A couple of questions for our LEO members.

[Timjoebillybob]

I relayed this story in another thread but I'll tell it again. Last fall I pulled over a "Pa-diddle" Jeep Grand Cherokee (headlight out). It was gun season. I walk up and the terrified 18 year old driver stared straight ahead with his hands glued to the steering wheel. I observe a Mossberg 500 with a scope on the passenger seat. NBD to me. So he asked what he should do and I tell him to just give me his "papers please." He was very anxious about the gun so I told him to relax and just don't touch it. I ran him and he was fine. I told him to take care of it and sent him on his way.

Moral of the story: So you have a gun. BFD. Don't point it at me or anyone else who doesn't deserve to have it pointed at them and we won't have a problem. Don't make an lunging moves towards it and we won't have a problem. Don't be high, drunk, wanted, or violent and we won't have a problem.

As for the cases, it's my understanding under the automobile exception that a vehicle can be searched for contraband without a warrant so long as probable cause exists. In my mind, possessing gun cases does not present probable cause of anything. My dad used to use gun cases to haul Indian artifacts to shows in. I use my Bushmaster rifle case to move around my HO scale locomotives. LOL.

+1

If we could get Bill of Rights to comment here, from what I've seen, he knows the law better than anyone on here. I think he might be a judge or a lawyer. Maybe PM him and see what he says?

BoR is not a lawyer or judge. He is a EMT-P (please forgive me if I got that wrong) But from what I've read on here he is a very intelligent man, and also very level headed.

I find it interesting to hear LEO's in one thread talk about how their job is to enforce ALL laws, and if we don't like it to take it up with the legislators.

Then in the next thread talk about how they only bother enforcing the laws if people aren't polite enough to them, like it makes them super nice guys or something.

Which is it?

Both.

Some of the people I work with can smell it like a beagle on crack.

Dangit I cant quit giggling over this. I had a rescue beagle mix, and he was psychotic, I can just imagine him on crack. He was hyper as all get out as it was. If he was on crack he would break the speed of light.

Pulling someone over for a traffic/equipment infraction is enforcing the law. Citing them for it is just the next step in enforcing whichever particular law. And I'm not a super nice guy or anything, I just realize that there are people out there that can benefit from a conversation more than they can from a $150 ticket.

Yes your a super nice guy. That's why I can't send my kids to college.

 

[public servant]

I don't work that side of town and I don't drive my squad off-duty very often, so I doubt you will meet me that way. If I happen to see you when I'm out running errands, I'll honk and wave.

You can always PIT him in the POV.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

You can always PIT him in the POV.

I know what a PIT is, but what does PIT stand for? It's not in the FAQ.

 

[jsharmon7]

I find it interesting to hear LEO's in one thread talk about how their job is to enforce ALL laws, and if we don't like it to take it up with the legislators.

Then in the next thread talk about how they only bother enforcing the laws if people aren't polite enough to them, like it makes them super nice guys or something.

Which is it?

As Frank said, stopping someone for a violation IS enforcing the law regardless of whether a citation is issued. But, why WOULDN'T you just be polite? I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to be nice, just show me the same courtesy I show you. No more, no less.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I know what a PIT is, but what does PIT stand for? It's not in the FAQ.

Pursuit Intervention Technique

 

[finity]

As Frank said, stopping someone for a violation IS enforcing the law regardless of whether a citation is issued. But, why WOULDN'T you just be polite? I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to be nice, just show me the same courtesy I show you. No more, no less.

I doubt anyone here is promoting just being out & out jerks to a cop that pulls them over.

I will be as friendly to you as I would be to anyone else on the street...within reasonable limitations...

You have to remember that the average guy on the street doesn't have the power to make my life hell if I say the wrong thing & maybe incriminate myself for something I may not even know was illegal. Like the people on here who truly believe that it's legal to carry an unloaded handgun in their trunk to the range. The ones who have been told it's perfectly legal by their friendly & well meaning town cop, no less.

If I was one of those guys & the conversation went toward "hey do you mind if I look around in your car" (or whatever magic Jedi-mind-trick words you guys use to get someone to waive their rights) & I say "OK" then I'm probably going to jail for something I didn't even know was a crime. Why would I want to take that chance?

Let's just keep the interaction on a polite but professional level & we'll both have a better day.

 

[Walter Zoomie]

I'm a chinese hispanic male

Truth be told, lots of Hoosiers HATE chinese hispanic lookin' dudes just because. We have meetings every month.

I'm not worried about getting the plunger or shot at 57 times here in Indiana.

Awesome!

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Pursuit Intervention Technique

Thank you much Frank.

 

[Plainfield259]

I would not request any further checks based on simply seeing them. If someone tells me they have a pistol on them, I generally do not check them (Just the carry license). If someone tells you they have a gun, they have just told you their intentions; personal protection,not cop killing. I have no reason for further investigation at this point and am a firm believer in the 2nd ammendment.
To take this a step further. As a police officer, If you were ordered to go house to house and removed firearms...what would you do? Personally, I would turn my stuff in and find a new line of work.

 

[finity]

I would not request any further checks based on simply seeing them. If someone tells me they have a pistol on them, I generally do not check them (Just the carry license). If someone tells you they have a gun, they have just told you their intentions; personal protection,not cop killing. I have no reason for further investigation at this point and am a firm believer in the 2nd ammendment.
To take this a step further. As a police officer, If you were ordered to go house to house and removed firearms...what would you do? Personally, I would turn my stuff in and find a new line of work.

This post deserves a rep.

Thanks for being one of the good cops.

to

 

[Walter Zoomie]

As a police officer, If you were ordered to go house to house and removed firearms...what would you do? Personally, I would turn my stuff in and find a new line of work.

I salute you. Seriously.

What percentage of your comrades think like this?

I hope ALL of them...

 

[kadetklapp]

I salute you. Seriously.

What percentage of your comrades think like this?

I hope ALL of them...

I sure as hell do. And come to think of it, I remember my old man telling me the same thing back when he was alive and on the job.

I think when the time comes, most cops would simply ignore that "law" and not enforce it. Once pressed to enforce it, most would simply quit.

 

[kadetklapp]

Pulling someone over for a traffic/equipment infraction is enforcing the law. Citing them for it is just the next step in enforcing whichever particular law. And I'm not a super nice guy or anything, I just realize that there are people out there that can benefit from a conversation more than they can from a $150 ticket.

+1

When people gripe about getting "chewed out" by an LEO for an infraction, even when they didn't get a ticket, I don't know whether to laugh or throw up. For instance, I know that if I got on the road right now, and got popped for speeding I literally couldn't afford a ticket, even though I deserved it. So it's reasonable to suspect that most everybody else can't either. That's why I RARELY put the pen to paper on folks. I find that if the violation warrants it, an ass-chewing should go a long way in correcting bad driving behavior. Other folks just need a friendly reminder.

Usually classification of individuals I encounter that get the chewing-out from me are "kids" and folks who think that they are above the law, such as some local businessmen, town council members, corporate farmers, people that know people, etc These individuals are just absolutely seething that I had the nerve to stop them in the first place and tell them how to drive in their town. Ordinary folks often take the warning at face value and are appreciative.

 

[edporch]

Being taught since I was a young kid that "discretion is the better form of valor", I always either put my long guns cased or not, on the floor of the back seat with a coat or back seat blanket bottom casually laid over them so as to not draw attention from looking in the back window, OR I put them in the trunk.

I actually do this more often than put them in the trunk because I want to avoid ruining a long gun from a rear end collision.

 

[Benny]

I would not request any further checks based on simply seeing them. If someone tells me they have a pistol on them, I generally do not check them (Just the carry license). If someone tells you they have a gun, they have just told you their intentions; personal protection,not cop killing. I have no reason for further investigation at this point and am a firm believer in the 2nd ammendment.
To take this a step further. As a police officer, If you were ordered to go house to house and removed firearms...what would you do? Personally, I would turn my stuff in and find a new line of work.

One post, 1 bronze badge...Impressive.



(OK, so what if I can hand out a badge each rep.)

 

[2cool9031]

I'm only a Fireman so I would prone you out and stomp on you with my bunker boots. Cause, you know EMTs and Firefighters really do that stuff all the time now a days. And, that's the real reason we have tools is to break into your stuff.

And he would open the locked cases with his fireaxe!!

 

[Trevlan]

Truth be told, lots of Hoosiers HATE chinese hispanic lookin' dudes just because. We have meetings every month.



Awesome!

LMAO. I want to join these meetings. Damn chinks think they have power in numbers.