Motorist gives homeless man spare change and is detained by police

[dazzleman]

Back in 1993 I was stopped and written a citation for driving too slow....IN A SCHOOL ZONE! The judge tore that officer a new one......

WTF??  That's insane.

[dazzleman]

Seems to me you get more BS because you are black - or maybe you just are one obnoxious SOB

I think the tinted windows are a big contributor to this problem.  They're a "marker" for cops.  He sure doesn't seem obnoxious.

[Soup DeVille]

I think the tinted windows are attracting the cops.  They hate dark tinted windows because it seems that cars with those windows are often used by people with nefarious intent.  The smirk treatment must be annoying.  I like to be the one smirking, not the one smirked at....

Rule #1: don't give them an easy excuse by running illegal or non working equipment.

[dazzleman]

Rule #1: don't give them an easy excuse by running illegal or non working equipment.

That stuff is a marker.  I never got pulled over much, even when I was younger, though I've always been a habitual speeder.  I think part of the reason is that my cars have always been very conventional.  No add-ons, no ricing (though we didn't use the term back then), no tinted windows, etc.  And I've never loved loud music.  All that shit attracts Johnny Law.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

My Blazer did have dark windows but my Z28, C6 ad G8 all had 50% tint Dazzle! That's perfectly legal here in Ohio. It a lite smoke that officers can easily see through.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Hound dog of course there's always two side to every story but answer this. Why so many request for search? I'm sure these officers would ask to search the "Soccer Moms" minivan when she's stopped for running a stop sign or the "Well Off" gentleman that's speeding in his new S Class! But us young men from the inner city is subject to this treatment ALL the time! And this is from white AND black LEOs. As I stated earlier when they ask to search I just comply because they'll find a way to search anyway! And as far as all of the reasons you gave for intimating a stop I never said I wasn't in the wrong at times but how does me looking through my wallet make an officer feel threatened? And the stop in MI was for 5 over (picked my truck out of a group of 5 cars) the limit. And once again he asked to search out of the blue! AND he never wrote me a citation!! So Hound Dog can you explain to us why officers just seem to wanna search my vehicle? How often do Ask to perform a search?

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

The stop and citation could also be very valid depending on the circumstances.

And, if that judge had actually "tore that officer a new one" the officer should have filed a formal complaint with the county and state bar association, and, possibly even the state attorney general office. 

so you've never seen a judge give an officer a stern talking to? SMH! She told him that he should more careful of the stops he make! And that I was doing my part as a law abiding citizen by slowing down to protect the students of Cleveland Hts High! She threw the ticket out and told me thanks for slowing down in school zones! This is the same judge that presides over the show Divorce Court. 

[dazzleman]

so you've never seen a judge give an officer a stern talking to? SMH! She told him that he should more careful of the stops he make! And that I was doing my part as a law abiding citizen by slowing down to protect the students of Cleveland Hts High! She threw the ticket out and told me thanks for slowing down in school zones! This is the same judge that presides over the show Divorce Court.

[Rupert]

Rule #1: don't give them an easy excuse by running illegal or non working equipment.

My philosophy is only break one law at a time.

[Soup DeVille]

My philosophy is only break one law at a time.

That's ridiculously unrealistic.

[Rupert]

Fair point, but you get the picture. If you have a taillight out, don't be carrying a sack, etc.

I guess the thrust of it is if you're doing something obvious from the outside, don't also do something that could be found in a search.

[Soup DeVille]

Fair point, but you get the picture. If you have a taillight out, don't be carrying a sack, etc.

I guess the thrust of it is if you're doing something obvious from the outside, don't also do something that could be found in a search.

My rule is not to do anything obvious.

[Rupert]

Weren't you just doing donuts the other day?

[Soup DeVille]

Weren't you just doing donuts the other day?

Yes, but not obviously.

[Soup DeVille]

My rule is also not to take any rules too seriously.

[Rupert]

[Eye of the Tiger]

My rule is also not to take any rules too seriously.

That is a rule to live by if there ever was one.

[Rupert]

Yes, but not obviously.

I'd like to see that huge barn of yours do a covert donut.

[Madman]

The sad truth is DWB (Driving While Black) is enough to get you pulled over in most places in America.  Things like window tint, loud music or whatever is just a bullshit smokescreen to hide the real motive.

The important thing to remember is to never ever EVER give an officer consent to search your car.  Make them convince a judge they have good probable cause to get a warrant.  Also, if possible, use your phone to record the traffic stop.  The more evidence you can collect, the better it will be for you.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

The sad truth is DWB (Driving While Black) is enough to get you pulled over in most places in America.  Things like window tint, loud music or whatever is just a bullshit smokescreen to hide the real motive.

The important thing to remember is to never ever EVER give an officer consent to search your car.  Make them convince a judge they have good probable cause to get a warrant.  Also, if possible, use your phone to record the traffic stop.  The more evidence you can collect, the better it will be for you.

Agreed!

[hounddog]

Hound dog of course there's always two side to every story but answer this. Why so many request for search? I'm sure these officers would ask to search the "Soccer Moms" minivan when she's stopped for running a stop sign or the "Well Off" gentleman that's speeding in his new S Class! But us young men from the inner city is subject to this treatment ALL the time! And this is from white AND black LEOs. As I stated earlier when they ask to search I just comply because they'll find a way to search anyway! And as far as all of the reasons you gave for intimating a stop I never said I wasn't in the wrong at times but how does me looking through my wallet make an officer feel threatened? And the stop in MI was for 5 over (picked my truck out of a group of 5 cars) the limit. And once again he asked to search out of the blue! AND he never wrote me a citation!! So Hound Dog can you explain to us why officers just seem to wanna search my vehicle? How often do Ask to perform a search?

I would obviously have no idea what prompted anonymous police officers to do something on traffic stops where I have no idea what occurred, and for what reason.   

It sounds to me like you were contacted by interdiction teams.  They operate on a Michigan State Attorney General approved profiling package, which unsurprisingly does include race as a minor indicator.  I am not going to go into what the profile would include for obvious reasons. 

Interdiction officers are in regular non-police package cars usually and are not easily recognizable to anyone.  They also do not make traffic stops, so they rely on uniformed patrol officers for that and ask them to stop the car based on any violation they can find.  The officer makes the contact and usually does the searches based on info relayed back and forth with the DI team. 

It is my guess that you met at least 50% of the criteria they use in determining who gets stopped and looked into, and no that is not based solely on race, and has not been since the early 90's.   Other than that I have no idea since I was not there. 

[Soup DeVille]

Guessing that age, sex, and race are all factors there: does being a young black dude approach the 50% mark then?

[hounddog]

The sad truth is DWB (Driving While Black) is enough to get you pulled over in most places in America.  Things like window tint, loud music or whatever is just a bullshit smokescreen to hide the real motive.

The important thing to remember is to never ever EVER give an officer consent to search your car.  Make them convince a judge they have good probable cause to get a warrant.  Also, if possible, use your phone to record the traffic stop.  The more evidence you can collect, the better it will be for you.

First paragraph: 

Second paragraph:  Warrantless search exceptions. 

Like I said:  KNOW your rights, not, THINK you know your rights.

[hounddog]

Guessing that age, sex, and race are all factors there: does being a young black dude approach the 50% mark then?

No, not really.

Honestly, age more than race plays a factor in the profile package.

[Rupert]

Young, black, loud music? Is that 50%?

[Rupert]

First paragraph: 

Second paragraph:  Warrantless search exceptions. 

Nonetheless, always say no to a cop's search request. Don't resist if they "insist". Sort out the details of legality later. Recording the interaction can't hurt.

[hounddog]

Honest police officers do not care one little iota about being recorded:  they already are being recorded.

As for saying no, that is 100% a citizens right.  However, do not be surprised if the officer looks anyway.

Courts have held for at least 10-15 years now that officer's "smell" of marijuana, smoke or scent, is PC for a search.  That is a case-law decision, mind you.

There are other reasons as well, see the previous post about knowing your rights. 

[hounddog]

Young, black, loud music? Is that 50%?

Race is a minor part of a profile, and carries only a small amount of weight wrt drug interdiction.

How many black guys make meth?  Sell pills in predominately white communities?  Etc?

[Soup DeVille]

No, not really.

Honestly, age more than race plays a factor in the profile package.

Fair enough.

What about what direction the the bill on their baseball cap faces? Or whether the sticker is still on it?

[Soup DeVille]

First paragraph: 

Doesn't this statement: "They also do not make traffic stops, so they rely on uniformed patrol officers for that and ask them to stop the car based on any violation they can find."

Basically agree with and back up this statement?: "Things like window tint, loud music or whatever is just a bullshit smokescreen to hide the real motive."