reprint of a post i made in another thread

an aquaintence in law enforecement shared these tips with me

Last edited Thu Jul 23, 2015, 05:25 PM - Edit history (5)
('Should citizens always be submissive to law enforcement officers?'---> No, but they should intelligently process that interaction - there is a difference between that, and submission)


1) you get lit up, pull over as soon as you can safely do so - put on your turn signal to indicate that's what you're doing

2) once you pull over, turn on your dome light if it's dark - dont be seen reaching around the vehicle (I do violate the rule of reaching into my back pocket, before the cop walks up, to get my license registration and insurance card to hand to the officer - ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE 3 ITEMS ARE, AND KEEP THEM UP TO DATE!

3) have hands on steering wheel, window down, engine turned off (or keys taken out, put on dash)

4) have sunglasses off

5) do not reach for anything, without asking the cop first what you intend to do

6) most important, do not reach for anything while making eye contact, you might get the cop's gun pointed at you if you do

I'm a clean cut white male, and I always do this. The issues above are about showing a cop that you arent going to run, or pull a weapon, something they dont know, and have to estimate for themselves. That they can handle the stop without getting 'ampted up'

it goes without saying, that turning on the dome light presumes you dont carry illegal substances in your car, and that you dont drive while intoxicated. nobody is obligated to follow this advice, but if you do, your odds of getting an 'ampted up' cop go way down, and can in some circumstances, legitimately turn a ticket into a warning, as you're showing the cop that you do know and care about the safety issues of the circumstance (although, dont count on it or get angry if that isnt the result)

it's not about being submissive - it's about understanding, and cooperating with, the process that is occurring, that the cop has to process.

remember, you respect the uniform, not the person - and if you don't they take it personally, that the person isn't worth the respect of the uniform, and that's where a lot of cops get the chip on the shoulder

again, all of the above presumes that you (and any passengers) are not guilty of anything more than a minor traffic infraction, and that you KNOW there is nothing illegal in the car. if this isn't the case then look on the net for ways to politely but firmly invoke your rights (but try to make it the case (no serious illegal actions/possessions), to simplify your life)

EDIT: if, after all of this, the cop asked to search my car, would I let them do that? Well, that's never happened, and I think having the dome light on drastically reduces the probability of being asked, but if I were, I probably would politely decline. But again, the above actions suggest to the cop that I have no fear of a search (and I don't). The cops read that in how they size you up. Reading other comments, I realize I should have mentioned that while polite, I remain very businesslike and do not volunteer anything other than what's mentioned above - I cooperate with the stop, but I dont eagerly give up any rights

EDIT: One thing I'll add, is regularly check all the lighting on your car - particularly the rear: stop lamps, both sides and high center, turn signals, taillights, license plate lights, headlights etc - (you can take a snow brush or some thing like that between the brake and the drivers seat to test the brake lights yourself). A high percent of traffic stops are burned out bulbs, which gives them an automatic excuse to pull you over