to tell or not to tell?

[diat150]

we were having a discussion on another forum about telling a police officer if you have a weapon in the vehicle on normal traffic stops. This is not including ccw where you must tell the officer that you have a weapon on person. Obviously it is your decision if you want to tell the officer, as there is no law stating that you must. alot of cops seem to think that you should.

I am of the opinion that I am not going to give up information that is not relevant to the traffic stop. All you are asking for is trouble, a cop ignorant of the law, or just plain negligence by the officer (like in new orleans, illegal confiscation.).

what is your opinion?

 

[diat150]

also, id like some of the officers on the board explain why citizens should alert them, if they feel that they should be alerted.

 

[dantheman]

That question has actually been beaten to death around here before . Most of the LEO will say yes , most of the civillians will say no . Myself , I have never felt a need to complicate things as long as it remained a normal traffic stop .

 

[Pale Horse]

Depends on the officer and department. There are a couple here who are royal pricks that I say as little as possible to.

 

[PrairieCajun]

Since I carry my pistol tucked between the seats immediately next to my right thigh most of the time when I'm driving, I probably would (for my safety) alert PD of what he's going to see anyway and wait to see how he wants to handle it.

 

[spanky]

My paperwork is nowhere near where I might have a gun so there wouldn't be the possibility of a surprise so I don't feel the need to say anything unless required by law when I'm carrying.

 

[diat150]

thats another thing that came up. I always get out of the vehicle with paperwork in hand, with both hands in plain sight. I walk and meet the officer at the back of my vehicle. I have never had an officer tell me to stay in my vehicle.

 

[Pale Horse]

My paperwork is nowhere near where I might have a gun so there wouldn't be the possibility of a surprise...

THIS!

It amazes me how many people have their gun in the glove box on top of their registration and insurance information. That's just asking for trouble.

 

[Pale Horse]

thats another thing that came up. I always get out of the vehicle with paperwork in hand, with both hands in plain sight. I walk and meet the officer at the back of my vehicle. I have never had an officer tell me to stay in my vehicle.

I tried that. Once. I got put on the ground and cuffed for it.

 

[RyanW]

I always let the officer know, even though I've only been stopped twice in the past 6 or so years. They get it, "dissable" it and generally just give me a warning.

When you let an officer know of a threat in a calm manner and allow them to neutralize it, it tends to put them at ease with you, and generally gets you off the hook for a minor traffic violation. You have immediately shown that you are willing to cooperate, which is something that is a lot more rare than you think.

Now I assume that's what's been helping me, but having my USMC Vet plate seems to help a little bit too lol

Isn't it also a law that you're supposed to inform them??? If so, then how you feel really doesn't matter, just follow the law. If you were following the law to begin with, you wouldn't be getting pulled over in the first place, now would you?

 

[tunatuk]

thats another thing that came up. I always get out of the vehicle with paperwork in hand, with both hands in plain sight. I walk and meet the officer at the back of my vehicle. I have never had an officer tell me to stay in my vehicle.

The best thing you could do would be to wait in your vehicle for the officer's instructions.

I personally would like to be told if you have a gun in the vehicle...as long as its in the passenger compartment, and somewhere you'd be able to grab it. If I catch a glimpse of it, and you haven't told me about it, and its somewhere you have access to...

The best way to think about it is if you had a stranger over to your house, that you had "suspected" had committed a crime, wouldn't you want to know if he had a gun?

 

[dantheman]

It's not a threat if it remains out of sight .

 

[sandman7925]

I voted no,but the only time I have a gun in my truck is when I am going hunting or to the range. In that case I just leaving it laying in plain sight on the passenger seat. I've been pulled over twice speeding and the cop saw them, looked at me and I guess dismissed me as a threat and didn't even ask about them.

 

[Snookie]

THIS!!!!

[/IMG]

 

[Pale Horse]

If you were following the law to begin with, you wouldn't be getting pulled over in the first place, now would you?

I was pulled over 17 times last year. Didn't get arrested or ticketed once. See post #4.

 

[tunatuk]

I was pulled over 17 times last year. Didn't get arrested or ticketed once. See post #4.

So are you saying you committed absolutely ZERO traffic offenses that lead to you being pulled over? I'm not doubting that they weren't prick cops, but the section of the Revised Statutes dealing with traffic offenses is over 500 statutes strong.

Just because you don't get ticketed or arrested, doesn't mean you didn't violate a law. I rarely, if ever, write tickets. I don't like working traffic, so I don't do many traffic stops. Doesn't mean that the few I pull over didn't violate the law. It just means I cut them a little bit of a break.

 

[Snookie]

So are you saying you committed absolutely ZERO traffic offenses that lead to you being pulled over? I'm not doubting that they weren't prick cops, but the section of the Revised Statutes dealing with traffic offenses is over 500 statutes strong.

Just because you don't get ticketed or arrested, doesn't mean you didn't violate a law. I rarely, if ever, write tickets. I don't like working traffic, so I don't do many traffic stops. Doesn't mean that the few I pull over didn't violate the law. It just means I cut them a little bit of a break.

And SNOOKIE appreciates all the breaks he can get! I like DAT me! Thanks tunatuk!

 

[Pale Horse]

So are you saying you committed absolutely ZERO traffic offenses that lead to you being pulled over? I'm not doubting that they weren't prick cops, but the section of the Revised Statutes dealing with traffic offenses is over 500 statutes strong.

Just because you don't get ticketed or arrested, doesn't mean you didn't violate a law. I rarely, if ever, write tickets. I don't like working traffic, so I don't do many traffic stops. Doesn't mean that the few I pull over didn't violate the law. It just means I cut them a little bit of a break.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'm a night owl, and sometimes I'm up into the AM. WMPD pulls people over at random after about midnight and will tell you plainly that they're looking for drunk drivers. I don't drink so that's not an issue. What has a few of them pissed off at me is the fact that after I blow straight 0's on the breath test EVERY time (I don't drink period) I won't let them intimidate me into consenting to a search of my vehicle. It's de facto SOP for them to attempt to get consent to search your vehicle any time you're pulled over. Most of them will let it drop once you've said no a few times, a couple will throw a hissy fit.

BTW, I'm not out running the roads at all hours, or creeping around a bad neighborhood. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for some chips and a coke at 2am and want to drive 1.5 miles down the street I live on to Walgreens to get them.

 

[Pale Horse]

Also tunatuk, 14 of those 17 stops were by the same 3 cops, who know perfectly well I don't drink. 2 of those were by the same one of that trio of cops within 30 minutes in my own driveway.

What it comes down to is that those three pricks who are pissed of that I won't let them ransack my car any time they want happen to work the night shift in my neighborhood and screw with me when they don't have anything better to do.

I haven't had a fender bender or traffic ticket in over 10 years.

 

[CEHollier]

In Louisiana if you have a CCP when your license is ran the officer will know you may be armed. It's required if you are carrying to notify the officer if he is in "official" capacity. Besides, it's just good manners. The police don't like suprises.