Inside the mind of cop who stopped you

[Ceicei]

A couple of paragraphs from the article from CNN/AOL:

But anyone who follows the news knows that such stops can sometimes be fraught with peril for the police officer or state trooper -- because they never know when a seemingly routine traffic stop could lead to trouble, or even violence.

So we talked to one retired state trooper to get a better sense of what actually happens at a traffic stop from the cop's point of view -- "the anatomy of a traffic stop," if you will.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/06/cops.stop.cause/index.html

What do you think of this article? What would you want to add? Your thoughts and experiences?

I liked this snippet:

Only once in his career did a subject "get physical" with Greg. "I was arresting him, and he resisted, and started to turn around, like he was going to put up a fight. But I had 12 years of martial arts training before I became a trooper, so I just kept him spinning in the direction he was turning until I had his arms pinned and he was bent over the hood, and I cuffed him."

- Ceicei

 

[MA-Caver]

I liked this snippet:

Only once in his career did a subject "get physical" with Greg. "I was arresting him, and he resisted, and started to turn around, like he was going to put up a fight. But I had 12 years of martial arts training before I became a trooper, so I just kept him spinning in the direction he was turning until I had his arms pinned and he was bent over the hood, and I cuffed him."

- Ceicei

My only thought is that I liked that snippet too.
But it's good to know these things. The last thing I think anyone wants is a nervous LEO who pulled you over just to give you a warning or a "tap on the wrist" as it were. You didn't do anything but he/she doesn't know that yet til they run your license. So just stay cool and cooperate, and it'll be fine.

 

[Drac]

The last thing I think anyone wants is a nervous LEO who pulled you over just to give you a warning or a "tap on the wrist" as it were. You didn't do anything but he/she doesn't know that yet til they run your license. So just stay cool and cooperate, and it'll be fine.

You did something to get pulled over..Ran a red light, illegal turn or a busted out head or tail light or your vehicle matched a description of one used in crime..Like Caver said "Stay cool" for God's sake STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE...Avoid the irate citizen routine or the why are you cops always stopping me? speech..Things wil go a lot smoother..

 

[MJS]

Nice article! As we saw from that video that was posted of a traffic stop, things can go south real fast. The few times that I have been stopped, I did as much as I could to put the officers mind at ease, ie: don't make any sudden movement, kept my hands on the wheel, in plain sight, and at night, turned on the interior light.

Their job is hard enough. Why not do a little something to help ease the situation.

Mike

 

[Sukerkin]

Quite right, MJS. If the law-abiding amongst us would bear in mind that cops are not telepaths and don't know you're as "innocent as the driven snow" straight away then I think thing's'd be easier all round.

 

[morph4me]

You did something to get pulled over..Ran a red light, illegal turn or a busted out head or tail light or your vehicle matched a description of one used in crime..Like Caver said "Stay cool" for God's sake STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE...Avoid the irate citizen routine or the why are you cops always stopping me? speech..Things wil go a lot smoother..

I generally put on my inside light and keep both hands on the wheel. I figure it keeps me from making him nervous, and I do my best not to make people nervous when they're armed

 

[arnisador]

Good article!

keep both hands on the wheel. I figure it keeps me from making him nervous

Yup, definitely--and the same for passengers (fingers on the dashboard). It's a courtesy to a (justly) concenred LEO.

 

[theletch1]

Want to see a nervous LEO? Be driving an 18 wheeler when you get pulled over. There is no way that the officer can see what's going on in the vehicle...especially if it's a long haul truck and has a sleeper. It goes from being a traffic stop to home entry. I always roll down my window, lay both hands up on the driver side window and look back to make eye contact with the officer as he approaches. As many officers will run a CB radio I'll try to contact them on the radio soon as I see their blue lights to let them know I see them and am looking for a safe place to pull over.

 

[exile]

It hasn't happened to me very often... but the few times I've been pulled over, I've usually had my head in buried in my hands with my arms resting on the steering by the time the LEO was at my window, in a state of sufficient despair that just about every time the officer wound up consoling me and telling me it was no big deal. It's so depressing to find yourself in that situation... we were all socialized so strongly back then to be 'good'....

 

[MA-Caver]

Last time I was pulled over, I was driving through a mid-sized city (at the speed limit) in a friend's vehicle. It was late getting on 1 a.m. and as soon as I saw the red-n-blues in my mirrors I pulled immediately over, put it in park and then waited. Watching in the rear view door mirror when I saw the officer get out of his car, I turned ours off. Rolled down the window and put my hands on the steering wheel (fingers open/splayed -- as gripping the steering wheel could be construed as tense and anxious). When he reached the barrier between the front and back doors he stopped (as I expected him to) and I carried on a respectful conversation with him, answering all his questions and giving him my license and the vehicle's registration.
It went well enough, despite back up coming up and having all of us get out of the car so the K-9 could do a search, even after notifying the officer that there was a (legal) weapon in the vehicle. Problem was that the search dog was "trained not for weapons but for drugs" and was excited at something he sniffed.
Oh great! My friend's car and I've NO idea what all he has in it. My friend (car's owner) was with us (asleep in the back seat until I woke him up... it was a long drive to a campsite). He too cooperated with the officers and showed the gun, sans clip and chamber-slide opened, and showed his CWP.

Let us go on with a warning, reason that we got pulled over was that upon reading the plates the registration showed no insurance. Sigh. Just what I needed.

Cooperating fully, being respectful, keeping hands in sight at all times, even turning my side to the officer to show that I was removing my folded blade because he asked if I had any weapons... calling it a "tool" at that moment wasn't going to be a great idea , moving slowly but deliberately and keeping a "respectful distance from the officer(s)" meaning just out of (my) arm's reach, so that I would have to visibly move towards him to make contact. Clear speech, alert eyes asking permission to do ANYTHING... I think we made this a calming routine stop for the officers.

 

[Drac]

It hasn't happened to me very often... but the few times I've been pulled over, I've usually had my head in buried in my hands with my arms resting on the steering by the time the LEO was at my window, in a state of sufficient despair that just about every time the officer wound up consoling me and telling me it was no big deal. It's so depressing to find yourself in that situation... we were all socialized so strongly back then to be 'good'....

I'd have cited you for Illegal Display of Drama...LOL...

 

[punisher73]

I wish more people would realize that even though YOU know you are a good person. WE don't know you are a good person yet. Also, SOMETIMES we might be having a bad day by pulling over lots of not pleasant people and when you start to show attitude we might not have the patience left to respond and diffuse it instead of snapping back.

Here is a video clip that they showed us in the academy. It is Chris Rock's "How not to get beat by the police". It's funny, and seems common senes but you'd be surprised by what you see.

 

[MA-Caver]

Here is a video clip that they showed us in the academy. It is Chris Rock's "How not to get beat by the police". It's funny, and seems common scenes but you'd be surprised by what you see.

Rock is brilliant. Yeah, funny but true.

 

[Drac]

Here is a video clip that they showed us in the academy. It is Chris Rock's "How not to get beat by the police". It's funny, and seems common senes but you'd be surprised by what you see.

That is some funny **** and so true...

 

[shesulsa]

I wish more people would realize that even though YOU know you are a good person. WE don't know you are a good person yet. Also, SOMETIMES we might be having a bad day by pulling over lots of not pleasant people and when you start to show attitude we might not have the patience left to respond and diffuse it instead of snapping back.

Here is a video clip that they showed us in the academy. It is Chris Rock's "How not to get beat by the police". It's funny, and seems common senes but you'd be surprised by what you see.

Brilliant!!

 

[Guardian]

Brilliant!!

That's just as funny as all get out LMBO.

 

[Sukerkin]

Finally got to see the Chris Rock vid - most amusing ... and such memorably phrased simple rules to remember too :lol: