]

Just for conversations sake, maybe Americans just don't take their freedom serious enough to know what their rights are. Apparently they don't seem to teach basic civics in school any more.

I can remember when I was 18 years old taking a date home after a movie. I had a .22 rifle in the rear window gunrack of my pickup, unloaded, and a box of cartridges in the glove box. A deputy sheriff pulled me over because my license plate light was out, which is a probable cause stop and I've since used it myself. The deputy was polite and professional and I was cooperative and provided him the documentation he asked for. Then he asked about the .22 rifle and wanted to know if he could run the serial number to see if it was stolen. I asked him if he had any reason to think it was stolen . . . he said he just wanted to check, I said unless he had reason to think it was I'd rather he not. He then said he'd like to see if it was loaded and I told him if he'd shine is flashlight on the bolt he would see it was open and the rifle was unloaded. He then asked if I had any ammo and I said sure, I got a box in the glove box, but since I'm of legal age that shouldn't be a problem.

My date was sitting next to me on the bench seat of my Ford pickup and her purse was in the floorboard on the passenger side. The deputy shined his light in the floorboard and saw the purse, looked at my date and asked if he could look into her purse. Before she could answer I butted in and said, "I'm sorry officer, I don't have a clue what's in that purse, but it's in my truck and I know I would be responsible for anything in there. If you're going to look in there you'll need search warrant because we've not given you any probable cause to do it.

He looked a me and smiled and said, "I bet your daddy is a lawyer." I said, "no sir, he's a mechanic, but I did pay attention in civics class."

I was respectful during the entire encounter and the deputy was professional, but I don't doubt he thought he could push the envelope a little with a couple of kids.

Being a LEO I've taught my kids (and wife) to be respectful and polite to any officer they come in contact with, yet I've instructed them of their rights and what cops can and can't do. I believe Americans have a duty as citizens to know what their basic rights are but most of us don't have a clue what their rights actually are . . . except that they have the right to government paid health care.

 

[jkc]

"On the other side of the coin, I'm retired, caucasian, with white hair. Last fall, I flew to San Diego to help my daughter move back to Kentucky. We rented a Uhaul 12 ft box truck and car trailer for her SUV which was packed to the top. Coming across I-8 in Arizona after dark we were stopped at a Border Patrol inspection point. The BP agent was in his late 20's, I expected a thorough search. He asked where we were going and coming from and permission to search the vehicles, I had no objections, I only mentioned that he does it at his own risk. He walked to the SUV with his flashlight, glanced through the windows and returned to the truck and told us to have a safe trip to Ky. Not all young ones have a chip on their shoulders."


You probably were searched without your consent (by a drug-sniffing dog) and certainly were profiled, and fortunately for you, you didn't have any drugs (or none that the dog smelled...) and didn't fit the profile of someone smuggling drugs or illegal aliens. I pass thru such checkpoints once in awhile, and very much resent them. I've noticed that these routinely young agents take no notice of fairly obvious weapons in the cab of my truck, as I think they are oblivious to them, or maybe just don't care. (Loaded assault rifles in reach of the driver are not a violation here in AZ)

 

[Bentwing]

I would probably go along with the cop here in Portland. Too Many People are being shot though unarmed.The feds are starting an investigaion As there has not been a policeman charged in a shooting since the 1970's

 

[kennyb]

Thanks for all the comments so far. Where I was comeing from is the assumption that the kids I have seen pulled over were 100% innocent with nothing to hide, yet like sheep meekly give up their rights. As I said, I came here from southern california where crime of all types must have been a 100 X as much. Back there you just didnt see the rouse,s that you do here. I got the impression that the LEO had enough for real hot stuff to handel without fishing. A day ago I seen a car of kids pulled over for no reason that I could see. The cop was along side of me and I saw everything she did. Now of course I didnt have her info on what she knew off the radio, computer or in briefing. However, in this area I have seen far more of the same situation in this unpopulated area compared to the heavy citys in california. I bet if I drove the freeway all day long here I could show you what I am talking about almost several times a day!
The best one I seen was a local unmarked large black SUV around here that has out of state CALIFORNIA plates pull over and shake down some kids! Luggage all over the side of the road.
I think about a year ago when I seen it I posted the same question here and got next to no response, and the few that did claimed the LEO was legal doing so. Well, maybe, but if a unmarked with out of state plates tryed to pull me over, I belive we both would have difficultys!
As I said on my first post, the thing that bugs me the most is the INNOCENT kids are so programed to be goot germans! The gang bangers are fair game to me. I profile too.

yep...you profile...so stop and search those YOU deem as "looking the part" but the rest is unacceptable...good thing you aren't in law enforcement and someone has an older vehicle and is latino...

 

[feralmerril]

Kenney, ya damn right I profile! What you going to do? Have people getting on a plane with turbines carrying the koran, leave them alone and shake down some grandma just to prove how PC you are? Pass up guys with tatoos and corks in their ears with mohawks and pull over clean cut kids and shake them down? Well, I agree that is the safer thing to do!
You mean to tell me those guys with wires running up to their ears guarding the president looking around arent profileing? Sounds like a nice story to me!
I worked 35 years of security, am alive, did my job withhout a complaint on me in that time. Yup, I profiled!

 

[kennyb]

the guy getting on a plane with the turban and koran is likely a doctor here in the usa...i'm not going to "shakedown" anyone (as you say) ppl with tatoo's and a hairstyle differant than yours?well that probably 70% of folks (male and female) between 16-45...you see...profiling can lead one down a twisted trail..more and more modern policing is science driven,not driven by someone's skewered view that a turban,tattoo or whatnot makes them subject to your view as to profiling....you can be very sure that policing and security at a given location are two entirely differant jobs

 

[billhud]

Why would any responsible parent tell their kids NOT to cooperate with the police?

If you have nothing to hide, go along with the program. It will be short and sweet and you'll be on your way. Cops aren't stupid, they will sense lying, sneaking and hiding.

I always liked the phrase, 'If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.'

If you have nothing to hide, let the cops come into your home and search your house.

If you have nothing to hide, let the government inventory your gun safe and record the makes, models, and serial numbers you own.

If you have nothing to hide, allow government surveillance cameras to be mounted in your yard.

If you have nothing to hide, wear a GPS for the government.

If you have nothing to hide, go along with the program.

Why would a responsible adult NOT cooperate with the government?

 

[cass]

I've only had one bad encounter with a LEO, and it turned out funny . In my younger, wilder days I was an avid snake hunter/collector. We would cruse back-country roads at 15-20mph and catch snakes and frogs crossing or basking on the warm pavement. When we got one, it was put in a "snake bag" which was nothing more than a strong pillowcase, and put it in the bed of the truck. Well, one night a pair of very smartass sheriff's deputies pulled me over to see what I was doing out at near midnight driving so slowly. As I was explaining to one officer what I was doing, the other proceeded to search my truck, without permission or prior warning. He found the bag with a rattlesnake in it about the same time I was warning the other officer that he had no business messing around my truck. He grabbed the bag, the snake jerked/rattled, he let out a little-girl scream and ran - right into the trailer hitch. It put a nasty gash on his shin, which I found too funny. I'll bet he got permission after that.

 

[handejector]

We are done here.