Some advice to LEOs

[Forrest]

If you don't give a **** about upholding your oath of office, or the law, but you DO give a **** about the public's opinion of LEOs - keep it to yourself.

During a traffic stop today (for a non-moving violation), a friend of mine and I were told, and I quote, "I don't give a **** about the law...you can sue me later."

If I wasn't a polite citizen who was being fully cooperative, I would have said "then why should you expect us to?"

 

[GBob01]

Damn, I can't believe he said that.

So why did he tell you both that? Were you trying to correct him on how a law reads? I'm not trying to imply that you did anything wrong, but that doesn't sound like something he would just say with-out provocation.

 

[Narco]

Thats why I love camera's and mics in our cars so ppl cant make **** up on us. Regardless if we are on traffic stop or regular complaint the eyewitness is activated recording the whole ordeal. Sad to say there are some bad apples if it happened that way bud.

 

[Forrest]

No, he started searching my friend's truck without permission. My friend said "Why are you searching my truck?" He was not being mouthy or rude.

I have dealt with many LEOs and it's easy to tell the ones who are trying to throw their weight around from the ones that are trying to do their job.

I notice that the guys who like to bully people bark contradicting orders at you and then threaten you for trying to follow them. They also invariably use profanity.

I'm happy to say that the BRPD have usually been very polite and professional, and I'm not trying to start an LEO bashing thread. But this was the stupidest thing I've ever heard anyone whose JOB is to uphold the law say, so I couldn't help but post it. I mean, if I was in his position, I'd at least be smart enough not to actually say that out loud. These are the guys who are to blame for negative public sentiment.

 

[tunatuk]

I curse if you start acting fishy. I will go home at the end of the day. I do not do unconstitutional searches. I'm sure there is another side to this story, and would like to hear it.

The LEO in me knows that this isn't 100% accurate, as neither would the LEO on scene's story be. I'm sure there is something we aren't hearing. I agree with NARCO, I would love to see/hear the dashcam and mic.

 

[Forrest]

What I told you was 100% accurate. You could have 5 camera crews and you wouldn't be able to pinpoint anything I did or said that was "fishy." I hadn't broken any laws and so I was not nervous at all, only polite.

I didn't say it was an unconstitutional search. It may have been, I don't know. It was a search without permission, that is true.

Unfortunately, it appears that there isn't a recording because he was a motorcycle officer. I was most disappointed because me and my friend are both recreational motorcyclists and I've honestly never met anyone on a bike who wasn't a nice guy.

Two other officers in 2 other cars pulled up and just talked to us, but it was not their stop. Would their recording equipment be on? I honestly don't think anything would come of this, but I'm sure if it was, that his words were caught on tape. He was standing right next to one of the guys when he said it.

I gave more details in the thread my friend started: http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2107

If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer. I didn't want to type out the whole story because it's not really my story, I was just riding shotgun. Not to mention it would take me probably close to two hours to document every second of a stop that took 30-45 minutes.

Now that it's late and I'm calmed down, I want to say that the topic of this thread is probably over the top. I know that most if not all of the LEOs on this board don't need "advice" from me, and I'm sure you guys wouldn't have acted like this. I was trying to point out how ridiculous it was to say something like he said. I didn't exaggerate or add anything. That is exactly what he said, word for word, and I couldn't believe that I was standing there to hear him say it, and not watching some video online.

 

[Papercut]

I had some problems with the BR city cops. I was pulled over 4 or 5 times within a month for being "White" of all things. Grant it, I was in the middle of the "hood", but it was less than a mile from my house. I volunteered a search each time, and let them know i had a loaded gun in my truck also. I decided to tell my friends to meet up at my house before we went out from now on. I haven't had any problems since. But hopefully the cameras they set up in the area will show them the real dope dealers.

Problem solved...at least for me. But it sounds like your story isn't complete

 

[Candyman]

Well I just read the other side of this story on the other thread. There is a video.
The vehicle you were in had a 2003 MVI on it, shame on you, that's expired by 4 years and the tent on the windows were too dark also. And the fact that you'al were coming out of an area known for drugs.
On a traffic stop an officer can search the driver's area of the vehicle.

Now if the officer did use profanity, he was wrong and you have a right to make a complaint. Just go down to the Police Station and make your complaint.

I have had people make complaints on me. One guy wrote a two page letter on me because after reading his statement, he wrote after a traffic crash, I asked him if he really wanted me to put it in the report. He stated that it was true to the way that things happended. What he was upset about was that I told his the with the damage to the vehicles, his statement looked more like a fary tail and that he should start it off with "Once apon a time"

 

[Forrest]

Well I just read the other side of this story on the other thread. There is a video.
The vehicle you were in had a 2003 MVI on it, shame on you, that's expired by 4 years and the tent on the windows were too dark also. And the fact that you'al were coming out of an area known for drugs.
On a traffic stop an officer can search the driver's area of the vehicle.

Hey man. Shame on me for riding with someone with an expired sticker? It's not my business, it is his, and this thread was not about an inspection sticker. My personal feelings are an echo of what several state policemen have told me: inspection stickers are a scam to tax us more and do nothing to reduce accidents. Many states have gotten rid of them, we should too.

On top of this, ironically, we parked next to a police car with an expired sticker 5 minutes before this happened. I have seen many of them around town. I guess a lot of police don't feel like an expired inspection sticker is that big a deal, either.

We were NOT coming out of an area well known for drugs. We passed the officer on Range Ave. We turned off on a road right before the main redlight at Range and Florida, because there was a lot of traffic, and we were planning on turning right and going to down Florida a short distance in search of a pawn shop or sporting goods store that had ammo for sale. If this is "suspicious behaviour" then maybe the police department should issue a road map of what side roads we are not allowed to drive on without being considered suspicious. We had just turned off the most well traveled road in Denham Springs.

I'm just curious - from your reply it sounds like you think everything was fine. Does that mean you agree with an officer of the law telling people that he doesn't care what the law says? Like I said before, getting pulled over and hassled for a non-moving violation sucks, but it happens. It's not newsworthy. What bothers me is what he said.

If you had stopped us and my friend had asked if you had a legal right to be searching our car, would have you told him what you just put in the thread? Or would you have said "I don't give a **** about the law, and you can sue me later?"

If he'd said "I have a right to search the driver's area of the vehicle" or even "this is not up for discussion" this thread would never have been posted.

 

[alex]

What I find funny is everyone seems to dance around the actual "meat" of this problem which is all Forrest is trying to say.

It's not the inspection sticker, or the amount of guns (loaded or unloaded), or the legalities of things, or who is 'suspicious' looking.

It's the fact that a basic moral/social foundation of what we consider is right was disregarded. For ANY officer (or civillian) to say "I don't give a **** about the law" discredits any *faith* one has for a decent civil system.

How much trust would you have in a priest or preacher that would say "I don't give a **** about god"?

I'm far from being an english major but saying, "I don't give a **** about the law" translates to anarchy--quite an ironic statement coming from an officer OF the law.

 

[Candyman]

Hey man. Shame on me for riding with someone with an expired sticker? It's not my business, it is his, and this thread was not about an inspection sticker. My personal feelings are an echo of what several state policemen have told me: inspection stickers are a scam to tax us more and do nothing to reduce accidents. Many states have gotten rid of them, we should too.

On top of this, ironically, we parked next to a police car with an expired sticker 5 minutes before this happened. I have seen many of them around town. I guess a lot of police don't feel like an expired inspection sticker is that big a deal, either.

We were NOT coming out of an area well known for drugs. We passed the officer on Range Ave. We turned off on a road right before the main redlight at Range and Florida, because there was a lot of traffic, and we were planning on turning right and going to down Florida a short distance in search of a pawn shop or sporting goods store that had ammo for sale. If this is "suspicious behaviour" then maybe the police department should issue a road map of what side roads we are not allowed to drive on without being considered suspicious. We had just turned off the most well traveled road in Denham Springs.

I'm just curious - from your reply it sounds like you think everything was fine. Does that mean you agree with an officer of the law telling people that he doesn't care what the law says? Like I said before, getting pulled over and hassled for a non-moving violation sucks, but it happens. It's not newsworthy. What bothers me is what he said.

If you had stopped us and my friend had asked if you had a legal right to be searching our car, would have you told him what you just put in the thread? Or would you have said "I don't give a **** about the law, and you can sue me later?"

If he'd said "I have a right to search the driver's area of the vehicle" or even "this is not up for discussion" this thread would never have been posted.

Forrest
I think you missed part of my post, so here it is again.

"Now if the officer did use profanity, he was wrong and you have a right to make a complaint. Just go down to the Police Station and make your complaint."

There are Officers on my dept. that are real ass holes and I don't care to work around them, but there are 600 plus officers on my dept. and with that many people you will end up with an ass here and there.
The use of profanity is not needed in our job and is frowned upon.

 

[firefighter9158]

livingston parish Deputy shoots the ''Bird''.

the driver of the water patrol boat for Livingston Parish Sheriffs got a little nasty Fri. at Freds on the river, as they were passing in the ''No wake-Idle Zone''. they were traveling at a high rate of speed.(making a wake & NOT idling).several people sitting on the bank yelled at him to obey the law and to slow down, he then stood up, and shot everyone the ''Bird''. this is the kind of **** that gives L.E.O's a bad rep. . from the talk after it happened, there will probably be a complaint filed against him with the Sheriff.

 

[CajunTim]

Got a link?

 

[blackened1313]

I can tell you this, don't drive thru crotch springs on 190 with a expired tag or dark windows. You will get popped every time. I just got a ticket for tint two weeks ago driving thru there.

 

[Narco]

I can tell you this, don't drive thru crotch springs on 190 with a expired tag or dark windows. You will get popped every time. I just got a ticket for tint two weeks ago driving thru there.

Get your inspection sticker renewed, like the rest of us, and get this form approved from LSP.. then you wont have that problem.. http://lsp.org/pdf/WindowTintExemption-SunAllergy.pdf then when they stop you, present the form, and you'll be in the clear.

 

[blackened1313]

yeah, ive already sent the form in, I can get it because of my job. Its like an exemption form

 

[topgunz1]

holy old ass thread batman!

 

[UNIQDEFTECH]

notify shift commander...it all stacks up

 

[jimdana1942]

I have the strong feeling (from watching Cops on TV) that a citizen is "dam--ed if they do and dam--d if they don't with regards to almost any traffic stop. I have seen some of the LEO's on tv try to provoke the one that has been stopped into a verbal confrontation, quite often. I know alot of those stopped have just bitten their tongues trying not to go in to a rage due to the actions of the LEO's. If you try to be nice and polite the LEO's will think that is suspicious, and if you try to stand up for your rights (we really don't have any) then the LEO's will think you have something to hide.

Not trying to bash anyone but I sure do see this alot on TV and read about it in forums like this. It seems to be more common than not. That's my 2c worth.

 

[Speedlace]

Why resurrect this thread?