Law Enforcement & Education
Former Military Police Explains Police Interactions (Mostly Applies to Traffic Stops)
Law Enforcement takes actions that are unfamiliar to most people and can be assumed wrongly, such as “Why am I in handcuffs?”
Have you ever watched a YouTube video and asked how much of that was lawful? Or, how much of that was necessary? Maybe you even read in the comments that the officer was not following procedure or that they were “too rough.”
Police interactions are very simple. They are not meant for you, the law-abiding citizen. Police are there to, well, police. Policing means: The word “police” is a verb that means to control, protect, or keep orderly. You and I are not the targets. It’s what was reported or what they witnessed that is the target.
The police officer is trying to do a mini-investigation right off the bat. Any obstruction is not only illegal but also a red flag for criminal behavior. Statistically, a mature person will let them do their policing and combat them in court or if there is an opportunity to get a supervisor there, then do that. A normal person will just follow along when a probable cause is present. But a person who has something to hide will always oppose it. So if you ever catch yourself opposing something, they’re going to try to find out what that is. If they are in the wrong, most will radio the station and correct themselves. Obviously, if the station says to bring you in, you can fight it right there, get a supervisor involved and try to win. And you may win, but only those who win can quote the statute of protection or are with an officer who can’t quote the statute they broke.
So let’s say the police officer was following proper procedure and you were arguing, then they put you in cuffs. That is called “detaining.” Detaining does not mean you are catching a charge or being arrested. Detaining just means that you are interfering inappropriately and for your safety and for the safety of the officer and the public, you need to be restrained like a child. Again, those who are in the right know how to explain it in a way where they are not obstructing or interfering.
Detaining is entirely legal.
A lot of the time, after someone is detained, they are let go after law enforcement does their mini-investigation and decides to let them go.
Also, a lot of times, investigations conclude that some law was broken and the officer doesn’t feel like letting that person go, so then they will inform that person they are arrested.
If you feel that you were detained unlawfully, due process still occurs, and you still get processed at the jail. Your time will come to get a lawyer and find out if that officer had a lawful detention before arrest.
But the tricky part is psychology. Most people feel violated when they are detained; that is normal. But that only means that that person does not have experience in these types of mature policing proceedings. They are used to their trips to Starbucks.
That is fine, too. Live your life. But when the judge finds you in obstruction, don’t be surprised.
Many times, police officers will not arrest you for obstruction as long as it is a minor circumstance and you are found to not have broken the law. Because that’s a lot of paperwork. Just taking one person to jail takes up like a quarter of a day, well, shift.
Going back to the police interactions, some people wonder why some officers are vague in answering questions.
First of all, the only question they have to answer up front is what their name and badge number are. If they are arresting you, they don’t have to tell you until after you are in cuffs, for common-sense reasons, such as safety and fleeing.
They don’t know you. As I said, the target is the behavior, not the person, so don’t be offended. And they do not attempt to decipher one person from another. That is how police officers die. They just have a blanket standard operating procedure. The general public would say, “I’m not a dangerous person.” Yeah, we know. But we don’t know if that’s you.
Each day, law enforcement around the nation interacts with belligerent people, people on drugs, warrants, domestic violence, teens with weapons, and more. One officer did a normal traffic stop for speeding and found bodies in the trunk. Another traffic stop for expired tags led to solving a cold case murder of an 18-year-old girl in 1994.
So, next time you are speeding or have expired tags, know that the police do not know if you will have a dead body in your trunk or if they will be solving a cold case today. It’s not about you; it’s about investigating the violation or potential violation to keep the public safe or to even save your life. Do you know how many people have fallen asleep while driving and ran through a red light?
To be offended by law enforcement doing their jobs is only something that occurs in a privileged country.
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