Dealing with cops, understanding your rights,.... by a cop.

reply to post by luminaut


Probably my favorite online video.
Seeashrink

I was just visited by the FBI today myself and ATS was brought up in conversation along with many other things. I even brought up a few topics that had them agreeing with me on. It's funny how the FBI come in and start questioning you with a very intent look in their eyes to see if they notice any indications of lying on your face and the like but when you present them a solid defense for the reason you believe in the way you do, they seem almost as if they are truly human. I touched base with a few main topics but I'm sure if we had more time together I could have really opened their eyes to the much bigger picture at hand. I could further elaborate my personal experience with the 2 agents if you would like but it was nothing more than them trying assess if I was of any danger to myself or others around me, which I assured them that I was not. I'm simply entitled to my opinion and if you don't like it then you don't have to listen.

They were very respectful so I feel that as long as you treat someone else with the respect you believe that you deserve in return then they would treat you with the same. That they did and I'm was more than happy to meet with them and wouldn't mind meeting with them again because it truly does bring some insight for those who are truly working for the betterment for this country as opposed to those who are deliberately trying to wreck it.

reply to post by seeashrink


As you are a police officer, I would be interested to hear your opinion on the validity of the advice offered in this video. It isn't a quick video, so only watch it if you have a bit of time.

Google Video Link

Years ago when i was 17 I was pulled over for seriously no reason and arrested for possession of marijuana at 2am one morning. There were three of us, none of us put up a fight and we all got handcuffed and thrown in the back of the car. However the entire time the officer was very rude & "cocky" as you describe OP, from my memory the three of us were nothing but polite and basically nervous.

When the officer went to haul us back to the police station he got into the car and somehow got a bloody nose. He started swearing and going off to his partner about it, obviously getting embarrassed and angry of the whole situation to which none of us in the back really could give a rats ass about at the time.

Then he took off down the dark back road and an incredibly fast speed. I couldn't see the speedometer, but i kid you not we had to have gone 0-60mph in as fast as the cruiser could go and then well above 60. All I can remember thinking was "I cant believe this asshole is actually doing this right now!" He put all our lives in danger considering we were cuffed with no belts on in the back of the cruiser, a far more serious crime than our dime bag if you ask me.

It took a long time for me to trust any officer after that situation, even after meeting some really decent ones, and I still think its a shame that the people we put in place to protect us all seem to forget the real reason they are doing their jobs...

So for all you officers reading this, you need to consider that the way you come across to citizens plays a huge roll in the way citizens will react to you. Being 17 at the time, after my experience I thought of all cops as big cocky assholes who can break the law and just get away with it easier. I now know thats not the truth, but it has taken a long time to convince me otherwise.

Originally posted by andy1033
reply to post by network dude

 

Yep i was targeted by the police in london uk for 19 years now, and they try desperately to get you to do something wrong. Do not ever, these people are just wannabe murderers. Do not ever give them a right to do what they do.

You've said this on several posts Andy and then talk about being microwaved, but have you got anything to add about what you are alluding to?

Originally posted by coolmanmike

I was just visited by the FBI today myself and ATS was brought up in conversation along with many other things....

I could further elaborate my personal experience with the 2 agents if you would like but it was nothing more than them trying assess if I was of any danger to myself or others around me, which I assured them that I was not.

I am curious, without going into detail outside of your comfort zone, can you tell us what got you onto the "radar" of the FBI? Did someone report you or did they monitor something that led them to investigate you? I'm not asking about your specific behavior or lifestyle, I'm just curious as to what tipped them off.

reply to post by TheApachekid

No. If you are carrying legally it is usually flagged with your license. Most cops do appreciate the heads up. If you are carrying illegally, and I don't mean in a criminal way, drug dealer, etc, but you are carrying just to protect yourself and your family as is your constitutional right and you don't have a carry permit, I can't see a reason the cop needs to know.
Seeashrink

Originally posted by grey580
In my experience.
The cop is a guy and has bad days just like anyone else.

Don't act like a giant douchebag.
Be friendly.
Don't have an attitude.

Most of the time the cop will just let you off with a warning.

So if a cop is having a bad day I have to be friendly and kiss his @ss so I dont get tased arrested or shot...

But what if im the one having a bad day the cop isnt going to show the same courtesy to me so screw em.

reply to post by Blazer


Glad to see someone posted that one.

Here is the a newer production from Flex Your Rights www.youtube.com...

After a lifetime of Hollywood 'evil cop' movies being my only experience of the American police force my son was able to reverse the impression. He and his friends, all from the UK, working there for the summer months had taken a night out in NY. They ran out of money to get back to their accomodation. They tried a large hotel - approached the reception desk and told the receptionist that they were making a documentary about trying to get across America for free - off the back of their Scottish accents. They laughed and said, sorry no.

Outside, and looking lost, they were approached by two police officers. They explained their predicament and the officers very kindly drove them back to their accomodation. I am eternally grateful.

Originally posted by seeashrink
reply to post by kennylee

 

I'm sorry for your experience. To say that they were out of line would be an understatement. The cop could have took you home that night with no harm done. If he had and a couple of weeks later you had seen him on the side of the road getting his butt beat, I bet you would have stopped to help. But after them beating you, if you had seen any of them on the side of the road getting their butt's beat you would not be likely to have done anything, but wave. This is one of the things I try to remember when dealing with people. If I give them a square deal, they will remember me if I ever need help someday.....hopefully.
Seeashrink

I wonder how many other cops are aware of this FACT.
I've had many encounters and can honestly say, I was
never mistreated or even insulted by a cop. This was about forty years ago perhaps
cops had a different head set back then.
Since then I have had three occasions to assist a cop.
Three guys jumped a cop during a traffic stop. No problem entering the fray.
A guy sucker punched a cop and started to run away ( I don't like bullies or cowards)
At 63 I managed to catch said ass and hang on till the cop arrived.
The last involved an armed robbery.
I had absolutely no desire to be a cop nor am I a wanna be.
If as you suggest, I had been treated badly in the past, I might of simply said F it .
I think more cops should keep this in mind. Cheers

reply to post by rebeldog

I tell young officers all the time that they had better be a man before that put on the badge, because the badge does not make them a man. I'm 6 foot, two hundred pounds. I don't play, I seldom carry anything but a gun and a knife. I don't wear the batman belt. I do carry a second gun and a second knife concealed. Most people know that I am straight up and if it comes to the point where I have to raise my voice its time to listen. That happens about once a year. I hope you and I never run into each other

Seeashrink

reply to post by 46ACE


I agree and thanks for the compliment. I can explain all the tazings of old people, children, the mentally hadicap, etc. Two words. ...Stupid Cops. I cringe everytime I see another video of this happening. It causes people to bunch us all together and gives us all a bad name. There are always going to be these buttholes out there with more to come.
Seeashrink

When i'm pulled over which is rarely if ever. I'm always courteous kind and obedient , and i always let them do what they need to do. even if they take me to jail. if i find that the cop is being a dick and is profiling me and threatening me...#1 i take him to federal court which costs the city or state thousands of dollars to represent him or them. and it also puts a permanent restraint on that particular officer for ever more.

if he really pushes my buttons....use your imagination

I was pulled over not long ago at dusk in my 1969 VW Bus after a Surf Session. He came out of nowhere with no lights on, headlights or otherwise until I was thru the supposed red light I went thru. I pulled right over when he I saw the blue lights came on and couldn't imagine the reason why.

He approached me and shined his light in my face and said I ran the red light. I told him I did not, is that cocky? And if I did this means he followed me thru the "red light with his head lights and beacon off! I was already pissed that this was his reason for pulling me over, I guessed then he was looking for stoned hippies. He took my license and registration and sat in his car for about 20 minutes and came back and said those plates don't belong to this vehicle, they are from a Toyota. I told him I have a Toyota Truck and maybe that his database had a mixup, I got a glare from him. I asked him what the origin of his database is so I could call the people responsible and get this matter sorted out. He continued to stare me down with his flashlight and cop bright beam in my face as all these drivers were going by looking, btw I was a block from my house.

He let me go with Warning, which I asked "why am I getting this?" I was fugging pissed off, I did nothing wrong. If you ask me, he was a prick.

I find most Cops I have met are lucky if they can count to ten and more and more lately abuse their power.

But of Course they are always on the "Good Side" and your at their mercy. I never hear a mere mention of their actions by Local Government, their free to do what they will.

All your saying is comply to your Superiors, although it is probably good advice but it makes me sick.

The issue with the dog has always been very curious to me. How it is that an officer can ask to search your car - which you can legally refuse - then a dog can be called in and when the officer says that the dog indicated that he smelled something if interest, your rights go out in the window... well, it's beyond me. I love dogs, but I would not trust a German Sheppard to uphold my constitutional rights.

I was pulled over a couple years ago for going 10 over in a 45. The cop asked me if I knew why he was pulling me over and I said "I assume because I was speeding. Sorry 'bout that officer, I wasn't really paying attention to my speed." He said "You were doing 55 in a 45." to which I responded "That seems about right, again, I apologize". This is not verbatim, of course, as it was a couple of years ago - but the point is I was polite and cooperative with the cop. After he ran my plates, license, et cetera, he came back and gave a rant about speeding and a warning then asked if he could search my car. I thought it was a bit odd and as it was cold out and I was anxious to get where I was going I told him "I'd prefer you not, I'd like to get on my way." He said, "Well in that case I'm going to have to call in the canine unit, you're going to have to wait". About 10 minutes later, the canine unit pulled up. The guy walked the dog around the car - the dog didn't bark or really react noticeably at all. After the officer was done with the dog, he came back and told me the dog had signaled that there was something suspicious in my car. I had literally just bought the car about a week prior and had no paraphernalia of any sort. I didn't even have change in the change drawer yet. I told him as such and he said "Well, you're going to have to get out of the car so i can search it." Still, as cooperative and polite as ever, I stepped out of the car and waited in the cold for another 15 minutes or so while he went through every section of my car, under the seats, in the trunk, and so on. When he finished he said, "well, looks like you're clean!" to which I responded "Yep, am I free to go?" and he said "Yep, just try not to speed".

So, I want to call bullshivic on two things here:
1: How does the nose of a dog supersede my rights?
2: Even if the dog makes no signal, all the cop has to do is say the dog did...

Am I right? Or is there more to this than I am aware?

I find is odd that traffic violations (failure to come to a complete stop, improper lane change, license plate light too dim - all actual reasons why I have been detained at some point or another), while not under criminal law, can provide a LEO "probable cause" that a crime as been committed.

Traffic violations (with exceptions of DWI, Reckless Driving, Vehicular Manslaughter, etc) are not, to my knowledge, part of a criminal code. I have long believed they are part of an agreement under the UCC for contractual obligations of licensing.

Therefore, it seems a stretch (although a reality everyday everywhere in the (former) union) to have "probable cause" of criminal activity because someone has violated their contractual obligations of licensing.

I have seen with my own eyes the code for my state's definition of a "driver", which points to a "person" and the person points to an entity created from law. btw, mentioning these things to a LEO will certainly land you in the crow-bar motel (I know, been there, done that).

There exists a terrible gap between reality and lawful purpose. ...further evidence of the lawlessness of the society and system, imho. Best course of action I can imagine is driving with a foreign license + an IDP (International Drivers Permit) and travel under the treaty of Road Traffic, and always allow the LEO to believe his raisins are swollen and in control (be polite).

Starred and Flagged.

Without getting into any details, I recall this one time. Me and a couple of buddies were being questions by the cops. Myself, being polite, and giving up an illegal object when asked, instead of BSing the cop, I was just given a citation. Meanwhile, my other "friends", keep yelling "F*** the police" over some simple misdemeanor, get cuffed.

Now, I know this seems like a matter of common sense, but some people just don't have any. Just be polite. If its just a simple civil matter, why make things worse?