What to do if the police stop you

Being stopped by the cops is scary. This Instructable gives you everything you need to know to safeguard your rights when you are dealing with the police.

All of the information here is straight from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Step 1: General guidance for dealing with the police

1. What you say to the police is always important. What you say can be used against you, and it can give the police an excuse to arrest you, especially if you badmouth a police officer.

2. You must show your driver's license and registration when stopped in a car. Otherwise, you don't have to answer any questions if you are detained or arrested, with one important exception. The police may ask for your name if you have been properly detained, and you can be arrested in some states for refusing to give it. If you reasonably fear that your name is incriminating, you can claim the right to remain silent, which may be a defense in case you are arrested anyway.

3. You do not have to consent to any search of yourself, your car or your house. If you DO consent to a search, it can affect your rights later in court. If the police say they have a search warrant, ASK TO SEE IT.

4. Do not interfere with, or obstruct the police, as you you can be arrested for it.

Remember:
Think carefully about your words, movement, body language, and emotions.
Do not get into an argument with the police.
Anything you say or do can be used against you.
Keep your hands where the police can see them.
Do not run. Do not touch any police officer.
Do not resist even if you believe you are innocent.
Do not complain on the scene or tell the police they are wrong or that you are going to file a complaint.
Do not make any statements regarding the incident.
Ask for a lawyer immediately upon your arrest.
Remember officer badge & patrol car numbers.
Write down everything you remember ASAP.
Try to find witnesses & their names & phone numbers.
If you are injured, take photographs of the injuries as soon as possible, but make sure you seek medical attention first.

If you feel your rights have been violated, file a written complaint with police department internal affairs division or civilian complaint board, or call the ACLU hotline, 1-877-6-PROFILE.

Comments

[jspud2]

Yeah, I couldn't figure out why I had to pay taxes to cover their salaries until I needed them to evict those renters.

[anvil inc]

I think it is interesting to note that none of the previous posts have pointed out the simple fact that the police are effectively our (any citizen's) servants. That's right I said it ! "THEY WORK FOR YOU!!!!!" Not the other way around! When "WE THE PEOPLE" are paying their salary and authorizing them to have authority over only those who would break the law and corrupt the public good, they have no legitimate right to detain or harass any person who has not done so! The real problem lies in the use of the " Officers " discretion as to what in fact constitutes " Probable Cause " this needs to be addressed in a public forum and petitioned before the courts to be better defined! The vast majority of the police officers that I know personally are in fact very nice people when they are not on duty and being made paranoid by situations that are stressful at best and dangerous at worst. The majority of the police force in major metro areas are not the least bit interested in what the average citizen is doing......... Not so much in more rural settings where very little real crime is taking place and these officers are prone to be "nosy" out of a lack of any real work to do. I'm not saying ALL are likely to be this way but lets face it, wouldn't you be bored stiff if you were a police officer in a small town where very little ever happens? On the other hand there are those police officers who are in areas where known gang and drug activity is taking place and it is their job to do the best they can to curb this( In fact this is what WE are authorizing them to do) If you are driving through a neighborhood at 3:00 AM where pushers are known to loiter and you stop and ask for "Directions" from some guy standing on the corner and he leans in the window of your car.........How is the cop who saw this to know that you didn't buy any CRACK? The real issue is what the hell are you doing out in this neighborhood at 3:00 am anyway? Are you stopping by to see a friend or relative? Maybe you should encourage you friend or relative to move to a safer neighborhood! In short I think this is a fair and accurate instructable even if the information is a little bit BIG BROTHER ORIENTED. However I think the real issue is just when did everyone become so concerned about "HOW IT LOOKS" when we assert our RIGHTS! I for one don't give a damn how it looks and will continue to refuse to give consent to search when I feel it is unwarranted. I am also going to continue to refuse to give any information about my person as it is My Right to do so. If it takes them 30 to 45 minutes to determine who I am and to ascertain that I am not a threat to the public good then so be it! I think if everyone took this approach and continued to make an effort no matter how small to remind the GOVERNMENT that they should FEAR THE PEOPLE our rights would not be so readily trampled upon!

[MattyMumbles]

Actually the police are not our servants, nor are they obligated to protect us in any way. Or so says the supreme courts justices;

NY Times Article - Justices Rule Police Do Not Have a Constitutional Duty to Protect Someone

[anvil inc]

Actually if you bothered to read the whole article it was a supreme court decision to deny the application of the 14th Ammendment to this particular case. This article as well as any printed since the mid 1920's in any major media outlet is slanted to sell papers and promote an agenda fostered by the Morgans,Rockefellers, etc... If you are interested in understanding just what that agenda is read THE CREATURE FROM JEKYL ISLAND It will explain all the history behind the Federal Reserve Bank and the Council on Foriegn Relations. I am with you on the worry that the supreme court is not on the side of the public good or our rights. As for understanding what is really going on in the world it might be a good idea to google REX84 and look for the photo's of the FEMA concentration camps! I used to think this was all alarmist thinking and anti government propaganda, but after seeing this post and driving past two in Florida myself that are supposedly facilitites maintained by the local utilities? Why do we need 600 FEMA camps that are capable of holding up to 200 million people? After you read this ask yourself why the CDC is already making plans in the "event" of a national outbreak? Is it possible the powers that be are laying the groundwork and implementing their final solution? Good luck and enjoy the front row seats for armegedon! Man I wonder just how much we paid for these tickets!

[MattyMumbles]

(removed by author or community request)

[forgesmith]

Actually you're right, just cited the wrong case. Try Warren v. Washington DC, which is... disturbing. 3 women, 2 desperate calls to police, 1 slow drive-by then nothing, yielding 14 hrs of brutality.

Warren and the other victims sued the District and the police department. In 1978, the D.C. Superior Court ruled that "a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen."

Later in 1981, the D.C. Court of Appeals went further and ruled, "The duty to provide public services is owed to the public at large, and, absent a special relationship between the police and an individual, no specific legal duty exists.'

The police are public servants, who serve the public AT LARGE. Thus they will quell mass riots, "keeping the peace," but when Granny gets murdered because no one showed up, forget suing, you're out of luck. Oh, that case you cited came later and tried to establish a "special relationship" did exist, being the only way an individual can show an obligation of the police to protect them. And it got ruled that a protection order didn't do that.

Legally speaking, as an individual, you're on your own.

This is rarely mentioned in the media as it leads to the following exercise in logic:
1. You, an individual, do not need a gun for protection as the police will protect you.
2. The police do not have to protect you, an individual.
3. Therefore...

[kykyred]

i love it when the governemnt tries to take away guns... i mean seriously its in the constitution to bear arms, not the animals arms but guns.... some people need that correction.
But in my cases someone tried to mug me one night after class but there was no officer on scene so guess what i had to actually defend myself luckily i had my car door open and got a good hit on them in the face and scrambled back into my car where i had a small sword 19 inches long and threatened to cut them if they didnt run which thankfully did make them leave. i later found out that i was in violation of some stupid penal code that said you cant have a blade larger than i believe it was 8 inches that is unsheathed in the car? Made me laugh

Guns are there to protect yourself and to form militia i the event that the government has over extended their rights or the military has failed to protect you from danger. Lately the government (fed government) has been pushing for increased gun control so they criminals dont have guns but literally anyone who knows jack about crime knows that if a criminal wants a gun they will get a gun, which leaves the criminals a level above you if you dont have a gun to defend yourself.

[nmw4825]

that kind of stuff happens way too often

[Prometheus]

Therefore the police are a collection agency for local and state governments to raise funds squandered by the previous quarter of multi-billion-dollar courthouse and state-building construction projects, including a $13 million-dollar sculpture in the lobby of a police department claiming not to have enough funding as exampled in this wonderful state of Washington. It is said that the actions of this state and washington DC have caused our first president to roll in his grave so fast and frequently that the friction from this is the real cause of global warming.

[MattyMumbles]

That's the case I was trying to find, I knew I'd read it somewhere else! I wonder if any other cases have made it to court. It's definitely a stretch... Following your logic, I'm right there with you. It just leaves me wondering what exactly what our local police departments 'duties' are, and where this huge misconception left the public domain.

[forgesmith]

The duties, basically, would be mob control, "keeping the peace." They'll direct traffic and enforce traffic laws since otherwise roads would be chaos. They'll go after robbers since if people could just take anything they want it'd be chaos. Same for murder, etc, anything that could lead to mass numbers of people going off and disrupting society.

Because, slightly cynical here, an orderly society is needed for the upper classes to not require trusted guards, and probably many of them, to protect their lifestyle, lives, and property. And even guards can be overwhelmed by a disgruntled mob. So we have the police who basically neutralize any disgruntled mobs that erupt, but mainly prevent them from forming by keeping a generally orderly society going. What "protection" there is, trickles down. If the upper class were protected but the "commoners" weren't at all, the commoners would be disgruntled. So protection is supplied to at least enough commoners to keep them from forming a mob, while legally not required to be provided to every last individual.

Slightly cynical, yes, but the model for the police is very old and quite often functioning as found in Robin Hood. Of course, the more historical method of forming an orderly society, beneficial to all, is quite horrifying despite its efficiency, involving much time and effort.

The method is teaching solid morals, hard concepts of what's wrong and right, and actually knowing your neighbors, making sure they have and follow the same morals, and thus forming solid peaceful neighborhoods and communities. But these days, people would rather have laws and police, then complain when neither works as well as they think they should. Go figure.

[MattyMumbles]

I'd have to agree with you on that too, the method of forming an orderly society I mean. It does, or would take much time and effort, especially now. Reforming moral concepts of what is right and what is wrong, and growing strength within the community. It seems, historically speaking, we're unable to restructure a society without a mass revolution, war, genocide, or something of a catastrophic effect. If only it were as simple as reprogramming a computer...

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Actually a great deal of (successful!) effort goes into forming people's subjectivities in the school system, but again (like the provision of "order") the effort is made to create an economically exploitable mass much more than a happy society. The values which are taught to the common people are those which are economically useful to the powerful; I quote from Bauman's history of the work ethic:

... the upper classes allowed no values to the workpeople but those which the slave-owner appreciates in the slave. The working man was to be industrious and attentive, not to think for himself, to owe loyalty and attachment to his master alone, to recognise that his proper place in the economy of the state was the place of the slave in the economy of the sugar plantation. Take many virtues we admire in a man, and they become vices in a slave.'

For credibility, I quote also Woodrow Wilson:

We want one class to have a liberal education. We want another class, a very much larger class of necessity, to forgo the privilege of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.

A detailed history of the various political struggles among the upper classes over the formation in schools of the subjectivities of the lower classes is John Taylor Gatto's Underground History of American Education -- a section of particular interest is chapter eight. My point is only that the ethics which are instilled in youth are those which create the type of people necessary for use by the powers; in times of war, these will be soldiers; in times of industrial expansion, they will be factory workers; in the contemporary "service economy" they are the type called by one book title "the organization man," aka "team-players" -- although Bauman argues convincingly that the powerful are now much more interested in creating willing consumers of their products than producers of them. (Of course, the DIY movement, if you call it that, is a reaction against both consumerism and organization...)

People don't have laws and police because "they would rather have" -- they are born into societies with laws and police and courts. Moreover, they are taught that these laws and police and courts are synonymous with morality; the law is not represented to us as a living institution, as a set of arbitrary rules that some people made up and which all-too-often exist only to benefit those who make them; rather, they are sanctified by the theory of democracy which is drilled into the heads of the young long before they attain the capacity to think independently or the life experience against which to test authoritative assertions.

Our legal institutions have existed since they were invented by the ancient monarchies; in fact, there is a continuity of organization going back from the American court system through to the Norman conquest. It is the same organization, which has reproduced itself through so many generations of human membership. (Remember that the war which is called the American "Revolution" was one in which the States, without dissolving, declared independence, and formed a new union -- it was no more a revolution than the London Declaration.)

In the early days of these same organizations, they asserted directly their equivalnce with morality and, indeed, with the word of God. "Dominion is founded in grace" was the ideology of our court system in its infancy; which is to say, the law set down by the King is sanctified by God. Rousseau marked a shift in which the King began to claim the basis of his authority in his representation of the interests of the people -- of course, it was still the same organization, and largely this representation was nothing more than a pretense, though a pretense which could easily be sold to children -- including the children of the powerful, who would gain a convenient confidence in their own right to rule. The contradiction between the ideology and the reality, though, resulted in the various popular movements defining their task as the bridging of this gap; i.e., as the creation of truly representative government.

The representation of democratic forms as automatically producing democracy is itself indicative of a certain collapse of democracy (which had never really been secured). A society in which democracy was a primary goal, rather than an ideology justifying power (like "dominion is founded in grace"), would frankly admit that the task of ascertaining and enacting the general interests of the people cannot be accomplished automatically through any procedural form. But this is far from what children are in fact taught (in myriad ways), and what they believe until they learn about the system through their own personal experience. It is not a choice of the people to accept this representation; rather, it is simply what they are taught in their gullible youth (out of which many never grow).

[JoeMenthol]

If you are a criminal, these are good tips, and will make it more difficult to get a conviction. Otherwise, just be cooperative. If you have nothing to hide, is it really necessary to refuse to answer questions? If the police are searching for a suspect in the area, polite, simple responses help eliminate you as a suspect or a witness to the crime, and then can then move on to find the real bad guys. Throwing a fit or being confrontational about your rights immediately makes police think you either have something to hide (like a warrant out for your arrest) or that you possibly have a mental issue. Best advice is to obey the law. If you hate the police because you've been busted in the past, does it really make sense to blame the cops for your bad choices?

[kykyred]

but those bad choices are usually just said to be bad choices and in reality didnt affect anyone. like if you speed down the highway at 70 mph and theres no one in site... traffic violations ahve been a huge source of revenue and when the government basically farms its citizens this makes public opinion fowl and when cops approach you they ARE always rude and condescending,ive meet many cops in my 19 years of existence and i still have yet to meet a respectable one, they always abuse their power and threaten to arrest you, I was once accused of being a terrorist because i was tailgating a truck that was going 40 mph in a 55 zone and was carrying propane, the cop said i was allegedly planning on ramming it so i would make it blow up, charges were droped by the judge but was still given a hefty tailgating ticket for 615 $ by the way i was driving a small compact car at the time so seriously what damage could i have even done to the the back of his bumper?
My little examples here are just from (me) one person who has lived 19 years, i cant even image what stories ill have racket up by the time im 45 about what stupid crap cops have ticketed me for or alleged i did.
Should the government seriously be concerned about traffic tickets as much as they are, the real issue is the people stealing cars, breaking into homes which in my area are almost never caught and its simply easier for a cop to right tickets than actually patrol for real criminals.
Im sure many out there who are in support of increased government control and monitoring but its funny how those opinions change when the government comes cracking down on you or some benign offense you committed usually not even on purpose.

[austinmayor]

Mr. Menthol,

It is so neat that you think that innocent people have nothing to hide from the police. That is what Kevin Fox of Will County Illinois thought too.

He was innocent and was just trying to help the police and the states attorneys find the person who murdered his daughter, so he talked freely with the coppers. But that was before the authorities attempted to have him put to death for the murder of his daughter.

Fortunately, DNA evidence eventually excluded Mr. Fox.

Two-piece legal advice:
1. Demand an attorney, and
2. Keep your mouth shut.

-- SCAM
so-called "Austin Mayor"
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com

[JoeMenthol]

I believe this instructable is aimed more at people being casually approached by the police on the street or during a traffic stop, not toward people who are the primary suspect in the murder of their daughters. If you are arrested, certainly ask for a lawyer and refuse further questioning until you get one. If you're out on the street, however, and the police approach you with some simple questions, there's no need to be a jerk about it.

[kykyred]

the mind easily wonders when talking about police corruption doesnt it

[JoeMenthol]

Actually, let me expand on this a little. I work in law enforcement. I have had bottles thrown at me, lit cigarettes flicked into my face, been spit on, flipped off, and been called every name you can think of (and probably many you can't). Put yourself in my shoes for a minute. When you go to work, you have to wear body armor because there's a good chance you're going to get shot. You had to spend months at an academy learning how to defend yourself from the people who will try to kill you on the job. No one is ever happy to see you. You are thought of as nothing but a pig. You spend every night dealing with drug users, domestic abusers, child molesters. You rarely interact with "nice" people, because the police don't get called to situations where people are being nice to each other. No matter how polite or professional you are, you always have enemies, and virtually everyone hates you because you simply try to do your job. Do you think that facing that every day might get to you after a few years? Do you think it would be fun going to bed every night hoping no one you dealt with at work finds out where you live and slashes your tires or sets your house on fire? Now, with all that in mind, do you think maybe it would be appreciated when you are talking with someone, and they're actually polite and respectful? You know, someone who actually replies to you in a civil tone instead of screaming, "I know my rights, I don't have to answer your questions! Am I being detained?!?" Frankly, a little courtesy and honesty works wonders on me. Those are the folks I remember, and the ones that I wave to when I see them, and the ones that help me remember that not every one hates me, and that there are people out there worth serving. But then again, who cares what I think? I'm just another f-ing pig on a power trip out to get people for no good reason, apparently. Or at least, that's what I'm told.

[kykyred]

sounds like if you cant deal with the stress you should really let someone replace you who can, its officers maybe not like you but officers that flip out over the littlest thing are the ones everyone relates to when you see a cop, and in return officers really do seem to fulfill that stigma when they treat everyone like they are better than them with more power. and law enforcement shouldn't be treated as a job but something to better society with... many cops loose site of that.
Cops have bad opinions placed on them because in dealings with cops, cops are the ones to usually instigate something especially with traffic ticket pullovers and are never forgiving at all, There was a police department in California that as shut down because of how they increased revenue which was to pull over and impound anyone car that was going even one mile over the super slow 30 mph speed limit they imposed with a minute impound time of 26 days.. this was costing thousands of dollars for going 31 mph.
This is why people have bad opinions of cops., yes there are people out there that should be arrested and fined but its when traffic tickets stops become something that can cost 200+ $ which to most people that are barely squeaking my usually means they miss that phone bill or cant put gas in their vehicle or food on the table because the government says you owe them money.. and if you dont pay that money ooooooo your screwed
And i hope you as a police man dont go to bed every night stressing about weather you are going to be murdered, no one should live that way except for murderers.
The government really shouldn't be able to fine people for violating the traffic laws. I say this because traffic laws ( for the most part) are so convoluted and confusing to most that its nearly impossible or impractical to follow every last one. Excessive speeding is one i believe people should be fined for biut going 70 mph in a 55 zone on a straight road out in the middle of nowhere shouldnt be something you can get fined for.
Many people say traffic accidents are causes mostly by people speeding which is true but in retrospect cops almost never pull over the " D'wads" that go snail slow so when you try and pass them an accident occurs. I know me writting this will have as little impact on everyone here as a feather being blown in the wind.

[pyrocop1]

Hey man, glad to see you take the time to talk to people and wave at them. I am same type of cop. I have been in this job for about 15 years. But I am worried the new cops coming on now don't have the same respect for people. I see more power tripping cops now than I ever have. Anyway stay safe, always watch your back.

[bettbee]

instead of screaming, "I know my rights, I don't have to answer your questions! Am I being detained?!?"

Actually you've pretty much shown us where you're coming from with the above remark. You assume that the person is screaming. The comment I read which you're quoting suggested saying these things, not screaming them.

[JoeMenthol]

"Actually you've pretty much shown us where you're coming from with the above remark. You assume that the person is screaming." To be more clear, in just about all the contacts that I can recall when people start making statements like that, they are very amped up and either yelling, or soon start yelling.

[ungood]

Joe, First, let me thank you for working in public service. I know it's not the easiest job, I have a lot of respect for those working hard, long hours to try and keep the streets safe. But please understand that the phrase "If you have nothing to hide, what do you have to fear?" is insulting to me. The right to privacy and the right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure is a right guaranteed to all citizens - not just criminals. To say that if you have nothing to hide you shouldn't be concerned with your human rights is paramount to saying that honest citizens do not deserve basic human rights. Furthermore, privacy is not about hiding crimes. It is a inalienable right required for the preservation of human dignity. It is important to the protection of a population from their government - just as the second amendment is supposed to be. Surrendering those rights for the sake of being polite is a long, slippery slope. All that said, I agree that being polite to law enforcement is worthwhile. I'll cooperate and respect an officer as long as the same respect is extended to me in return - and that's not always (though usually is) the case. Asking me to forfeit rights that are not absolutely necessary to forfeit is not respectful. And sometimes deceit or trickery is used to get a person to forfeit rights - and this is worse than insulting.

[sysiphus]

>>do you think maybe it would be appreciated when you are talking with someone, and they're actually polite and respectful? You know, someone who actually replies to you in a civil tone instead of screaming, "I know my rights, I don't have to answer your questions! Am I being detained?!?" Which is why I am always as polite, respectful, and civil as possible when asking if I am being detained and saying I don't consent to a search. Really. You see, I've found that whenever I've had interactions with police officers, I was the calm one. I've been yelled at by police officers for doing legal actions twice now, and found it very difficult to remain calm. Perhaps you are the exception. Most officers I know, including my uncle who I love dearly, bring a very heavy attitude to the situations and turn it into a confrontation. Most people respond to confrontational people by getting confrontational; when the aggressor is a police officer, that can land them in jail. I found that knowing my rights, knowing that I don't have to answer questions, helped me remain calm. That is especially true when the officer gets into the stupid questions (like "do you know what that can lead to?" and "how do I know you are not a...?") that are completely unreasonable for the officer to ask. So I recommend to all people that they follow the guidelines here, RESPECTFULLY, and calmly and politely. Works wonders. And JoeMenthol, I'd suggest you ask yourself whether the people reacting rudely to you are perhaps reacting because of the way you approach them. Some probably are not, but many probably are. You can change some of them by your own attitude.

[JoeMenthol]

"And JoeMenthol, I'd suggest you ask yourself whether the people reacting rudely to you are perhaps reacting because of the way you approach them. Some probably are not, but many probably are. You can change some of them by your own attitude."

I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but before I got into this line of work I got a degree in psychology. After college I went into work as a care-giver for the elderly, at times caring for folks who had lost the ability to speak, or had other conditions which made communication difficult. Later, at academy, there was also some fairly extensive confrontation simulation and contact communication training. Now I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but due to my education, training, and experience, I think I am fairly adept at effective communication, reading body language, interpreting meaning, and detecting dishonesty. I also like to think that I project myself in my contacts as professional, but reasonable, and not overly emotional.

With all that said, I think you'd really be surprised how people can behave, particularly when dealing with drunk people. Most people I contact are reasonably polite, but there's always a few that get VERY vocal about "knowing their rights," and that speech is usually peppered with curses and name calling. I find with these folks, it has little to do with how I act or what I say; they've had a past experience with law enforcement that was not pleasant, and seem to have generalized that to mean all cops are out to get them.

I don't mean to be inflamitory, but I honestly find from my experience that the people who are most concerned with this sort of 'what not to tell the cops' stuff are interested because they want to know how to hide their not-so-lawful activities. These are usually teens and young adults who have drug use problems, or alcohol problems, or both. I don't mean to imply that everyone who is concerned about their rights is automatically a criminal, but I really have found that the people who most often talk about their rights with me also get very upset... usually due to fear that I am about to find out something they don't want me to know. And that is usually that they have some dope in their pocket, or that they're a minor and have been drinking, etc.

[sysiphus]

Most people I contact are reasonably polite, but there's always a few that get VERY vocal about "knowing their rights,"

Ah, perhaps that's the crux of it. From the tone of the original, it sounded like you found that most people were the screaming type:

Now, with all that in mind, do you think maybe it would be appreciated when you are talking with someone, and they're actually polite and respectful? You know, someone who actually replies to you in a civil tone instead of screaming, "I know my rights, I don't have to answer your questions! Am I being detained?!?"

Frankly, a little courtesy and honesty works wonders on me. Those are the folks I remember, and the ones that I wave to when I see them, and the ones that help me remember that not every one hates me, and that there are people out there worth serving.

But then again, who cares what I think? I'm just another f-ing pig on a power trip out to get people for no good reason, apparently. Or at least, that's what I'm told.

Going back and reading it again, I still read that you perceive there are at least a significant number that have issues with you/your position, and not that most people are "reasonably polite." Then again, perception is everything; what I see as politely maintaining my rights or telling an honest answer that an officer does not like, the officer may see as (borderline criminal) non-compliance. And as the guy who's 1) not armed and 2) less likely to be believed in court, I have less flexibility in how I'm perceived.

I really, honestly have nothing to hide. I had my first drink at 23, accidentally got drunk (miscalculated proof) once at 25 and knew I never wanted to do that again, and am way to much of a control freak to want to take any drug that may alter my mental state. I hardly have taken painkillers when prescribed them. My two tickets have been for a broken signal that was actually broken, and 59 in a 55 (I had the cruise set on 58 by my speedometer.) I'm quite boring, actually, and I'm okay with that.

My belief is that, in reality, the laws we have are to protect me, and sometimes protect criminals as well. You see, if I am doing nothing illegal, then no one should be able to bother me, peek into my affairs, use my time, etc. It is only when there is significant evidence that a person is doing something illegal that an investigation should begin. The whole idea of looking for illegal activities that people might be doing is backwards, and far more intrusive to the honest person than the criminal. In many cases, the search for criminal activity itself borders on punitive.

When I was young, I was parked in a public lot at night reading. (I didn't want to go home between my evening and night jobs.) I had two officers come up and tell me to get out of the car, frisk me, search the car, and keep me there well past when my shift started. I had nothing illegal in the car, was legally allowed to be there, and was completely cooperative. Nowadays I would know that the car didn't have to get torn apart, I didn't have to be frisked, and that I probably could have left long before they made me feel like i could leave. The reason they gave for all my hassle was that they had had problems in the area a few months ago. So, for their months old "problems" and my lack of knowledge, I nearly got fired.

A year or so ago, an accident occurred on the corner I lived on. Almost immediately, some people started trying to move things, and I started taking photos. (I did call 911 first.) As it turns out, the guys moving things caused the accident, and were moving things so the half-conscience guy looked to be at fault.

After the police, fire, and ambulance arrived and put the guy who was hurt in the ambulance, an EMS guy heard from my neighbor that I had taken photos. He told a fireman, who told a police officer, and suddenly I had two of them walking up to me in my yard, one with hand on holstered pistol, to talk about that. They asked if I took photos, and I said yes. They asked why, and I told them that they were for personal reasons. (I take a lot of photos.)

Long story short, they hassled me for 15 minutes, including screaming at me, while I kept a calm voice. They strongly suggested they may delete my photos, take my memory card, take my camera, smash my camera, raid my house, and shoot my dogs (inside my house), plus subpoena me and my camera and memory card, plus arrest me and my wife. I kept asking if the law allowed that, in a way that required a yes or no, and got changed subjects. I did manage to get from them that I had not done anything illegal in taking the photos, but that it was just "in poor taste." I verified that I was not under arrest, and free to go, and walked away from them (still yelling) and into my house.

I still have the (boring) photos, and nothing came of it. But I did find out that the guy who was hurt was the neighbor of one of the local police officers, and had feuded with him over a fence placement. And I found out (from my deputy uncle) that the officers who talked to me were the nice guys who only have trouble with belligerent criminal types. But if I had not known my rights, I'd have caved and deleted the photos, thinking I had to. And had I gotten angry and yelled back, I'd probably have ended up in jail, only to have the charges dropped.

And I've never had so hard a time staying calm as when I watched a fireman point two policemen toward me, and then watched them put on their "stern" faces, one put his hand on his gun, and walk my way. For doing something completely legal, that they knew was completely legal.

If these are the local "nice" officers, and they treated me that way, how can you expect people to react to police officers? Doing nothing wrong does not protect an innocent person from someone who believes he is doing the right thing and has a badge.

[kykyred]

your cop story reminds me of a few cases of mine... i was also questioned by the fbi for being a terrorist because i had a video on YouTube of lighting a firecracker haha, local law enforcement arent the only corrupt/ stupid ones out there

in short cops are always looking to make a name for themselves and the crooked ones( what seems like 99% of them) are going to do it in a very rude and right infringing way. We as the people supposedly have overall authority over them as said by our Constitution but because in a localized incident cops have the rights to just arrest you, the right you had in the beginning is now forfeited because your arrested.
I just wish our freedoms that we had in the 1950's would come back but that will never happen again, at least not in this country.
Personally i do break the law quite a bit, I really dont think the government should have the right to simply say' You owe them money' for a speeding ticket even though everyone else was going the same speed and they pulled you over because they had a quota to meet... The government has really gotten stronger since 9/11 because it gave them public opinion to do all kinda of crazy laws because its in the interest of public saftely... personally id much rather have the right to determine what is safe for my own house and person than what the government says is safe. In california here its illegal to shoot someone unless they have already shot at you... I find that so stupid because it only takes one bullet to kill you and if your protecting yourself from a mugger then id rather not have to wait around for them to shoot me so i can shoot back legally... Yet law enforcement promotes laws like this for some denounced reason
people especially government should not have the power to ruin your life for things as petty as traffic violations or things you did that did not harm anyone physically or financially..

[derekthegeek]

You bring up a valid point Joe. However, I might ask that you place yourself in the role of a non-police officer. 1. In many states we cannot carry firearms to defend ourselves as you do. 2. We cannot flip open a wallet and show a badge to receive special treatment. 3. It has been shown many many times that the police are not always after the truth, but rather a conviction (ask the Duke Lacrosse team). Miranda rights say it all "Whatever you say can and WILL be used against you". The best defense we as civilians have is to say nothing all. Whether it is a traffic stop or something more serious. If you take that as rude, so be it, but just because you wear a badge doesn't mean people should trust you.

[pfhorge]

JoeMenthol, Sounds like you're like the vast majority of cops - just trying to help people out. If the internet wasn't full of stories of cops tasering people, conducting SWAT raids on innocent people, conducting no-knock entries and getting themselves killed, etc., it'd probably make your life easier, but the fact of the matter is that an encounter with a cop gives us the same anxiety that you have in approaching us - we have no idea what type of cop is walking toward us. I can see how your "if you're innocent you have nothing to hide" attitude makes sense from your viewpoint, but I also have enough cop buddies to understand how little accountability there really is. Look at Kathryn Johnston - dead because cops lied about undercover buys and informants. The stories aren't exactly rare. Would you trust cops? At any rate, if I ever run into you in real life, I can assure you that I'll be polite, courteous, and honest, but I'll also insist on my rights.

[Weissensteinburg]

Pfhorge, I agree with you and derekthegeek.

Joe, when you approach someone, the difference between you and the other person is significant:

• The person you're going up to may have a weapon, he/she knows you have a gun and a taser. And tasers don't exactly have a reputation of being used sparingly.
• If you hurt the person you're dealing with, it will most likely be considered unnecessary force, if the other person hurts you, it will be considered assault on a police officer.
• You have a bullet proof vest, we have nothing.
• No matter what we do, people usually side with the police.
• Police openly admit that they lie all the time to get the information they want. If I lie to you, it opens me up to your discretion, as most cops hate being lied too.
  

People assert their rights, not to be rude, but because we have to. If I don't demand a lawyer, I don't know what you may turn around and use against me. There are just too many stories of injustice floating around, and the unfortunate truth is that I cannot trust just any cop walking around. If I do decide to answer your questions, I may get mixed up about something and find myself arrested.

Just like it's better for you to assume I'm dangerous when you approach me, it's best for me to assume you're dangerous.

[kykyred]

dont forget its best to assume when an officer approaches you they have the intent to peg you with something saying you broke the law

[mwwdesign]

Keep doing what you're doing. It is appreciated. Hope more people show it to you.

[GoatBoy]

>>> Do you think that facing that every day might get to you after a few years? Do you think it would be fun going to bed every night hoping no one you dealt with at work finds out where you live and slashes your tires or sets your house on fire? You think you're the only one that doesn't have his personal life affected? How do you think all this harassment and misconduct affects the victims? Do you think it would be fun to be harassed by the police, who, after getting your information from your ID, gets other officers to start harassing you in your own neighborhood, and everywhere you go? Google "police harassment". Plenty of documented cases. Plenty of court cases for that matter. Or how about googling "police officer perjury". Again, plenty of examples, and a bunch of court cases and convictions as well. It is a documented, systemic problem. You have yourselves to blame. When cops stop playing the "blue wall of silence" game and discrediting themselves and allowing their own kind to get away with blatantly criminal behavior, then maybe the attitudes toward you will change. >>> Those are the folks I remember, and the ones that I wave to when I see them, and the ones that help me remember that not every one hates me, and that there are people out there worth serving. Who put you in charge of deciding who is worth serving, and who isn't? If you're an LEO, then you are supposed to be serving the public good, without prejudice. I think it's becoming clear you don't have the capacity to do that.

[kykyred]

well if they werent being such a jerk all the time an officer wouldnt have to be worried about getting attacked... I think it should be public knowledge of where an officer lives personally, i mean they have records to find out where anyone else liveds why cant the public be able to do the same? If a cop is just and Is reasonable and doesnt give out tickets for every little thing that cop should have nothing to fear

[esnakee]

If being a police officer is too hard or unpleasant for you, I'd suggest that you find another line of work. Like you said, your job involves taking a lot of crap and stress. If you're unable to deal with that without being abusive, rude, or aggressive in return, you should find another line of work. Being a police officer isn't for everyone. People who can't tolerate high stress and emotionally charged situations without violating people's rights or becoming belligerent and bossy should not be allowed to take police jobs that will put them in those situations. If, on the other hand, you can keep your compassion, reason, and humanity in the face of unpleasantness and even danger, then I'm glad to have you as a police officer. Understand that one of the reasons you receive so much hostility is because of the reputation created by the bad behavior of many of your co-workers. Such behavior often goes unchallenged within police departments, causing it to grow more and more out of control. Work to change their bad behavior instead of allowing them to sully your own reputation.

[kykyred]

it really seems like the requirement for being a police officer is a pulse and a macho/ baddass attitude where i live.
Ive personally always wanted to experience the cops from the old movies where they were pleasant and didnt ticket or arrest everyone. sadly that doesn't exists or at least in my experience.
I wish cops werent corrupt but with the government lowering standards on everything including that of those who are recruited into the force, quality of law enforcement suffers..

[jaysbob]

actually all the cops I've dealt with have been pleasant, hard working, people who really do care about their job. the portrayal of cops as nothing more than ego-tripping, right smashing fascists is no more accurate than the portrayal of black people as lazy child support dodging criminals.or any other stereotype for that matter.

[bettbee]

Well yeah. That's because it's a generalization.

But some cops are ego-tripping, right smashing fascists, and as someone else before me has said, you never know which kind is approaching you. You're lucky in not meeting any of the bad kind.

A friend of mine was guilty of being black in the wrong neighborhood and ended up flat on his stomach in the middle of winter, with 6 cop cars surrounding him and all the cops from those cars pointing guns at his head. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[agentx73]

>>Otherwise, just be cooperative. If you have nothing to hide, is it really necessary to refuse to answer questions? That's right, Citizen! Always obey our loyal Homeland Security officers. Above all, never question authority!

[Rishnai]

Also, suppose they have a warrant to search your living room. If they see you go into the dining room, in some areas, that means they can search the dining room, too. It is generally prudent when the police knock on the door to have your keys, open the door step out, and let the door lock behind you, since then they can't force themselves in (*foot in door* "if you're innocent, why won't you let us look? *steps past you*)

[tinashathoton]

why people do not need to let polices look evening when you are innocent, they would make you not innocent by plaining thing on a person. it alot of bad polices out here. why i know it happening to me.

[JamesHawke]

You mean DUI not DWI

#3 8 words from the left in ()

[Mstocker]

DUI and DWI are the same thing. "driving under the influence" and "driving while Intoxicated". they can be used interchangeably.

[traxxasslashman]

DUI,DWI, and I think the Canadians call it OWI, they all mean the same thing.

funny, it didn't mention keeping your hands on the wheel and not getting out of the car unless instructed to (this mistake could get you shot if the cop thinks you have a gun).

[glandu]

by any chance does your name come from the book little brother

[mlestina]

My impression is in the years following 9/11, people looked at cops as well as other emergency responders as heros. In addition to people being petty and complaining to them about petty things, cops now are stopping and citing people for littler and littler things, almost to the point that it is difficult to do anything. I find that troubling, as I believe that such conduct by the police ends up getting good people in trouble. A cop with not enough to do is a bad thing.

[tankgunner]

dont ever support the aclu! they are notorious for defending pedophiles,rapist's and murderers.

[boatingfun54]

They defend them, not get them off. Public defenders usually defend prdofiles and murderrs, not the ACLU. You may need your right to be narrow minded or some other right defended someday.

[frollard]

Doesn't matter if you love or hate a particular group - they still get legal representation.

Even deplorable, ugly, rotten, scum of the earth gets legal representation.  Thats how the courts work.

Imagine how you felt if you were wrongfully accused of pedophilia, rape, or murder.  Happens often...and if you couldn't afford help, the ACLU would be happy to help.

[Blacksmith Spader]

The ACLU is for everyone I hate those groups you just mentioned but I do believe that cops make mistakes too. I would hate to be hauled off for telling a cop where to shove it if he accused me of taking someone out when they live 3 states over.

[static]

You make it sound like that the ACLU defend pedophilia, rape, murder, when they do nothing of the sort. What they will do is support those accused of such when their right to a fair trial is jeopardized, by illegal actions of the law enforcement community.

[DrGabriel]

The ACLU has done a lot of good for the United States but has done a lot of bad too. There are other organizations doing the same kind of positive work who are more discriminating and better deserving of support. i.e. Alliance for justice.

[freethemall]

If you ever came into a situation where say the cop suggested he might not file you a driving ticket if you "entertained him", would that be illegal?

[cobra9]

I guess they meant Driving While Intoxicated - same thing

[whitt2]

If the policeman askes you if you know that you ran a red light DO NOT SAY YES. t This is admitting you did something illegal. Don't say anything.

[stustarkenberry]

I always ask if they understand why I stopped them. If they say no I will inform them. If they say yes then I ask for an explanation after all there is no such thing as a routine stop. We do not need a confession for a traffic citation, that is why you are told before signing that it is not a plea of guilt just a promise to appear on or before the date listed.

[Madrigorne]

I started the 4am shift here about 6 months ago - and since then I have been pulled over appx 1-2x/week for no reason. I don't speed, I don't drink, I am not driving erratically. I don't get tickets, although I have been breathalysed on more than 7 different occasions - thank god I stopped using mouthwash after the first stop. I always get let go after about 20 minutes of them going back to their cruiser and running my plates and making me late to work. They come back with 'your vehicle matches the description of a car that was involved in an altercation earlier this evening'. Well geez there must be a seriously bad girl driving aroind in a clone of my car ticking off the PD, or they are pulling me over -over and over- because its 3:00am and noone else is out at that Time. Except Me. Because I am on my way to work. And now I am going to be late - AGAIN.

[Samuraipanda]

My sister had the same thing happen to her back when we we in college. After my father went to the police barracks and requested to see the watch commander it was revealed by the commander that the trooper had been reprimanded in the past for harrassing women with unecessary stops.

 

[thughes208]

everyone hates a cop until you need one

[CybergothiChe]

run, fool!

[stephenniall]

(removed by author or community request)

[nature223]

that is HIGHLY unlikely..they follow you,you WILL break a law,just a matter of time. if I get followed,I find a store and stop there,safely. if they ask me why I stopped,I tell them simply:"is it now illegal to freely shop when,and where I choose,are you now detaining me?,I'll be glad to offer my Personal Identitification if you need to know who I am" then let them take it to the next level,but lock your car first,and put the keys in your pocket,before you do ANYTHING,and never have anything in plain view that looks suspicious. if they ask "hey is that a gun,knife,drugs?" tell them simply..."Sir/Ma'am,am I being detained,am I under arrest,May I go now?" to ANY of their questions...do not change that statement,and do not ever give consent to search,no matter if they threaten you with a police dog. the dog,if it's availiable will take at least a hlf hour to show,and if the cop holds you up for a half hour,wastes everyone's time,and they find nothing. you can render a complaint at his station/department. he looks like he's doing anything,but making people feel like he's on a powerplay,and wasting resources.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Someone pulled over right outside my house once because a cop was following him. The cop stopped too, got out and went up and questioned him. He asked why he stopped; the guy said he stopped because the cop was following him. The cop was pretty pissed off. At some point he said, "you don't stop because I'm following you, you stop when *I* pull you over!" or such. He got the guy to come out of the car and do a sobriety test of some sort (I could only hear, not see). He eventually let the guy go without a ticket, but he was clearly pissed off that he didn't get to.

[static]

LOL, pretty obvious the officer was following the other driver, beyond normal traffic flow, or the officer would have went on his way.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Oh, the cop was quite forthright about following the guy. Another thing I recall: before I had a license I used to go into a particular parking lot to practice parking for the driving test. I would go in the middle of the night when the lot was empty and there is no traffic. One time I pulled in and saw a car in the lot. I flashed my brights on it and saw that it was a cop! Of course I was pretty panicked because I didn't have a license, just a "learner's permit" which requires a licensed passenger. So I turned around, drove away, and he started following me! He was just waiting for an excuse to pull me over. I just kept on driving, being really careful to maintain my speed and drive perfectly straight, and when I got to the city line he stopped following and turned around.

[jaysbob]

no it is not just a matter of time. getting smart like that is also a terrible idea. Cops are people too, if you come out acting like a smart ass of course their going to react negatively. What you should do if you get pulled over or stopped is act courteous and respectful. Say "yes sir" and "no sir," don't get angry, and tell the truth. Even if you were doing something wrong. Most cops have seen enough to know when someones telling a story, and most will be more understanding if you just admit what you were doing. Cops don't get paid to harass people, their not going to waste their time on you if they don't think your doing anything wrong. It'll make the whole experience that much easier if you just admit your wrong doing and accept the punishment. Don't admit to something you didn't do, but if its just a speeding ticket or something similar, just accept it and move on. You're not helping anything by being an asshole.

[mwwdesign]

Agreed.

[GoatBoy]

>>> Cops are people too, if you come out acting like a smart ass of course their [sic] going to react negatively. That is a very interesting comment. You see, people come in all types. You have good people, and you have bad people. Good people do good things, bad people do bad things. Since, by your own statement, cops are people too, that follows that there are good cops, and there are bad cops. The question is, when you're stopped, which cop just stopped you? A good cop, or a bad cop? And this isn't that brain teaser where you get to a fork in a road with two guys, one of whom always lies and the other always tells the truth, and you figure out the right path to take with only one question. You don't know who just stopped you -- the liar or the truthful person. Would you feel comfortable handing your personal identification over to the liar? You know the police actually have a pet phrase for perjury? It's "testilying".

[Derin]

An example to a bad cop would be Frank Tenpenny ;) (GTA SA reference)

[hairydevil]

whats the answer to that riddle?

[nature223]

asking if YOUR actions are "illegal" isnt being a smartass,it's asking "just why are you following me?,is there something that makes me looks like I broke the law" unless your a cop and know of what you speak...please stop giving bad advice... you NEVER admit to anything,and never anything but "yes or no sir answers". and if they want to know more,you are NOT required to admit anything,even if your coming out the bank with bags in your hands.. you say nothing except:"I have nothing to say,I wish to speak to my defender/lawyer" you can have the cops play games with YOUR constitutional rights...and YOU can give up those rights by admitting to anything,your the fool and the cop "won"...I prefer court,to cops

[bettbee]

Let's even take it down one more notch. Calling a police officer anything but "officer" may actually give them the idea you respect them a little too much. People should be careful not to send signals that could trigger bullying behavior.

[jaysbob]

I'm talking about getting pulled over for minor offenses. no asking what you were doing wrong is not being a smart ass. but getting out of your car and asking "is it now illegal to freely shop when,and where I choose,are you now detaining me?,I'll be glad to offer my Personal Identitification if you need to know who I am" is most definitely being a smart ass. are you a cop? are you more qualified than I am to hand out advice?

[nature223]

do you have half the tickets and courtroom time I have? I still have no points on my license.

[jaysbob]

I've never once gotten a ticket. And my only court appearance was for a friend. I'd say my strategy works better than being a jerk in that respect.

[nature223]

see me after you broker probation before judgements,rather then a point hit on your Drivers license. on tickets when you do better then 25 MPH over the limit,I've beaten four at this point.... still no points

[jaysbob]

so you break the law on a regular basis? Ok, I see why you have a negative view of cops now. it all makes sense now.

[nature223]

if it is a STUPID law like an artifically low speed limit,for the purpose of REVENUE ENHANCEMENT BY A STATE ENTITY..yep,every trip of the train. and I'll fight them in court,pay my dues,and drive how the hell I want... notice;nothing more then a fender bender in over 24 years of driving,no DUI's,and NEVER a drug charge. HAD A CDL,Drove everything up to and larger then my license class. so I think I know a bit more then you think I do..

[valsteam]

Perhaps you could write an instructable about how to fight a ticket in court? I bet there are a few people here who could use that advice!

[tbenefi33]

What to do if the cops stop you if you have't done anthing don't worry about it but if you have get out and take off running through the woods go around in a circule about this time hes got the whole ploice force on you and the dogs looking for you, If you can get to the police car while there all looking for you Go for a Joy ride about this time your adrenalin is so pumped up who cares your going to jail anyway...LOL

[CyberBill]

You should be more specific about "if you are stopped in a car, give them your license". You are not required to give your drivers license to a police officer unless you are the DRIVER of the vehicle. Also, not providing information that the police requests that you are not required by law to provide does NOT make you 'suspicious', it makes you a citizen who knows your rights. If a police officer makes a request that you believe is across the lines of what an officer can ask for, ask the police officer if you are required to do it. For example, they are legally allowed to ask you to step out of the vehicle, but unless they arrest you or they have probable cause, they are not allowed to look inside of your vehicle. In order for them to legally pat you down, btw, they have to have probable cause. Police officers cannot stop people randomly on the street and pat them down.

[tango_down]

actually, Terry vs Ohio spelled out Terry Stops, or stops that are less than arrest and therefore dod not need PC, but Reasonable Suspicion. With RS, I can "look in", or search for weapons, cars, your pockets, etc. Although, police can not "randomly" stop people and pat them down, we can pat down people for weapons when they are in a certain area (like proximity to a recent crime), etc, etc, and a host of other circumstances. Normally citizens feel it was a random stop since the general public has no clue about how to apply law into actual hands on work.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

The general public has no means to apply law in such circumstances. If the court rules that the cop needs such and such basis to do a random search, then the cop who knows this can invent that basis; and the cop who doesn't, can invent some other basis. Generally, the police must be expected to know the magic words they have to say to get away with an illegal search.

Moreover, you only get to raise such issues after many thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in the court system. It's worth it if the charge is murder, but usually you're dealing with a ticket that is far less expensive than the cost of exercising a constitutional right.

[GoatBoy]

I think they can also pat you down if they have reasonable suspicion that they may be in danger, which I think is not quite the same thing as probable cause. >> Police officers cannot stop people randomly on the street and pat them down. Police officers do pretty much what they want. Your only recourse is AFTER the fact -- taking them to court afterwards for whatever they do. In court, the officer will just show show up and lie under oath. And the court will believe him, because he's an officer of the law. Isn't justice grand?

[CyberBill]

"A government should be afraid of its people, not the other way around."

[darkmuskrat]

best quote V from V for Vendetta.

[Weissensteinburg]

That quote is actually derived from a Thomas Jefferson quote.

[Chevan]

>>Also, not providing information that the police requests that you are not required by law to provide does NOT make you 'suspicious', No, it really does. Refusing to show ID for things outside a traffic violation, while most certainly a legal right, is not typical behavior, and exhibiting behavior that deviates from the norm is practically the definition of suspicious behavior.

[mbtria]

Humans who are not police officers are suspicious. That is not normal to a LEO, because most of the people he/she knows are LEOs.

[GoatBoy]

What a terrible argument. It really is awful. Let's walk through your reasoning. The police can stop you on "suspicion". Even if you weren't behaving suspiciously (cops lie ALL THE TIME), asserting your rights counts as suspicious behavior. Congratulations, you now have a circularity, and you're the loser. If you're not doing anything wrong, and the cop stops you, it's easily arguable that the COP is doing something wrong. And you need to be prepared to assert your rights. Citizens being aware of their rights should be the norm -- it should be accepted practice, not the other way around. Look up Hiibel vs. Nevada. So far, you're only required to communicate your name to them.

[jaysbob]

right, if your not doing anything wrong just do what they ask. especially if its something as simple as showing some ID.

[GoatBoy]

I hope, one day, a cop stops you while you're not doing anything wrong, and asks you to step into a cruiser for a ride to an undisclosed location. Just do what they ask.

[jaysbob]

I have. it was a surprise party, with cake and presents. guess your the real loser for not doing what the cop asked.

[GoatBoy]

My record is clean, thanks. It's nice to know that you think people who both know and exercise their rights are "losers". Do you think people who vote are losers too? I'd imagine you don't think much of voting rights, or the right to free speech, or the right to peacefully assemble, or the right to due process, or the right to trial by jury... Your naivete will correct itself in time.

[jaysbob]

no I dont. I think our main priority is keeping the illegals out of our country and fighting terrorism. if that means giving up a couple rights then so be it.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

lol @ troll

[GoatBoy]

I get the impression you hate our Constitution more than the terrorists do, if you're so quick to trash it.

[matthewbeckler]

"They that give up essential freedom to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." -- Ben Franklin

[jaysbob]

my thanks to the penny gallery. ;)

[volund]

"Police officers cannot stop people randomly on the street and pat them down." lol, yeah, if that was the case, lots of perverts would become cops.

[rogue13_13]

You are correct that random stops are not allowed, but the reality of when they can frisk isn't that far from actually allowing random frisks.

Police officers can ask anyone anything, just like any other citizen on the street. IF the citizen complains about a frisk that occurred during that meeting (not likely unless arrested and going to trial) all the officer would have to say on the stand is that "the guy was acting nervous and put his hand in his pocket" in order to meet the "reasonable suspicion" requirement for such a pat down..

Police departments have lots of experience in these areas, they know what to say when their officer's actions come in question. The problem is that the courts give great deference to such officer statements, claiming that the justice system would fall apart and real criminals couldn't be convicted if our trust in these officer's statements diminish.

[guyfrom7up]

excuse me mam, I believe you are concealing weapons, I'm gunna have to pat you down. Actually in my area (a couple months ago) a cop was arrested for having sex with criminals (like dui people or minor stuff like that) so that they wouldn't go to jail. Sometimes right on the hood of his car.

[Wragie]

While technically correct this advice can cause you to be hassled a lot more than not. Most areas have a reasonable cause to invoke search. Which means that the police can legally search your car without warrants due to suspicious causes. Generally even passive resistance as suggested can escalate a traffic stop to a search because of the driver or occupants behavior. While it is good to know your rights trying to insist upon them during a stop will most likely cuase you a lot more grief than just taking the ticket and being quiet. The officer who stops you is doing his job and he does not know you or your situation so all he goes by is his training or experience.

[evansj10]

It requires probable cause to search a vehicle or person and use the contents in court. Probably cause is a lot different then reasonable suspicion. They can, however, do a quick frisk for weapons and if they feel something they can positively identify as contriband that is probably cause. They also have a right to do an inventory search of your vehicle before towing it without a warrant. They do NOT have to ignore contriband they see and can use it against you in court. Never, EVER consent to a search of your vehicle or person, officers understand that this is your right and won't likely hassle you unless they know you have something to hide.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

I've been searched by police in a car on two occasions. On one, the cop, who was alone, simply refused to leave (and to allow us to leave) until consent was given. He said he would get a dog to sniff for drugs. Etc. After backup arrived, and we had waited around for maybe a half hour, the driver finally consented to the police searching only his things, and not mine. They ended up only searching one of my bags. My main concern was the large amount of carefully packed luggage in the car. On a previous search, in which the police had falsely claimed to smell marijuana (in fact, we were laughing when they pulled us over, but only because we were having a good time joking around), they had basically trashed the car, dumped out all bags, embarrassed a girl with her spare panties, etc.. It would have been a horrible disaster had the police treated the packed luggage in that way. Luckily backup arrived and allowed me to put the search on camera after voicing these concerns. The cop who had pulled me over really had no opportunity to do anything and didn't really go through our stuff. But I think he was satisfied at least to have obtained consent for a search. Anyway, the lessons are clear: you can try to refuse a search, but they can always either (1) invent probable cause, or (2) detain you until you consent to search.

[Keymaker]

However, in most cases, if the officer does not have permission to search you or your car anything he finds cannot be used against you in court.

[shop dweller]

(removed by author or community request)

[static]

As a non-profit "business", I doubt they need to drum up more business. This information is designed to keep our sorry asses out of trouble :)

[forced_to_make_an_account]

The ACLU is indeed not a business, but they are not trying to keep people out of trouble. On the contrary, they are trying to keep the police in check. That is very different. It is kind of like when Gandhi told the Indians to stand up against the British. They did get rid of the British, but a lot of them got their heads bashed in. The ACLU is not trying to protect your head, just your rights.

[Tom Trottier]

"Ultimately if you aren't doing anything wrong, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when contacted by the police." By good, happy policemen/policewomen. But sometimes police have quotas, sometimes they're under pressure to make some arrests or issue some tickets, sometimes they've just been yelled at by their superior and had to just take it, sometimes they just enjoy being cock of the walk, sometimes they just make mistakes, out of fear or stupidity. Remember that bridegroom that got shot 50 times on his wedding day? So take it easy, be polite, cooperative without (hardly ever) admitting any wrongdoing("Did I, Officer?" or "Oh." or "Was I going that fast?", rather than "Sorry.") or consenting to any search ("I prefer you don't search my car"). You want to be apologetic without actually saying you apologize, agreeable without actually saying you agree. Try to make a personal connection with the cop with humour or compassion("Gee, you have to work late" "Lousy weather you have to work in."). Move slowly & tell the officer (they like being called "officer" when they're only constables) what you're going to do ("I'll get the insurance") and doing it slowly. The police are (largely) there to make the world a saner, safer place. Appreciate their hard job and assist them as much as you can without hurting yourself.

[Sandal Man]

personally I think that saying that makes you sound cocky and VERY arrogant, it is much better to be silent in my opinion, especially if the police are having a bad day or are generally pissed off at life in general. What they won't want is someone they suspect of criminality being nice to them, this is the same in everyday life as well. It makes it seem like you are sucking up to them.

[shop dweller]

O.K. Fellas... I'm humbled. I didn't come to the website to create hard feelings. I come here to enjoy the ideas of others who like to build things (as I do). So, if I've stepped on any toes I sincerely apologise, and I will now say goodbye to this posting and proceed to the ones about how to make homemade radios and such. I hope that you guys won't hold it against me. I know that there are bad police officers - I 've dealt with a few myself, but most of them are good people just doing their job. Please rest assured that the dishonest ones eventually end up not wearing the badge.

[Sandal Man]

ummm. I was replying to tom trottier's comment, not yours, sorry if that was the misunderstanding. But if people are unhappy I am sure they only disagree and won't hold it against you

[Sandal Man]

although I understand your good intentions.

[lampajoo]

Crap like this from the ACLU is downright dangerous. If you encounter the police you have no rights. If you let slip that you think you do this will enrage them and get you into further trouble. In a court of law the word of a police officer will be taken over the word of a citizen so if they say that you swung at them, not matter that they are the size of a linebacker and you're some little dude they will be believed. If you are doing something illegal your little copy of the bill of rights is not going to keep the cops away once they have the scent. They can smell fear. rules for dealing with police 1) always call them "sir" 2) smile 3) keep your hands down, don't cross them or hide them 4) never get upset 5) don't lie to them. they have a computer that they can look you up on. the more upfront and honest you are to them the sooner they will leave you alone. 6) they can make up a reason to search you that a judge will uphold so just let them if they ask, any protests will clue them in that you have something to hide. 7) always have your papers in order and your vehicle in good repair

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Very true. The ACLU is trying to make you stand up for your rights, not trying to protect you from the police. They have a legalistic view which is sort of like imagining that a camera is always there. But even if a camera is there, at best you are talking about a slim chance of winning a court decision which may well occur after you have been killed. Rule #1 about police: they fear cameras more than a vampire fears sunlight. That means that if you point a camera at one, you are sure to meet with the harshest possible response; but also, if someone else is pointing a camera at one, you are probably quite safe. Rule #2: The police are ultimately schoolyard bullies with guns; fundamentally, they seek deference; i.e., "respect." Perhaps it is human nature that any minority group who monopolizes all the weapons will end up using their position of dominance to extract symbols of submission -- anyway, that is police in modern societies. In fact it is quite like feudal lords and serfs: what they want is for you to bow down to them, be submissive and fawning to their patronization. Make the necessary feudal symbols of homage (use of the word "sir" is a good example) and you will have achieved the "attitude" which the armed peoples of the world always exist to enforce among the unarmed.

[Fashim]

lul good name.

[enjoiskater6]

wow thanks this will help me cause when your a skater the cops automatically hate you

[jeffconnelly]

And everyone else hates it when people have terrible spelling/word use. just because "your" and "you're" sound the same, doesn't mean they can be used either way.

[tech-king]

step 2 if the police have probable cause, they dont need a warrant. probable cause means they see evidence of criminal activity.

[tech-king]

in quebec, if you are arrested, the police can search you and your possessions.

[briano12345]

does anyone know the law someone vs ohio that the supreme court says its ok to stop people just to ask why are you in this neighborhood or what are you doing here>? thank you

[anarchrisis]

Is it perhaps related to a "terry frisk?"

[DIWhacked]

Just a thought, but if you are like me, and your job requires you to carry a knife, multi-tool or both. tell the officer exactly what and where you are carrying, ie. I have a multi-tool on my belt behind my right hip, a RESCUE knife clipped in my right cargo pocket, and a small swiss army knife in my left front pocket. If they ask why, never say "for self defence" unless that is legal in your area.

[nibbler125]

best thing to rember is they are just another person.

[steve5]

for "Directions" from some guy standing on the corner and he leans in the window of your car.........How is the cop who saw this to know that you didn't buy any CRACK? The real issue is what the hell are you doing out in this neighborhood at 3:00 am anyway? Are you stopping by to see a friend or relative? Maybe you should encourage you friend or relative to move to a safer neighborhood! In short I think this is a fair and accurate instructable even if the information is a little bit BIG BROTHER ORIENTED. However I think the real issue is just when did everyone become so concerned about "HOW IT LOOKS" when we assert our RIGHTS! I for one don't give a damn how it looks and will continue to refuse to give consent to search when I feel it is unwarranted. I am also going to continue to refuse to give any information about my person as it is My Right to do so. If it takes them 30 to 45 minutes to determine.......................
===============================================
steve5.
[http://www.legalx.net California Dui]

[Prometheus]

I have read some comments to this project, and the project itself. Let me clarify the facts for all to see: 1) Police have a right to search your person for their safety during any reasonable detainment. A female officer will be called-upon to search female suspects in detail if needed, but any officer has the right to "do a pat-down" of any suspect to search for obvious weapons. 2) "Probable cause" to search can be the suspicion based on an odor of a drug or visible evidence of its use or distribution. Some states have laws that allow a search under certain circumstances, such as DUI or an arrest of the driver, without any warrant, as an inspection prior to impound. Many states dictate that if your car is impounded, it is subject to search, especially if used during the commission of a felony. 3) Always cooperate with police. Any resistance can and will constitute suspicion on a vehicle stop. Never become physically-combative or otherwise resist restraint in any way. The police have the right to restrain you during an investigation with or without cause if they feel they may be in danger, or you are a flight-risk. 4) A search warrant must be specific to what is expected to be found, and where, however police reserve the right to seize and create charges for contraband in plain sight. A warrant to search the entire residence cannot be contested if the proper evidence for "probable cause" has already been determined. Any and all contraband found by an officer by "plain-sight observation" can be confiscated and you can be charged with it's possession. In some cases, this can lead to probable cause to search further. 5) Police do not have a right to physically search your vehicle without a warrant, but they have the right to use a drug-sniffing dog to find a probable-cause for search. Failure of the dog to detect drugs by this non-intrusive search excludes you from being forced to submit to a physical search. A positive reaction from the dog can and does constitute probable cause for an officer to do a physical search of your vehicle on a traffic-stop. 6) Best way of "damage-control" when confronted with police is not to lie to them. Honesty is cooperation, so if you know what you did, surrender....Lying is a form of resistance, and when they catch you in a lie, they will not go easy on you. Don't fight, don't resist, just accept that you were caught. This can often go a long way toward you getting-off easier in the long-run... When stopped by police in your car, it can help to turn your dome-light on, keep both hands where they can see them, and make no movements until they confront you. Cooperate with instruction, and be civil at the least. That way they feel safe, and may even let you off from that minor speeding ticket after all... When pulled-over, signal your turn so that they know you saw them, even if there is not an easy place to pull over. Pull over in a place that gives them room to approach you safely, and always to the right. Activating you hazard flashers may further calm the officer, and always shut the engine and radio off once you stop. The right behavior at the right time can get you a break, even if you made a clear violation, but this doesn't always work. Humor and honesty can go a long way sometimes; making a cop laugh might get you out of some otherwise serious tickets.

[MajHunter]

Very excellent points. Little light on #5 though. We actually have quite a bit of leeway with vehicles.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that if an officer has probable cause to believe that evidence or contraband is located in a motor vehicle, he may search the area of the vehicle he reasonably believes contains that evidence without a search warrant to the same degree as if he had a warrant. (3) The scope of the search is limited only by what the officer has probable cause to search for and may encompass the entire vehicle, including the trunk. The motor vehicle exception is based upon the reduced expectation of privacy that citizens have in their motor vehicles because of the pervasive regulation to which they are subjected and the fact that the mobility of vehicles present an inherent exigency. (4)

In addition to the motor vehicle exception, there are other exceptions to the search warrant requirement that allow an officer to search all or part of a motor vehicle. Those exceptions allow officers to 1) search the passenger compartment (but not the trunk) of a suspect's vehicle incident to his arrest; (5) 2) frisk the passenger compartment (but not the trunk) of an automobile for weapons upon reasonable suspicion that a weapon may be there; (6) 3) inventory an impounded vehicle, including items in the trunk, pursuant to standardized agency regulations; (7) or 4) search a motor vehicle upon the consent of the person who has the actual or apparent authority and control over that vehicle. (8) While these listed exceptions can be applied to motor vehicles, they are not limited in their application to motor vehicles, as is the motor vehicle exception.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_8_74/ai_n15966238

[Prometheus]

I do agree that on #5 I was wrong. Police have a right to search with consent, or a basic search for contraband within the driver's or passengers possession pursuant to an investigation, where probable cause may have been the observance of suspicious behavior, including but not limited to a suspected drug transaction. They also have a right to search when contraband has been observed in the vehicle in plain sight or discovered on any persons within the vehicle during a routine pat-down, or possibly in lieu of an arrest (state-to-state law varies). The mistake I was making on #5 was for a search apart from a traffic stop. These rules may apply when parked in your driveway and unoccupied, but this correction should clarify the situation better during a traffic stop, as opposed to when the vehicle is not being observed in operation or intent to operate. I believe this is a fairly universal assumption that may vary from state-to-state if I remember correctly, so correct me if I am wrong on this. Simply put, when pulled over, stop quickly but not abruptly, stop in an area safe for the officer to approach you as is reasonable, keep both hands in sight at all times, and obey orders to the letter. Do not argue or resist, or this may be taken as a sign that you have something to hide At night, turning your dome-light on may help the officer feel safer when approaching your vehicle. Turn your engine and radio off, and extinguish any lit cigarettes (they can be weapons too). Do not attempt to leave the vehicle unless asked to, and if you cannot find a safe place to pull over for lack of space, leave your turn-signal on to let the officer know that you are aware of them and intend to stop. If the officer "blips" you a couple times, this means to stop now, so comply. Do not reach under the seat or anywhere else at any time, and inform the officer of contraband (especially anything that can be used as a weapon) right away, before asked to reach in the direction that the contraband may be located. Notify them of any sharp objects on your person if they intend to search you, even if it is a folding utility-knife. If you are driving a car, you are assumed to have full custody of the vehicle and everything in it. Don't argue with police about anything, your case will be made in court, not on the street. Never run from police because less than 2% actually escape, and that only implies their suspicions to be fact. Better yet, don't do a crime in the first place, and you have nothing to worry about.

[khaeotixs]

What you've said there also affects the United Kingdom. It's exactly the way to behave when confronted by police. sic; Don't be aggressive, answer all questions honestly, don't pull the sympathy card it fails, or if you don't want to answer honestly say "not as i know of" because then, you've stated that you don't know...

[zzbb]

If the ACLU is such a protector, why haven't they openly challenged the vast array of electronics that are – at their best – used to drop a complete blanket of surveillance around anyone's home (or much worse). This technology is in common use by our government (its various multitude of security agencies & private contractors) and any of the private security snoops that any money can hire. Sure you have freedom of speech, as long as those who pay for this deadly technology agree with you.

[MajHunter]

I am a police officer in California. This comment in no way reflects the official stance of my department or the city I work for. The information in this instructable is mostly accurate. You can not refuse to give you name even if it is incriminating. If you are arrested and you invoke your right to a lawyer or to silence, we can still ask you identifying questions for your arrest paperwork for the jail (name, DOB, address, place of birth, tattoos, phone number, nearest friend or relative etc.). The information about not resisting, keeping your hands where we can see them is all spot on. Several people have posted comments that being polite is the best course of action. They are correct. In many cases we have discretion and can decide to not give a ticket, etc. Some people insist on "talking themselves into a ticket" when they would have just been given a warning. If you don't agree with the ticket, you still have to sign it. Failure to do so is a crime and you will be arrested and booked until you can see a magistrate (judge). Also if you are arrested your vehicle may be impounded. It is in your best interest to sign the ticket. You will note that the citations say something to the effect of "Without admitting guilt, I promise to appear at the time & place checked below" You may not like being pat searched, but it is for a reason. We want to go home to our families at the end of the shift, and we don't know you or what you are thinking, or might do. In the last year and a half my department (about 1000 officers) have had six shot in the line of duty, and been in numerous shootings. People are frequently pulling guns, knives, bats on officers in the last few years. Sudden movements, irate behavior, puts the officer in a situation where he has to try and determine in a split second your intention. Is this irate guy jamming his hand behind his back going for a gun, or his wallet? We are working at a disadvantage in that we are reacting, to the action of the person. Therefore we have to make the decision on how to react in mere milliseconds, meanwhile the person has had plenty of time to decide what it is he is going to do. Since the primary goal is for us to go home to our families, the officer may use force to protect himself. To the comments who said that cops have been rude to them etc. Remember that there are a$$holes in every profession and not all cops are rude. Also your actions, inflection, attitude play into how the officer treats you as well. Ultimately if you aren't doing anything wrong, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when contacted by the police.

[112251919112]

yeah, pat seach to slip a bag of drugs ta put you in JAIL!!!

[just mike]

-Ultimately if you aren't doing anything wrong, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when contacted by the police. cops are so used to dealing with criminals they start to treat everybody like one. if a cop doesn't like the way you look, or god forbid you are holding a skateboard, maybe they can't arrest you but they can sure ruin your day. could be a "bad cop" or it could be a good cop having a bad day because his wife just left him for some guy with a skateboard, my point is that they do what they want and count on us not knowing our rights no offense to the cops reading this it is a noble job and I wouldn't want to do it .I just want to remind that its our right to question authority. thats one of the things we should be most proud of as Americans. so why do cops get so defensive when I start asking questions? not arguing just questioning. oh yeah, i skate at night because there are less cars, not because I'm trying to get away with something!

[forced_to_make_an_account]

If you're homeless, if you're a teenager with no money and thus nowhere to go, if you're poor in a rich neighborhood (i.e., if you are excluded from the spaces of consumption) -- you have something to worry about. The police will come and harass you, be as patronizing and rude as possible in order to test your "attitude," and do whatever it takes to drive you away from the little suburban enclosure whose "quality of life" they're payed to protect against your presence.

Of course the police will maintain that "if you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to fear" but when the definition of "doing wrong" includes basic physiological needs such as sitting down to rest or urinating, the strategy of "do no wrong" becomes impractical.

Also, if you make the mistake of "assembling" with a group of other people in order to "redress" some "grievance," you have committed what in our society is now considered the ultimate danger -- practically equivalent to terrorism -- and you are almost guaranteed trouble. In that case the best advice is to wear whatever improvised body armor you can get!

[GoatBoy]

>>> Ultimately if you aren't doing anything wrong, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when contacted by the police. Oh my. Hold on a second. Wait for it. Wait for it. >>> I am a police officer in California. Soooo... being a police officer from California, you would be familiar with, say, LAPD's problems, right? I was dredging up news stories for this massive collection of links to post as a comment, and LAPD just repeatedly came up, over and over. And I was actually looking for convictions and guilty pleas, not just anything. >>> To the comments who said that cops have been rude to them etc. Remember that there are a$$holes in every profession and not all cops are rude. Also your actions, inflection, attitude play into how the officer treats you as well. Here's the same question I asked jaysbob, since he's obviously dodging it: Since there are "a$$holes in every profession", when a cop pulls someone over, how do you know which cop pulled you over? The good cop, or the bad cop? Furthermore, how about looking at this from a Pascal's Wager perspective. (Or perhaps you think you're the only one who wants to go home to his family?) What are the repercussions of getting pulled over by a bad cop? How much damage can that cop do to you, if he were so inclined?

[Prometheus]

You know the bad cop if you watch "COPS" and see the A**hole from Passaic county with the thick Jersey accent. That cop uses intimidation to put a suspect into a defensive mode to try to get a confession. While police often do their job, I have seen many with ulterior motives. On a few occasions, I have been stopped by an officer just doing his job, but some "eternal rookies" have performed very poorly in their duty to protect the public. Example: I was a courier, and my route took me through Bellevue, WA (a yuppie neighborhood, almost no crime rate), and as I leave a driveway, the physical shock of me leaving the dip in the driveway causes a headlight filament to break, caus9ing a burned-out headlight. I make it about 200 feet before a cop that was watching me and coming from the opposite direction pulls a screeching spin-turn in front of another car and races up to me at speeds exceeding 90mph in a 35 to pull me over. When he asks me if I know why he pulled me over, I say, "Because you witnessing a headlight burning out is some form of international terrorism that threatens children and more important to you, police?" Many cops will say that this attitude is not recommended when you get stopped, but after being stopped for "driving while possessing long hair", "defensive driving", or "going at a high-rate of speed acceleration" (as they call it in cop-speak) for using my engine's peak power range to accelerate on a 150-foot long onramp with an 800-lb load, one gets a little fed up with harassment by cops on a slow night. Back to harassment by a bored cop, he seems almost stunned that I not only know exactly when my headlight burned out, but that I saw him well before he saw me. Now for the fun part.... I ask him if he'd be willing to drive with his headlights ON for a change for the safety of other motorists, since he was driving with them off since I saw him. I have more driving training than most any cop I have seen. I have driven at speeds on a racetrack to the likes that a police cruiser could never dream of reaching. I have handled situations while driving that no cop without my skill and training could avoid a collision in. I also don't need nor want an automatic transmission to help my driving if I were a cop in pursuit, because unlike them I can handle a manual transmission while driving under more extreme circumstances than most if any will ever see. No cop has any place criticizing my driving under any circumstances, nor questioning my ability or knowledgeablility in handling one. To any police officers reading, stop acting like rookies with personal agendas, do as you say and say as you do, don't ever try to put false charges on me again, and do YOUR JOB: PROTECT AND SERVE THE PUBLIC...Ignoring the reckless drunk to do your ticket-writing hobby for a single burnt-out brakelight of six is not being an officer of the law, it's being a cop, and noone likes a cop. Quit chasing a single burnt-out headlight or taillight, and start actually snagging the reckless drivers that I have had to avoid for over four years that you never pay attention to. Finally, when someone races up to you to report an attempted armed vehicular assault, don't spend their getaway time explaining ridiculous formalities of filing a complaint with a police officer. Get a name of the complainant and persue the suspect, instead of fondling yourself to the sound of yourself lecturing another on "policy", because no policy of yours can address real life.

[MajHunter]

Promethius -You know the bad cop if you watch "COPS" and see the A**hole from Passaic county with the thick Jersey accent.

Response:
Yep, cant stand that dude.

Promethius-cop that was watching me and coming from the opposite direction pulls a screeching spin-turn in front of another car and races up to me at speeds exceeding 90mph in a 35 to pull me over.

Response:
LOL Slight exaggeration there maybe? A 2007 Crown Vic takes 16.7 seconds to get from 0 to 90, so he would have had to be a long way away I would imagine. LOL.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0704_police_car_comparison/specs.html

Let me explain the reason that cops pull people on bikes over for no headlight. Many career criminals have had their license suspended. As a result many ride bicycles. A burned out headlight (or more commonly no headlight) is a violation and gives the officer a reason to detain and contact the person. It is amazing how many people I have arrested that had No Bail warrants for robbery, rape, shootings etc, just off of riding a bicycle in the street with no headlight at night. It is a tool we can use to find out who someone is to see if they are one of the ones who prey on innocent people. I cant think of one time I or anyone I know has written a ticket for no headlight on a bicycle, but it is a legitimate violation of the law.

Promethius-I also don't need nor want an automatic transmission to help my driving if I were a cop in pursuit, because unlike them I can handle a manual transmission while driving under more extreme circumstances than most if any will ever see.

Response:
Have you ever thought about why we use automatics? Have you heard the expression, You can outrun Ford or Chevy, but you cant outrun Motorola? Have you ever tried to do rapid lane changes, change gear, and hold a cell phone (Hand microphone) to your mouth at the same time.....oh yeah, only two hands. We have to keep in communication at all times, ESPECIALLY during a pursuit. The SGT, and above wants to hear constant updates on speed, suspect actions, traffic conditions, road conditions, pedestrian traffic, location, directing assisting units where you want spike strips, etc. Non Stop. If you pause for more than a few seconds they will break off the pursuit regardless of whether you are chasing a stolen car, or a wanted mass murderer. Liability. Also you sometimes have to return fire at intersections, etc when the suspect slams on the breaks and starts shooting. There is more to driving a patrol car in a pursuit/etc than driving fast.

Promethius-Finally, when someone races up to you to report an attempted armed vehicular assault....Get a name of the complainant and persue the suspect, .... because no policy of yours can address real life.

Response:
/sigh. Okay not even going to get into trying to figure out what an attempted armed vehicular assault is to you. We cant just pursue someone. We have to have a legally articulable reason. Why? Because if the dude crashes, or someone crashes into him and it turns out we had no idea why we were chasing him, the other party (or him) will sue both the department, and us. Multi million dollar judgments are kind of hard to pay off on a cops salary. Cops can and have lost everything they owned (home, car, savings, retirement, etc) because of pursuits etc. I'm sorry, I love helping people and protecting the public, but I'm not going to put my wife and daughter out on the street because I went off half cocked at the prompting of someone who just told me to not jump the gun unless he tells me to.

Not trying to be a hard a$$ bro, but you have to realize that every decision we make at work has the potential to cost us everything we have worked out whole lives for.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Let me explain the reason that cops pull people on bikes over for no headlight. Many career criminals have had their license suspended. As a result many ride bicycles. A burned out headlight (or more commonly no headlight) is a violation and gives the officer a reason to detain and contact the person

That's like saying black people in white neighborhoods are disproportionately criminal, so we had better pull them over randomly.

To the black people and the poor people of America's cities, the police are terrorists in the most literal sense. They walk around with weapons and instill fear. They interfere with people who are completely alone, bothering no one. They inject their presence into situations without being requested by anyone, and believe their weapons give them not only the right to interrupt whatever is going on and demand to heard immediately, and indefinitely, but the right to make demands upon our "attitude." They are, moreover, an occupying force, existing primarily to protect the power of rich white people (which we are not); to keep the powerless in submission. They are not our means of protecting ourselves; they are what we organize to protect ourselves against.

In a study described in the NYT, 96% of black students at one Brooklyn college reported being randomly stopped by police -- several up to 6 times. Why? Because black people in such areas are often career criminals, of course!

No one would hate police if they just left people alone. If they just didn't do anything until someone needed help, no one would hate police, no one would feel the need for protection from them, no one would feel that twinge of anxious fear when a squad car drives by. No one would ever ask themselves, "will I be stopped by this armed stranger and forced to pay homage? Will this armed stranger keep me from my destination, and will he demand I cheerfully thank him for his provision of this service? And if I refuse, if I try to assert a right to be left alone, will I be kidnapped by force, thrown in a cage, and treated there in a way no decent person would treat a dog?"

Police: when you pull someone over for statistical reasons -- because they show some outward indication of poverty, like being black or riding a bike -- you are not only stealing time from them. You are stealing dignity from them. You are stealing life from them. In fact, you are doing something to someone that, if someone did the same to you, would cause you to arrest them.

[kykyred]

black people feed into their own stereo type, ?I used to be best friends with a black kid down the street untill he became ghetto trash, it still makes me sad because he was a really nice guy but now hes in jail because of his' hommies'

racial profiling is wrong but when a higher percentage of black people or minorities for that matter are always getting caught for crimes, the statistics dont lie, sue happy lawyers use these same states and say this is racial profiling..

[Prometheus]

Very well-said. Although a few cops don't do this, many do. I should know, I drove through these neighborhoods and many a time I have been stopped for "driving with long hair". I am as white as they come, but I have long hair (not a mullet, rockstar-hair), and many times simply to harass me so I would leave the area...."I'm making a delivery, pig, I'm paid to be in the area!"

There are "officers of the law" (which I respect, they know the spirit of the law), there are "cops" (probies who do everything by the book), and there are "pigs" (use their authority to vent their high-school frustrations on the world because they need to feel powerful). A few (too many) try to be Robocop instead of being capable of seeing the situation and reacting to it appropriately.

MajHunter seems to be a reasonable "officer of the law", so "present company excluded" when I say that I hate cops and pigs. Here in Washington-state, we have too many "cops", and not enough "officers".

[Prometheus]

Well, very good response, officer. I have alot more respect for you than I default to most police. I do see your point about the reason for a pursuit, but I will just add that the cop I stopped had been given as much reason as he should have needed. You are the example of the difference between a police officer and a cop. The Passaic county officer mentioned above is a cop. Your patience and humility make you a real police officer. Well done...

[lampajoo]

"Good cop, bad cop" he's the the good cop. at the end of the day they are all on the same side.

[MajHunter]

Thank you. Be safe riding out there. Seattle area drivers are crazy. (Was stationed at Fort Lewis and lived in Tacoma when I was in the army.)

[mce128]

>>>> Furthermore, how about looking at this from a Pascal's Wager perspective. (Or perhaps you think you're the only one who wants to go home to his family?) What are the repercussions of getting pulled over by a bad cop? How much damage can that cop do to you, if he were so inclined? Well, if you do get "bad cop" how is acting aggressive toward said "bad cop" going to help you? I suspect that it will make your day FAR WORSE, than if you didn't act like a prick to him.... Just a guess...

[GoatBoy]

I have not advocated acting aggressive toward a cop. If you read one of my other responses:

>>> Would you try to get in an argument with a criminal?
...
>>> Of course not.
>>> Same goes for cops. If you don't start using your rights, you will lose them.

I've advocated exercising your rights as a privilege of living in this country, regardless of how inconvenient it is for a police officer.

Unfortunately, it's clear that making sure you are treated fairly under the rule of law is apparently suspicious behavior to everyone.

[skunkbait]

I've worked in public-safety/law enforcement for about 10 years. About half my friends are city or county cops. I tell my wife and kids A) Don't do anything wrong B)Be polite and cooperative C)keep your hands open and visible and D) never give consent to search. In my experience 75% of law enforcement officers are genuinely trying to help people and make this world a better place. About 25% are weirdos on a power trip. But don't be rude to any of them. It NEVER helps. If you have to retaliate against them, do it in the courts. Sadly the screening process for cops doesn't weed out all the truly dangerous ones. In fact a few notable ones turned out to be the real monsters. In the event that you are attacked by an (armed) insane or intoxicated cop, shoot for the head. They are wearing body armour. But just remember, at best you get 1 or 2 shots before he starts shooting back. In the event he is unarmed, run. Just remember you will be called to answer for your actions.

[Heliosphan]

Interesting instructable.
Just pointing out that quite a bit of the facts work in other countries too, quite a few dont. For example in the UK we are NOT required to carry our License and Registration everywhere we travel. I have personally been asked by a policeman to do what is called a 'produce' - their own term. This means I am required to take my Lic. & Reg. & insurance to a police station within a week or two weeks, cant remember. Of course I complied!
So general locality warnings apply to all. Perhaps its worthwhile stating that this instructable applies 100% only to the continental US.
I wont be reading thru the comments too deeply, except to say that it is my own personal experience that the police dont really know the law *properly*. They know bits of the law, all claim to know a lot, and get bits of the law totally wrong for their own benefit but never comes into question down the line, and are generally clueless.
One policeman I dealt with took a statement for an assault that happened across the road from me a while ago. He wrote my facts down on the statement sheet in what can only be described as that of a 10 year olds, their handwriting was bad and the language downright childish. Made it look like *I* was the childish person.
A police-woman claimed I had a right to put up razorwire on the inside of my garden fence to protect against burglaries, this was shortly after my place was burgled. Turned out to be complete crap and would have resulted in damages against me.
These arent the only cases.
@Mr Californian policeman above, can you say for sure you know ALL californian and US general criminology law inside out as written in law books?? Do all your colleagues??
As a general requirement of your responsibilities, I would wager you know 'enough' to do your job. But the fine details of specific cases you may not. I dont know.

[static]

A sour experience taught me to listen very carefully when speaking with Law Enforcement. I use to work in the oil field. Once when I was changing out an electric motor a Game Warden drove up and started a conversation. Soon it became clear the SOB was trying to trip me up. Asking me the same question in different forms and asking questions he should known the answer to, if he was doing his job. Really pissed me off, I was about to order him off what could be considered a hazardous location, but luckily he left when I cooled my conversation tone.

[RockInBlack]

BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters Basically the same thing, except a video.

[antennas]

Wow GoatBoy you are wickedly paranoid. That's a shame. It's commendable you want to help people protect their rights, guess what, that's what cops do everyday. Only people with something to hide don't co-operate. ONLY. and ALWAYS. You talk like a RAT and I will assume you are. You make ridiculous assumptions as well...you are doing nothing wrong but yet police will stop you?? Or ask you to go somewhere?? Get back on your meds..... Oh well we will never agree and that's fine. Each to his own. Good day.

[Mystillate]

Funny, I got pulled over today for "driving suspiciously". My three year old was acting up in the back seat, so I pulled into a parking lot to mollify him, as I didn't want to endanger anyone else by trying to deal with him WHILE driving. A cop immediately pulled up and gave me the third degree. Where had I been all day? Where was I going? Where do I work? Have I been smoking pot? How long have I been married? He threatened to search my car, but after I passed his sobriety test, he demurred. He even graciously informed me that he wasn't going to issue me a ticket! Oh thank you, thank you, my master. Good thing my papers were in order. Lesson learned. Don't pull into a parking lot if a cop can see you.

[pecjames]

That is the most bone-headed remark I've read in awhile. You must have an excellent grasp of the events going on in this country to have the opinion that only people w/ something to hide will exercise their rights. Brilliant. I guess Jefferson and Washington had something to hide and were therefore rats. If you are too foolish to support the Constitution and Bill of Rights, that's your problem; don't chastise others for being patriots who know and use their rights.

[keyguy13]

"Only people with something to hide don't co-operate. ONLY. and ALWAYS. " That is the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time. If you actually believe that, then you are more naive than my 2 year old niece. Have you never seen news stories of racial profiling and mistaken identity? You think the police are always perfect and scrupulous? Get back on your own meds...

[GoatBoy]

Really? That's what cops do every day? Protect our rights? You realize that our rights are outlined in the Constitution, the supreme law of our land, right?

Here's an interesting bit of humor for you:

Terrorism Flyer (Front)
Terrorism Flyer (Back)

That is a real, authenticated flyer produced between the FBI and the Maricopa Sheriff's office.

If you read closely, you'll see... that if you are a "defender" of the constitution, then they're going to call the FBI on you. Or if you just make a few references to the constitution or your rights. Or maybe you're just a lone individual.

Yes, these are the people protecting our rights.

[bitswitch]

It's interesting that you think that if someone doesn't have anything to hide they should co-operate but if someone doesn't want to co-operate they must automatically have something to hide. Since you are making assumptions I'll assume you have nothing to hide. So what's your social security number? You have nothing to hide right? Or are you confusing privacy with secrecy? I must say that I also like your use of insults to try to help make your point. Very troll of you sir.

[Benz]

The statement that the ACLU is a "defender of the Bill of Rights" is not entirely accurate. The ACLU has for some reason taken the stance that "the people" refered to in the 2nd Amendment does not apply to "the people" as it does in all of the other rights contained in the Bill of Rights. It seems they are only defenders of the rights they want you to have; however, This does not in any way detract from the excellent advice in this instructable. Just don't expect the ACLU to help out if the police illegally take your gun like they did thousands of times to evacuees of New Orleans.

[tralala-oops]

Thanks for the great instructable. As our rights are eroded in order to "protect democracy" from "terrorists", we need to become more savvy. However, the instructable states, "in some emergency situations (like when a person is screaming for help inside, or when the police are chasing someone) officers are allowed to enter and search your home without a warrant." This is true, but a friend of mine had his house searched when the police claimed they had recieved a 911 call from his house. The fact that his phone was broken did not deter them... They found a samll amount of pot, the drug that is SO much more dangerous than alcohol (which we know is harmless and causes no social problems)and he went to jail.

[thanrose]

In some areas, some few police are known to do things like slingshot a pebble at a home's window so the homeowner will call the police. Then they respond as the nearest patrol care and gain entrance by pretending to investigate. I've had a real nonemergency police call in the early morning hours, with a responding cop taking advantage of the vandalism to enter my home and look around at everything he could see. Nothing but sloppiness, yet he took his time looking at everything but the broken window and even suggested I was abusing my beloved dog. (She was a rescued previously abused dog.) There was absolutely no cause for him to suspect me of anything. I was the victim of vandalism. That was very clear, but it was also clear that he was taking every opportunity to find something amiss like a blunt in the ashtray or a bloody machete on the floor. Good thing I take care of my machete, eh?

[WingDings]

It would be good to mention at the top of this, explicitly, that these things you say will only apply in the USA. People taking on your recommendations in any other country may come up against a different set of rules/laws.

[crickle321]

Your instructable reminds me of Chris Rock's public announcement:

How not to get your @ss kicked by the police!

[jackilyn157]

I haven't seen my usual reaction to being stopped covered here. When I'm stopped I usually start bawling. I've been stopped a few times for non moving violations while driving.

[fin saunders]

How nice it is to live in a country where complaints of police wrongdoings are actually listened to and acted upon by authority figures and judges. So, imagine complaining to the Chief of Police in, well, name any country whose Capital is unknown to you. And imagine their reaction to your request to 'file a written complaint with police department internal affairs division or civilian complaint board....' Didn't the Supreme Court of the USA rule in favor of Miranda? Giving us the most often repeated line in cop shows? Plenty of hard working lawyers and judges with a belief in our legal system are the ones truly toiling in the fields for your rights. Ask your friends this question when discussing the establishment of a World Court. Ask how many countries are they willing to be arrested in when there is indisputable, rock solid evidence of innocence. My list could be written on a post-it note with kindergarten lettering. If you asked me what the biggest erosion of our legal system is, I would say prosecuting grand jury/congressional witnesses for perjury, i.e. Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby,etc. and now Roger Clemens cause some Congressmen don't like his style of testimony (isn't that what is this instructable is about?). It's the governmental version of sour grapes for not having a solid enough case for conviction on the original charges. And if you didn't like Scooter Libby, change the name to Howard Dean, apply the same scenario and ponder if you would like Dean put through that mess. The second biggest erosion of rights is to take a case to Civil Court when it has been lost in Criminal Court. If your in a courtroom before a judge and the subject of the case is same, that passed my smell test for Double Jeopardy. "We're going to make them financially suffer since a jury won't make them physically suffer." The saying "bad laws weaken the good laws" applies to the judicial process as well. OK, "Bad caselaw weakens good caselaw" for those hung up on lexicon. Nobody has a perfect legal system. Certainly not ours. But it doesn't take much travel around the world to establish that we have one of the best there is. (And yes, I would have told Martha, Scooter and Roger to keep their Damn Mouths SHUT. In a polite courteous way, of course) Cheers, Fin

[jongscx]

Nice instructable...

However, I really dislike all the socio-political discussion they drum up. Se le Vie I guess...

[mje]

Keep in mind that the ACLU is great on winning points and poor on winning cases. But there's some great advice here from other readers.

A more practical bit of advice can be found here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8

I sent this to some friends at a local inner-city PD- and they all heartily endorsed the advice given!

[Robbo_roberto]

GEOGRAPHY FOOTNOTE: Keep in mind this advice applies only to the U.S.A. The rules can be very different elsewhere and YMMV...

[zwild1]

grumble grumble grumble. Be the guy that the cop remembers as courteous and respectful. Why not?

[lbrewer42]

By some, the ACLU might be seen as having a reputation for helping people. But unfortunately the people in these cases are those who, in the end, make life tough for law abiding citizens, Laws limiting our freedoms have resulted from the track record of organizations who actually make it easier for wrong-doers to escape from what they justly deserve. Be honest - don't do things illegal - and there is normally no trouble with the authorities. There ARE mistakes that happen - and probably some that are not mistakes (such as the CLinton-authorized gun seizures). But again, these are normally from the same side of the fence as the favored political viewpoint of organizations such as the ACLU. JoeMenthol - thanks for the job you do - there ARE some of us out there who really appreciate what you do for us. Thanks for putting your life on the line to help us have a better life.

[RetardedGenius]

I've never had any problems with the police, I've even had 3 police officers surround me and a group of friends drinking underage with illegal paraphernalia on the table, and the most they said was to keep it down, and then they left. perhaps it was because noone started running, or that they understand that simply drinking with friends is not really a crime as long as its not getting out of control.

[Wayfarer]

Anyone like to offer a similar guide for the UK? Count yourself lucky in the USA. Here in the UK, civil liberties are a more endangered species than the panda. We've effectively lost the right to silence, double jeopardy is no longer assured and, increasingly, it seems police officers can more or less do as they please. The cheap pinch is more important than protecting the public, and in most courts their word is accepted without question. Defence is a joke unless you have money. I'm a retired and disabled person, with absolutely no history or record of any criminality in my life, and I've never seen the inside of a court other than as a witness (and that far too often). This year alone, I've been stopped and breathalised 7 or 8 times by police (without cause or result!), and friends tell me similar stories. A cheap pinch is all the police seem interested in these days. In contrast, the local conviction rate for serious crime is a shocking disgrace. I've been assaulted, burgled and had my car vandalised - and calling the police was largely a waste of time. Just too busy... But try driving with an indicator light broken... Oh dear.....

[Elfwreck]

I'm surprised (shouldn't be, I know) at how many people think there are only two possible choices: full cooperation, in which one answers every question and goes along with every request, and being a rude, screaming jerk.

do you think maybe it would be appreciated when you are talking with someone, and they're actually polite and respectful? You know, someone who actually replies to you in a civil tone instead of screaming, "I know my rights, I don't have to answer your questions! Am I being detained?!?"

How about being calm, polite, and smiling, and saying, "I know my rights; I don't have to answer your questions. Am I being detained?"

Amazing how many people think your rights are something you should set aside if an authority figure is inconvenienced or made uncomfortable if you claim them.

[paperspirit]

Hey Elf - imagine running into you here :) As usual, you said what I was about to say!

[gmbatman]

I've been stopped many times for unknown reasons. most officers I've dealt with come up with a reason for stopping me after the fact(I've been told that i fit the description of a kid who ran away... the same officer then told my father that i was a suspect of a burglary) and most every time I was detained before any questions were even asked besides "hey you come here and talk to me for a minute". even before asking for identification. i guess that is why everyone is their own rights activist and always screaming. some officers expect you to not know your rights anyways. just my theory anyways. i have no prejudice against law enforcement anyways most of the time they are in fact helpful.

[Weissensteinburg]

I have a friend who was just recently approached by a cop while they were sitting under a rotunda at night (not late ~10). The police officer began asking all sorts of uncomfortable questions, and insisted on ID - even though they had every right to be there (it was for members of the girl's neighborhood, with no opening/closing times), and were not doing anything wrong. The officer would leave them alone until they both provided him with ID so he could check their names for warrants.

[ScottMcLeod]

Maybe your friend matched the description of a criminal reported in the neighborhood. If you have no warrants out, you should have NO qualms about handing over ID. (besides, once the officer's run his check and asked his questions, you can resume what you're doing, and they'll leave.)

[Weissensteinburg]

I forget what the officer's excuse was exactly, but I remember is was something broad...something easily made up on the spot.

[Elfwreck]

How often should one hand over one's ID? Once per evening? Once per hour, in a heavily-patrolled neighborhood? Every twelve minutes, if the police decide you're "interesting" and send their friends around to pester you? The police have no right to stop or question people who are not suspected of crimes. If they are suspected, the encounter should be written up. A badge is not a permit to get young lady's names and home addresses.

[Code Breaker]

I can see that some of the advice applies as logical across the world. Does anyone have similar advice for the rights in the UK?

[GrumpyOldGoat]

My biggest problem with the current 'law enforcement' goons (and some of them are) is their rude attitude. While I have spent some time visiting with normal, intelligent policemen, that was long ago. Now, as a matter of course, they will run your license for "wants and warrants" with no regard to the legality of making the assumption that they do not need "reasonable cause" to do so.

[Wicky]

Here in the Netherlands we are required to have some sort of identification with us, this only applies on people older then 14. You can even be fined for it here, a 40 euro fine, which is pretty high for people at 14 years old :o

[nav.sparx]

juz tell thm tht ur father is the president of the country..lol.

[=SMART=]

Very interesting, its funny how the police men dont actually know the rules and when you tell them they feel stupid and generally get angry,

[leebryuk]

I use the following: Yes sir, no ma'am. Don't be hostile. Move slowly, but not like there's something wrong. Don't dart for things in your glove box or on the seats. Let them tell you when to get your license and registration out. Be respectful. There are arses out there, but most of them are decent people. And if you run into an ass, they can find some reason to place you in the clink. Sure, you'll be found innocent, but you'll have to go through bail, attorney fees and a general mess. I've been in situations that could of really gotten out of control, but by following these rules I have been lucky enough not to be shot (don't ask) and am generally let off with a ticket. I have also avoided jail in spite of picking a fight with a couple of cops (car wreck, I had head trauma from the wreck and wasn't in my right mind.) As I said most of them are trying to do a hard job. Hostility isn't the way to go. Be respectful, be predictable and let them be professional.

[mitechka]

Somehow it seems fitting, that in the "Related" list there is a "How to kill a werewolf" link :) :) :)

[invisiblelight386]

what do you do if a cop stops you for speeding on a bicycle

[jeffconnelly]

I've heard of a case where the leader in a cycling race got pulled over for speeding, so he lost the race! lol!

[canida]

Frame the ticket. ;)

[boardboyd]

I've never been stopped on my bicycle because I always went down a back alley then on a foot path with many exits when a municipal By-law tried to stop me on my bike. I always obeyed the stop/yield signs, but went the same speeds as the flow of traffic (30 - 45km/hr where I used to live).

[ll.13]

Stop, and be polite. =)

[Sparrow15]

Adding something important to Step 5. They can't hold you without charges as far as I know...

[austinmayor]

Sparrow,

I believe, in Illinois at least, they can hold you without charges for 48 hours.

That factoid is from memory, so don't use it on the final until you have confirmed it.

-- SCAM
so-called "Austin Mayor"
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com

[semperfiguy]

Actually you can be stopped, in a car or or out and patted down. The case was Terry v Ohio, the reason the action is called a Terry Stop and Frisk. The officer may check anyone in contact for weapons if he/she reasonably thinks there is an officer safety issue. That frisk can not be used to search for non-weapon contraband. You must also give ID if the officer has a reason (remember they get to make the report) to ascertain your identity pursuant to duty. I was once driving a car that match that of a drug runner and was in a area that person was known to visit. I provided ID with six cruisers blocking me in. If you are detained, they need a warrant OR probable cause to search. If you are free to go, they can ask for a consensual search. If that is the case, you are free to go and can refuse without penalty. The best way to handle that is to ask if you are free to go. About the dog, they can bring a dog and use it without consent, but must do so in the amount of time the stop normally takes. If the dog "hits" on you or the car, they can search. Now they have cause. A car is not the same as your home. There they need cause just to bring a dog with intent to search.. All that said, the best approach is to be polite, keep your rights in mind, and follow any reasonable requests without volunteering anything extra. Do make any sudden moves or take a belligerent tone. The cop had a reason for stopping you. If you know what it was and it was a minor violation, the best thi8ng to do is usually to admit it politely. I know you have an excuse, he/she has mostly likely heard it several times. They know why they pulled you over. The truth is the best shot at a warning. If you didn't just do something, then the cop may be after something serious and you have raised suspicion. All that should be needed is to ascertain that you are not his target. You have the right to your rights, and there should not be a penalty for using them. The terror excuse is just that an excuse. If you feel that you have been abused, file a complaint with the chief/sheriff/ etc. The above is not legal advice, just reflections on my years as a cop who believes that rights and public safety are both worth protecting. Both cops and the citizens they come in contact with are people and have rights and duties as citizens. They need to keep both in mind and be civil in their behavior as they do.

[LivingDread]

i dont know if it has been mentioned but norml has something they call a freedom card, basically if you are stopped and you think you may be arrested you say "i have a statement" and read or present this card. but here is the important part, after you present this statement, clam up. be respectful but cautious. if the police ask for anything politely inform them you will comply only if they have the lawful authority to insist.

other than those interactions, dont say anything until you talk to a lawyer, that cannot be stressed enough. you have read this how to, you know a little about your own rights, but guess what, a lawyer knows more, and dont rag on public defenders either, they have much more experience than most private attorneys and actually knowing the judge makes a difference, which most public defenders do and most private attorneys do not.

i seriously agree that some info on passengers rights vs drivers rights in the event of being pulled over while driving would be useful. i knew that passengers did not have to present id, but more detais would be useful.

Freedom card
http://www.norml.org/pdf_files/freedom_card.pdf

[CameronSS]

The ACLU is America's most important non-governmental defender of the Bill of Rights and your personal freedoms.

You can leave out "non-governmental." The government hasn't exactly done much to defend it.

[Viadd]

Since this is the World wide web, I'd just like to point out that laws vary with jurisdiction. Following this advice can get you beaten, shot, or worse in some places, and in some places this is officially condoned by the local ruling class.

These instructions are for the Theoretical United States.

[GoatBoy]

There's an easy way to remember MOST of these rules. (There are a few exceptions, like lying or having to hand over your ID when in a vehicle.) Treat the cop as if he/she were a criminal. Would you let a criminal into your home if he asked? Would you leave your valuables in plain sight around a criminal? Would you leave your car unlocked around a criminal? Would you hand your ID to a criminal? Would you try to get in an argument with a criminal? Would you consent to having your home or vehicle searched by a criminal? Would you consent to a personal search of your body by a criminal? Would you answer any questions from a criminal? Of course not. Same goes for cops. If you don't start using your rights, you will lose them.

[graymalkn]

I would also say that as a strategic move it is best to be polite, even friendly, and to not get defensive unless they become aggressive. For example, if you're pulled over on the highway it's probably best not to start with, "Here's my license and you don't have my permission to search the car."

[bumpus]

whats the difference between a DUI and a DWI?

[lmn]

"Driving under the influence" and "Driving while impaired" DUI - is alcohol DWI - can be anything else, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, etc.

[GorillazMiko]

Wow, you get featured a lot. Nice job anyways!

5/5 stars.

[lordofthedonuts]

If you're not under arrest and live in Canada ( I don't know for the U.S.) you don't have to give your name, you're not obligated to carry any I.D. . They will usually try some manipulation tactics to make you speak, one that happens all the time if you're not adult is this one "We're looking for a missing child that looks like you." If you know you didn't made anything illegal don't give them you're name. I try to keep in mind : Anything the government knows on you is a bit of liberty you loose. And it's also funny, they usually don't know how to react when someone is not intimidated by their shiny badges. ;p (DON'T LAUGH AT COPS)

[tercero]

To quote Jim Carey in "Liar, Liar". Fletcher: [picking up phone and shouting] Stop breaking the law, a**hole!