The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters

[Guest canynracer]

I see where you are going, and it is not a bad point. The problem is police are entrusted with a lot of power. With power comes responsibility. When cops abuse their power, it has far greater effects than what you or I could do. They should be held to a higher standard because of this, yet often seem held to a lower, much lower, standard.

once again, you are making blanket statements about all cops based on YOUR bad exprience with a few....

Not all cops go on power trips, its like a antigunner saying that because ONE idiot with a permit makes a bad call, we are all bad, and blood will run the streets, and we should ban carry.....

[Guest SomeGuy]

once again, you are making blanket statements about all cops based on YOUR bad exprience with a few....

Not all cops go on power trips, its like a antigunner saying that because ONE idiot with a permit makes a bad call, we are all bad, and blood will run the streets, and we should ban carry.....

Not that time. Go read my post, and the post I was replying to.

[Paletiger13]

I remember once when I was around 23-26, I got arrested for public intoxication at a BAR of all places(in Mufreesboro). I wasnt drunk,had maybe 3 beers tops. I got into a confrontation with a guy at the bar and ended up throwing him to the ground( breaking his jaw). When he hit the ground he smacked is jaw on the wall and the floor. He came at me. The guy never pressed charges(his fault). Well, the police were called and I was hauled of to jail for public intoxication at a bar! I was never read my rights, wasnt tested for blood content. The arresting officer on the way to book me, made a smart ass comment"If I didnt have you in the car I could get that known drug dealer"( car passing by). I asked him if "Arent drug dealers more important than public intoxication at a bar?" I was told "Shut up smart ass!" Hmmm. When court came around I told the Judge my side of the story, DISMISSED! Court cost of course. I still believe in LEO and hope that one bad apple wont change ones perspective on all LEO's. There are some good guys out there, and of course some bad.

I still hated the night that I spent in holding cell, and the walk back to my car the next morning. But the judge was pricless. Thank you Lady Justice.

[Im Neero]

I was never read my rights, wasnt tested for blood content.

They don't have to read you your Miranda Rights unless they are going to interrogate you.

[PackinMama]

I'm sure there are many fine police officers out there......and to those of you that are reading this (you know who you are), thank you for your service.

Unfortunately, there are many bad police officers out there too. I personally have had several experiences where I've witnessed bad/crooked police behavior. I have seen officers, on more than one occasion, let drunk/drugged out people go free because they knew them (or someone in their family). I have known people that have "partied" with officers that would do and sell the drugs that they "confiscated" from people they pulled over. I could get into some interesting details about more bad police behavior that I have witnessed, but I won't.

It's really a shame to know that this kind of behavior is fairly common among law enforcement officers. I think it boils down to some officers believing that they are above the law and abusing their power. I do not like saying this, and I would never say it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. It's a sad truth nevertheless.

I know that there are good and honest police officers out there too and I sincerely hope that no one takes offense to the things I have said here. It's a downright shame that this type of behavior does exist within our law enforcement agencies. It definitely doesn't make the honest LEO's look good......and it unfortunately leads to the bad views of police in general that some people seem to have.

[Guest slothful1]

I have had exactly three encounters with police acting in their professional capacity. Two were minor fender benders where city police simply did their job properly, ascertaining what happened and writing a report. The third was a hit-and-run situation where I had been sideswiped by a tractor trailer on I-24 (I got the trailer license #, by the way), and the then-district captain of the THP treated me like dirt, suggesting that I had gotten drunk and done the damage myself previously & was fabricating the hit-and-run to cover for it (I was in a company car). I was perfectly polite & cooperative, and the guy was a colossal jerk, essentially calling me a liar repeatedly until one of his 911 dispatchers verified the bulk of my story, and even then there was no apology forthcoming. After seeing how THP's leadership is allowed to treat citizens, you can bet I will expect all police I deal with in the future to be exactly the same until they demonstrate otherwise.

[DaveTN]

My very simple guide to dealing with cops is never under any circumstances trust police.

Too bad. You have only yourself and other officers to blame for the fact that bad policemen have made me unwilling to trust any of you. Now, if you and other cops go out, and clean up your departments, and have policemen who can be trusted, then things will change. Until then, you are just another government worker with a shiny badge who goes to work every day looking for ways to violate my rights, and make this country a bad place.

Around here, the sentiment is not just an us vs them mentality, it is, you are a cop, or you are an a-hole mentality. Cops hate civilians. Hence why I have a rather jaded view of police.

Yes canyn, I do in fact believe that when cops leave home, and go to work, they actively look forward to infringing on the rights of us, the lowly citizen.

I simply have zero faith they are there to do right.

Wow…. You seem (or claim) to have a vast knowledge of what cops do and how they are thinking.

Would you care to fill us in on how you gained all this knowledge?

At 24 how many real encounters have you had with the cops?

[DaveTN]

I just joined this site a couple of weeks ago and as a police officer in Memphis I hope this is not indicative of the board as a whole. Police are generally not interested in issues relating to removing someone's right to keep and bear arms. The vast majority of police that I know including myself believe that the more good people with guns the better.

steven

Welcome to TGO.

There are only a few here that have <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:Street><st1:address>LEO street</st1:address></st1:Street> experience. I hope you stay to offer yours.

Sure the cop bashing gets old, but many here want to hear what those with experience have to say.

Thanks for your service.

[Marswolf]

My very simple guide to dealing with cops is never under any circumstances trust police.

I just joined this site a couple of weeks ago and as a police officer in Memphis I hope this is not indicative of the board as a whole. Police are generally not interested in issues relating to removing someone's right to keep and bear arms. The vast majority of police that I know including myself believe that the more good people with guns the better.

steven

I hope that quote you responded to was was hyperbole on the original poster's part. Regardless, I don't think you will find many people here who think they should never trust the police. I don't think he was talking about support for guns anyway, but questionable searches.

As a LE supporter, I think part of the problem is a perception on the part of many of the public that LEOs have one set of laws for them and another set of laws for themselves. "Professional Courtesy" has a lot to do with distrust of the police. And a handful of corrupt police taint the view of the public toward all officers.

Cops need to be treated like the public when not doing something permitted by their duty, and corrupt cops need to be rooted out by their department and fired or prosecuted as appropriate. In short, all police officers from the Sheriff or Chief on down need to act professionally. If that happens, then the public's distrust of LEOs will disappear.

[molonlabetn]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and to state it as long as personal attacks are absent.

I think that the common attitude of mistrust towards law-enforcement in general does have some valid basis, albeit exaggerated, but entirely due to documented abuses. I would like to remind everyone that similar harshness is directed towards politicians and liberals in general, but we all know that it is the over-eager minority of any group which makes the others look bad and draws our ire... let us not make the same mistake by driving the wedge between the many upstanding members of law enforcement and ourselves. We're all here for the same reason.

[Im Neero]

We're all here for the same reason.

We're all here on this forum for the same reason, or did you just get really deep for a second?

[molonlabetn]

We're all here on this forum for the same reason, or did you just get really deep for a second?

A little of both...

Now, excuse me while I have a good cry. I'm just overwhelmed by my feelings...

[The Rabbi]

A little of both...

Now, excuse me while I have a good cry. I'm just overwhelmed by my feelings...

I think Eddie can get us all past this partisan bickering into a new era of cooperation and understanding. Or maybe that's Obama I'm thinking of.

More seriously, the difference between abusive cops and abusive politicians is that when a cop faces a private citizen, there is a huge power discrepency. The citizen is literally at the officer's mercy for that time. So a bad one with a poor attitude can inflict some significant damage. And unfortunately there is no "kosher symbol" for cops so you can just look at one and tell he's going to be a good guy. Granted they have similar issues, being unable to look at the person they just stopped and know for sure he/she isnt going to pull a gun and blast him through the window.

[molonlabetn]

I think Eddie can get us all past this partisan bickering into a new era of cooperation and understanding. Or maybe that's Obama I'm thinking of.

More seriously, the difference between abusive cops and abusive politicians is that when a cop faces a private citizen, there is a huge power discrepency. The citizen is literally at the officer's mercy for that time. So a bad one with a poor attitude can inflict some significant damage. And unfortunately there is no "kosher symbol" for cops so you can just look at one and tell he's going to be a good guy. Granted they have similar issues, being unable to look at the person they just stopped and know for sure he/she isnt going to pull a gun and blast him through the window.

Follow me and I will lead you into a new age of peace and self-realization!

I dunno... the police are the boots-on-the-ground which execute the policies created by the politicians on an individual basis. Yes, the police have more direct power, but it is not them I ultimately fear, and that's because I don't willfully violate the just policies of the politicians.

If the criminals who are caught were punished more harshly, by keeping them out of society, the police could be far more confident that a person whom they run across on the street is a good guy, unless they witness a crime being committed. Sure, there isn't space in prison for every petty offender, so the line has to be drawn somewhere, but it wouldn't be hard to draw that line well separated from those who would be a threat to public safety or the safety of LEOs... There sure are plenty of pine boxes and burial plots for the capital offenders, on the other hand.

[Mike.357]

I tell ya, maybe in my life I have had encounters with police where them being involved improved the situation, but honestly none come to mind. I can think of a couple of instances where things got way worse because of cops being involved.

I have no doubt that the percentage of jack ass cops is the same as the percentage of jack asses in most any other profession. It is just that when one encounters a jerk cop it tends to stick with you more so than when you encounter a jerk anywhere else.

Things I take with me from this thread.

1. Never ever consent to a search of my person, vehicle, or other property.

2. Speak first, don't wait to be spoken to.

3. Memorize and use the phrase "Am I free to go?"

[Marswolf]

Sure, there isn't space in prison for every petty offender,

Well when the politicians make every petty action you do, even ones that harm no one else, a crime then you can't build prisons fast enough to hold the "criminals." But politicians do that because they want to retain power and the people want people who disagree with them to be criminals.

I think that is criminal.

[dariks]

I look forward to getting different impressions throughout my tenure here that one just kind of irked me.

steven

I guarantee that sooner or later another thread or comment will irk you. You just have to decide if the bad outweighs the good at TGO. My opinion is that the good FAR outweighs the bad here. This is definitely one of the better forums on the internet.

[The Rabbi]

I guarantee that sooner or later another thread or comment will irk you. You just have to decide if the bad outweighs the good at TGO. My opinion is that the good FAR outweighs the bad here. This is definitely one of the better forums on the internet.

+1. +1000 even. In general the folks here are the nicest, sanest bunch I've seen on any gun forum. Part of it I think comes from the fact that I see about a quarter of them on some regular basis. So it's more personal.

And if you're irked because some guy expressed a negative attitude towards cops, I'd say you're in the wrong business. Because there's lots more and worse out there in the general public.

[dariks]

Cops hate civilians.

For the record, cops are civilians too.

[Guest SomeGuy]

For the record, cops are civilians too.

I wish it were true.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilian

[Guest darkstar]

+1. +1000 even. In general the folks here are the nicest, sanest bunch I've seen on any gun forum. Part of it I think comes from the fact that I see about a quarter of them on some regular basis. So it's more personal.

And if you're irked because some guy expressed a negative attitude towards cops, I'd say you're in the wrong business. Because there's lots more and worse out there in the general public.

Who you callin' sane?

[Guest gunslinger707]

Cop's are HUMAN just like the rest of us I have found in my 64 yrs.that most cop's will treat you with the same ATTITUDE and RESPECT that they GET in RETURN. just my 2 cent's worth!!!

[The Rabbi]

I wish it were true.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilian

Fortunately we dont live our lives based on Merriam-Webster.

Indeed, if you aren't in the military, you are a civilian.

[Im Neero]

Fortunately we dont live our lives based on Merriam-Webster.

Some (|səm| adjective 1 an unspecified amount or number of) of (|əv| preposition 1 expressing the relationship between a part and a whole) us (əs|pronoun [ first person plural ]1 used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people as the object of a verb or preposition) do (verb ( does |dəz|; past did |did|; past part. done |dən|)1 [ trans. ] perform (an action, the precise nature of which is often unspecified))

[strickj]

Cop's are HUMAN just like the rest of us I have found in my 64 yrs.that most cop's will treat you with the same ATTITUDE and RESPECT that they GET in RETURN. just my 2 cent's worth!!!

+1

I dont know whats with this guy but like every one has said,please dont take his comments as a whole from TGO.