• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Stopped by the police tonight

A

autosurgeon

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
3,831
Location
Lawrence, Michigan, United States
imported post

Just thought I would relate this.

I was coming back from an instructors meeting at River Valley High School in Berrian County and was on I-94 near Benton Harbor when a State trooper pulled in behind me and started following me.

As I was going 70 mph with the cruise set... I knew it wasn't for speed.

NOTE it was 7:45 PM... Dark out. He followed me for 2 miles at which point he put on the party lights and I pulled off on the Niles Ave exit.

I put on the dome light vehicle in park and turned off the radio... He walks up and starts to say License and registration. But I cut him off and said " Sir before we go any further I would like to inform you that I am a CPL Holder and I am carrying on my right side IWB." He smiles and says "NO Problem!" Can I see License and registration and proof of ins. And your CPL please"

So then I tell him I will be reaching for my wallet right hip pocket... He says ok go ahead.

I give him my stuff and he says well the reason I pulled you over is you have a bad connection or bulb on you left outer tailight bulb as it is flickering. I will be right back.... 2 min later he is back and hands me my stuff and says drive safe and have a good evening!

So kudos to that Trooper!! He was friendly professional and a credit to the badge!

Oh and just for the record I did not carry in the school.... The gun was locked in the safe in the car.
 
G

ghostrider

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
1,416
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
imported post

autosurgeon wrote:
Just thought I would relate this.

I was coming back from an instructors meeting at River Valley High School in Berrian County and was on I-94 near Benton Harbor when a State trooper pulled in behind me and started following me.

As I was going 70 mph with the cruise set... I knew it wasn't for speed.

NOTE it was 7:45 PM... Dark out. He followed me for 2 miles at which point he put on the party lights and I pulled off on the Niles Ave exit.

I put on the dome light vehicle in park and turned off the radio... He walks up and starts to say License and registration. But I cut him off and said " Sir before we go any further I would like to inform you that I am a CPL Holder and I am carrying on my right side IWB." He smiles and says "NO Problem!" Can I see License and registration and proof of ins. And your CPL please"

So then I tell him I will be reaching for my wallet right hip pocket... He says ok go ahead.

I give him my stuff and he says well the reason I pulled you over is you have a bad connection or bulb on you left outer tailight bulb as it is flickering. I will be right back.... 2 min later he is back and hands me my stuff and says drive safe and have a good evening!

So kudos to that Trooper!! He was friendly professional and a credit to the badge!

Oh and just for the record I did not carry in the school.... The gun was locked in the safe in the car.
Click to expand...
Nice to hear there is another officer who is a credit to the badge. I've said it before, usually when an officer pulls one over, he tells the person the RAS right away. I see it as a sign of a fishing expedition when they don't.
 
C

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
imported post

autosurgeon wrote:
SNIP So kudos to that Trooper!! He was friendly professional and a credit to the badge!
Click to expand...
Not to argue with the OPer, but I can't say kudos to the officer.

The OP was pulled over for a fishing expedition. The proof is in the demand for license, regristration and insurance. To contrast, for illustrative purposes, if all he really wanted was to let the OPknow hehad a bum bulb, the officer could have just said, "Sir, you might want to check that back left bulb. Have a nice evening."

Just because some courts somewhere have said so, now we have to endure being treated as a criminal suspect and verified as to identity and status while the cops get to fish. And the 4th Amendment died just that little bit more.
 
Venator

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
imported post

autosurgeon wrote:
In MI any time they stop you IN a vehicle they have the legal right to ask for license and registration... On foot not so much...
Click to expand...
True, but his point is valid. He didn't have to ask for ID, he could have just said "your tail light is flickering get it checked out". It was an excuse, like 99% of all traffic stops are, to fish for other more serious violations. Sad but true.
 
C

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
imported post

Venator wrote:
autosurgeon wrote:
In MI any time they stop you IN a vehicle they have the legal right to ask for license and registration... On foot not so much...
Click to expand...
True, but his point is valid. He didn't have to ask for ID, he could have just said "your tail light is flickering get it checked out". It was an excuse, like 99% of all traffic stops are, to fish for other more serious violations. Sad but true.
Click to expand...

I'm betting whichever court(s) authorized this carefully weighed "society's interest" and "the government's interest" in ferreting out crime and traffic safety,while carefully omitting to weigh out the long term and broader effects on innocent people.

Yeah, like we should really let the government decideon whether and how it should apply a policy designed to restrict the government. That was the first mistake.
 
G

ghostrider

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
1,416
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
imported post

Venator wrote:
autosurgeon wrote:
In MI any time they stop you IN a vehicle they have the legal right to ask for license and registration... On foot not so much...
Click to expand...
True, but his point is valid. He didn't have to ask for ID, he could have just said "your tail light is flickering get it checked out". It was an excuse, like 99% of all traffic stops are, to fish for other more serious violations. Sad but true.
Click to expand...
Social Engineering.
 
A

autosurgeon

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
3,831
Location
Lawrence, Michigan, United States
imported post

Look he could have done many things... However they are pulling 300 to 100 0 pounds of weed off that stretch of road a week and an older car lou exhaust with a flickering light.. well... while maybe not ideal I get it.
 
Michigander

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
imported post

It's important to carry a recorder for the situations where you do get stopped, and to use some of this to try to prevent it from happening in the first place. :lol:


200701_SparkPlug_007.jpg
 
mel5051

mel5051

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
103
Location
Wixom, Michigan, USA
imported post

State Trooper already knew he had a CPL because he ran the plate while he was following him. I suspect he was wanting just what he got ie. the statement immediately that the occupant was a CPL holder, where the weapon was etc.

I listen to them on the digital scanner all the time, being retired and on disability it's my recreation :)

Mel
 
A

autosurgeon

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
3,831
Location
Lawrence, Michigan, United States
imported post

Oh yeah he ran my plate... he was less than a car length from me for a good solid mile while he read the plate and keyed it in then he dropped back to about 6 car lengths for the next mile... while he ran me and then hit the reds.
 
RabbiVJ

RabbiVJ

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
212
Location
ATL via DTW
imported post

mel5051 wrote:
State Trooper already knew he had a CPL because he ran the plate while he was following him. I suspect he was wanting just what he got ie. the statement immediately that the occupant was a CPL holder, where the weapon was etc.

I listen to them on the digital scanner all the time, being retired and on disability it's my recreation :)

Mel
Click to expand...
afaik isnt it tied to your licence in LEIN, not your plate?
 
A

autosurgeon

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
3,831
Location
Lawrence, Michigan, United States
imported post

Ok i will break it down...

He runs the plate and it comes back registered to **Autosurgeon**

He clicks my name and see's that I have a CPL and a Federal Background check yearly automatic. (for my job)

He then pulls me over for the taillight problem.

As he now wants to know if the owner is driving the car he asks for Lic and Registration.. (this is my guess from ride along experience.)


I then tell him I have a CPL and am carrying... I then give him the requested documents... He then goes back to the car is gone for less than 2 minutes. He swipes the DL and makes sure it matches the lein info already up on the screen. He then checks the CPL number against the one on the screen. Everything is cool so he hits the clear record key and returns my stuff and says have a nice evening.

I reply keep safe and heads back to his car..he rolls quickly out into traffic and sets up a mile up the road and goes back to running radar. I pass him and head on home.

NOTE some of this is my supposition of what was going on...
 
W

wally1120

Regular Member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
693
Location
Jackson, Michigan, USA
imported post

I to had a similar situation earlier this month with Napolean Township Police, It was a positive experience. I apperciate how the Officer handeled the Traffic Stop. I know he ran the plate, and came back with two different CPL numbers off of it. And my Buddie that was riding shotty was carrying concealed, Also had my gun as well. Buddie was a little nervious, First time he was involved with a encounter while having 2 guns in his possession. And the Officer knew one of the guns was mine, Before he even got my License, And my buddies License and CPL.
 
S

sevenplusone

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
397
Location
Kent Co, Michigan, USA
imported post

For the record, in Michigan, when an officer runs your plate he does not get back CPL information unless he has a program designed to also run the registered owner which most do not. It's technically a separate transaction in the LEIN program. Usually the officer will run the plate and then run the registered owner before pulling over the car. Your plate info provides no information about the registered owner (warrants, driving status i.e. suspended/revoked/etc, or CPL info) other than the fact that they own the vehicle. It's perfectly legal to own a vehicle and not have a license and vice versa...which is why they must also have reasonable suspicion to pull you over such as a taillight being out or a traffic violation.

It's also very common that if an officer pulls over somebody who does not seem to belong to the vehicle...i.e. last names don't match, the story is shaky as to "well, it's, ummm....my....ummm...boyfriend's friend's car............" to have dispatch call the registered owner and ask who is supposed to have their vehicle currently. It's just a check to make sure they aren't dealing with a stolen.
 
C

conservative85

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
625
Location
, ,
imported post

The way i understand it to work is that if the vehicle is registered to a person with a cpl it will show that the registered owner of said vehicle is a cpl holder. The problem is that the cop has no way of knowing if the driver is actually the registered owner until the cop identifies the driver.
That is why cpl holders, or any one who barrows a car registered to a cpl holder should always keep your hands in plain sight till the officer approaches you.
 
Venator

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
imported post

conservative85 wrote:
The way i understand it to work is that if the vehicle is registered to a person with a cpl it will show that the registered owner of said vehicle is a cpl holder. The problem is that the cop has no way of knowing if the driver is actually the registered owner until the cop identifies the driver.
That is why cpl holders, or any one who barrows a car registered to a cpl holder should always keep your hands in plain sight till the officer approaches you.
Click to expand...
Ourcars are registered in my wife's name, so they have no CPL data on a stop with me.
 
Venator

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
imported post

autosurgeon wrote:
Look he could have done many things... However they are pulling 300 to 100 0 pounds of weed off that stretch of road a week and an older car lou exhaust with a flickering light.. well... while maybe not ideal I get it.
Click to expand...
Don't get me started on the failed drug war;). Another excusefor taxation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top