Mr Bluetrain, People talk about their experiences. In the vast majority of contact with police happens with local police agencies. … just a numbers game. It’s also kinda hard to distinguish federal power from local enforcement when the locals have federal mandates trickled down to them, and are getting grants with federal strings attached.
The laws you’re referencing that people on the right want enforced: those same people want the laws enforced in a way that interferes the least with the rights of innocent people. The easiest methods of doing that are opposed by the left … rock … hard place … politics makes more work for the cops, more inconvenience for the public, and costs more. …SOP … and the mods will close the thread if much more is said about politics
.. this one’s kinda on the edge anyway.
by Fishing_Cabin
It is important for a person to know whether or not it is consentual encounter, or they are detained. The officer does not, at least here have to disclose that, except for the fact that a person must feel free to leave at all times, and if they ask, "am I free to leave?" it is best to answer yes if it is a consentual encounter.
Keep in mind that at times a consentual encounter is sometimes converted in to a detention. Also, keep in mind to, that while you may "think you know" why the officer is speaking with you, or detaining you, it may be something totally different. Dont get wrapped up in "oh its because I am carrying a gun..."
This touches on one of my gripes concerning police encounters … when they stop you and won’t tell you what’s wrong. I can understand it as a delay tactic to run your ID and observe how you act though.
If you ask if you’re free to leave and they say "no" … I think they should be required to give a reason.
The last time I was pulled over (year or 2 ago), spent about 20 minutes on the side of the road while he was in the cop car doing his thing, then he told me my brake lights didn’t work Well, about 2 minutes later a blown fuse was replaced by a spare, I had thanked the cop for stopping me, he also told me that there had been computer trouble that slowed down the ID check. This was a great stop for many reasons, IMO. The cop also decided to not give me a ticket, which was also nice, but I wouldn’t have objected if he had.
This was in the work truck, only guns in it were nailguns.
On the other hand, I had one about a year before that where the cop called for backup and went through a mess that took well over a half hour, closer to an hour. Around here, if they call for backup, you are going to get a ticket no matter what. What triggered the mess was when he asked if there were any weapons in the car. I replied ,"there’s a pistol in the glove box." This stop, no computer troubles. The wait was for the second cop car and them looking over EVERYTHING. The cops were rude. The ticket was for a marker light on the rear panel … there are multiple bulbs in the marker lights on the car, and there were good bulbs on both sides of the burnt one. A lot of car designs have less than half the number of bulbs that this one does. At no time did he tell me what he pulled me over for, until after he handed me the ticket
Seemed like a case of a slow day, might as well check me out since he had an excuse. I’ve got no problem with that … but … getting attitude and the fine tooth comb treatment for legally having a pistol in the car, not cool. … raised a stink about it and the ticket was thrown out, but still …
Another similar incident, same car, same gun, and a seatbelt …that’s a whole ‘nuther story … the seatbelt comes out of the seat instead of down from the roof, and my shirt happened to be the same color of the belt, so cop thought I wasn’t wearing it … Never take the seatbelt off to get to your wallet until the cop asks you to do it. Trying to save you and him a little time by having your license ready can get you a ticket. I don’t blame the cop for the seatbelt ticket, he couldn’t see it, and I took it off too soon.
I really believe that truthfully answering the question about "weapons in the car" brought the second cop car and the same treatment as the marker light incident. Also in the second incident, I didn’t know what I was stopped for until handed the ticket. Maybe the "treatment" is my fault too … for answering truthfully?
All you can do is gripe about this stuff. No way to prove anything, and all I would want is the policy changed, or cop corrected. You can bet that if it was "policy", I wasn’t the only one griping, too Maybe griping did some good, because a buddy got stopped recently with a gun in the car, and didn’t get the second car and the treatment.