If a police officer asks to search you car...

Page 8 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Would you consent to a police officer searching your car?

  • Yes

  • No


Results are only viewable after voting.

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
1) it's never for shits and giggles, no matter what the perp says.

2) my computer is 100% legit, feel free to check it.

Turn on remote desktop and give me a admin account + IP please. I'd like to verify you are not doing anything I find questionable.
 

Venix

Golden Member
Aug 22, 2002
1,084
3
81
1) it's never for shits and giggles, no matter what the perp says.

Dateline did a story in the 90's about how Louisiana police would routinely stop and search out-of-state motorists with absolutely no cause. The producers drove a van equipped with a camera and were stopped several times, with the police blatantly lying every time about them committing traffic offenses, and one illegally seizing and searching the producer's wallet.

Of course it wasn't just for shits and giggles, it was to seize people's property and sell it at auction. Among the many examples of disgusting abuses of power were a woman whose car was seized because it had a small compartment in the trunk--it could be used to hide drugs, even though no evidence of drugs was found--and a police chief who was caught on camera planting narcotics in an innocent person's car. A similar scam was recently perpetrated byTenaha, Texas, where the corrupt cops would threaten people with false charges to get them to forfeit their property.

People like you deserve to be brutalized by dirty cops.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
If your going to say no you should inform the officer(whether its true or not) that your vehicle outfitted with hidden microphones and video and that they run 24 hours per day and can only be disabled from your home computer.

Sad but true these days just saying 'no' won't get you very far and the cop will bend the law to do what they want when they know that its your word vs. theirs only. Accountability is the only solution so Technology is changing the game in our favor.
 
Last edited:

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
They can threaten all they want, but they can't arrest you for refusing a search. If they really have probable cause they won't need to ask you. The only search permitted without probable cause is a quick pat down to make sure you do not have any weapons on you.

If they arrest you for refusing a search (without a warrant) you are about to make some serious cash so don't worry about your time, just get a good lawyer and sue.

Although I'm on your side, I'd just like to point out that yes, they can arrest you for anything they want. It's the courts that decide whether or not you can be prosecuted for it. I mean, really the only thing stopping a cop from arresting you is his own internal thought processes. Corrupt he may be, he CAN physically place you under arrest at the scene, place you in handcuffs, and throw you in the back of his squad car. Who's going to stop him, you?
 

bobdole369

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2004
4,504
2
0
The answer is "No sir, I do not consent to any search without a warrant or arrest." Then you shut your mouth. Do not answer anything else about it. Don't say "I don't want you to", or "I don't have anything" or anything like that, and specifically don't mention your "rights". The cops know exactly what is illegal and what is legal. Simply stand mute.

If the officer gets the warrant, in all likelihood there is nothing in my car anyway and he has wasted my own and his own time.

If he still searches without a warrant u get a Miranda violation.
 

erikistired

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2000
9,739
0
0
Turn on remote desktop and give me a admin account + IP please. I'd like to verify you are not doing anything I find questionable.

no.

People like you deserve to be brutalized by dirty cops.

really? for believing most people are honest and not being a scumbag with things to hide?

luckily, not being a scumbag, i have never had this problem. but i suppose that's because i haven't come across these packs of dirty cops yet.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Although I'm on your side, I'd just like to point out that yes, they can arrest you for anything they want. It's the courts that decide whether or not you can be prosecuted for it. I mean, really the only thing stopping a cop from arresting you is his own internal thought processes. Corrupt he may be, he CAN physically place you under arrest at the scene, place you in handcuffs, and throw you in the back of his squad car. Who's going to stop him, you?

Most people do not realize this. Its sucha sham to because they can arrest you for something ridiculous and sure the judge will probably toss it out. However, you already spent the night in jail or posted bail money and wasted a day of work at court. So at the end of the day your out several hundred or more depending on if you brought a lawyer along with you just in case. The police should be held accountable for bad arrests. There is no score card though so they aren't.
 
Last edited:

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
The answer is "No sir, I do not consent to any search without a warrant or arrest." Then you shut your mouth. Do not answer anything else about it. Don't say "I don't want you to", or "I don't have anything" or anything like that, and specifically don't mention your "rights". The cops know exactly what is illegal and what is legal. Simply stand mute.

If the officer gets the warrant, in all likelihood there is nothing in my car anyway and he has wasted my own and his own time.

If he still searches without a warrant u get a Miranda violation.

your word vs. his = you lose every time. If you are going to take the route you suggested back it up by saying you have recording equipment active in your car at all times and this traffic stop is being automatically recorded and cannot be shut off without a trip to your home for the key. They should have no problem with this as it is legally within your rights to have whatever equipment you want in your car plus they are recording(or should be) the traffic stop as well from their cruiser cam.
 
Last edited:

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
no.



really? for believing most people are honest and not being a scumbag with things to hide?

luckily, not being a scumbag, i have never had this problem. but i suppose that's because i haven't come across these packs of dirty cops yet.

No, for not realizing that the 4th amendment to the US Constitution exists for a reason and demanding that it be respected by those granted police authority does not mean one "is a scumbag" or has something to hide.
 

Elias824

Golden Member
Mar 13, 2007
1,100
0
76
Since im likely not hiding anything in my car id probably say it was ok just to get it over with faster, though I would be tempted to say no just to test out my rights since ive never done it before.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Since im likely not hiding anything in my car id probably say it was ok just to get it over with faster, though I would be tempted to say no just to test out my rights since ive never done it before.

this is why we are losing our rights everyday and the 'abnormal' becomes not just consenting to an illegal search.

This is why so many are now up in arms about the TSA, they always thought in the back of their minds "it wouldn't be me".
 

Elias824

Golden Member
Mar 13, 2007
1,100
0
76
this is why we are losing our rights everyday and the 'abnormal' becomes not just consenting to an illegal search.

This is why so many are now up in arms about the TSA, they always thought in the back of their minds "it wouldn't be me".

The TSA can legally search you if you are flying its part of a special needs exception, they have been doing searches for a long time before now and no one has complained. I really dont agree with their methods I think they are abusive and ineffective, but they are legal. If you feel your rights are being infringed by the TSA the best thing you can do is not fly.

As for a cop searching my car I think more or less most people dont know they can refuse is the problem, not knowing and agreeing to a search.
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
Although I'm on your side, I'd just like to point out that yes, they can arrest you for anything they want. It's the courts that decide whether or not you can be prosecuted for it. I mean, really the only thing stopping a cop from arresting you is his own internal thought processes. Corrupt he may be, he CAN physically place you under arrest at the scene, place you in handcuffs, and throw you in the back of his squad car. Who's going to stop him, you?

No, I totally comply, get to jail, call my lawyer and then take legal action against him, the department and the city.

Hell recently there have been cases of men intentionally giving the finger to police, getting arrested, then suing and making cash.
 

brandonb

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 2006
3,731
2
0
I voted no.

I feel more scared of the police and government these days than I do anything else. When I see a cop driving down the road. My first thought is not, "Oh! I feel protected now, and I'm glad there is one so close to me in case I need their services." It's "Oh shit. I hope I don't get pulled over and harrassed."

I was illegally stopped earlier in the year, and they claimed there was someone who commited arson "down the block" ironically across the street from where I lived. I questioned where and they gave me a response. I realized immediately since I questioned where, that there was no arson commited, as I was just there not even 5 minutes before leaving my house, and there was no firetrucks, etc.

I asked why he had pulled me over, trying to establish probable cause, and he said my vehicle matched one at the scene of this arson scene. I said "Oh really? I live across the street from there." He asked my address and I gave it to him, and said they'd contact me if necessary and let me go.

I should have made it a civil rights issue. Got the recordings from the officers on the radio to see if there was indeed an arson commited that evening (there wasn't) but I already know what would have happened. The tapes would have been "missing." But atleast I got the cop to leave me alone by calling his bluff.
 

Jeeebus

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
9,179
897
126
I should have made it a civil rights issue. Got the recordings from the officers on the radio to see if there was indeed an arson commited that evening (there wasn't) but I already know what would have happened. The tapes would have been "missing." But atleast I got the cop to leave me alone by calling his bluff.

I used to believe that Rosa Parks had no rival... that is, until I read your riveting tale. You are truly a champion of civil rights.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
38,157
18,647
146
I voted no.

I feel more scared of the police and government these days than I do anything else. When I see a cop driving down the road. My first thought is not, "Oh! I feel protected now, and I'm glad there is one so close to me in case I need their services." It's "Oh shit. I hope I don't get pulled over and harrassed."

I was illegally stopped earlier in the year, and they claimed there was someone who commited arson "down the block" ironically across the street from where I lived. I questioned where and they gave me a response. I realized immediately since I questioned where, that there was no arson commited, as I was just there not even 5 minutes before leaving my house, and there was no firetrucks, etc.

I asked why he had pulled me over, trying to establish probable cause, and he said my vehicle matched one at the scene of this arson scene. I said "Oh really? I live across the street from there." He asked my address and I gave it to him, and said they'd contact me if necessary and let me go.

I should have made it a civil rights issue. Got the recordings from the officers on the radio to see if there was indeed an arson commited that evening (there wasn't) but I already know what would have happened. The tapes would have been "missing." But atleast I got the cop to leave me alone by calling his bluff.

You got off easy.
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
91
What if I do have something to hide?

Right my my trunk is fully of childhood toys from my parents house. I don't want anyone knowing my embarrassing secret of loving "insert embarrassing toy here".
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
Uh, no. You seem to be under the belief that just because a person does not cooperate in every way with an officers request that they deserve anything that happens to them. Sorry, it doesn't work that way (or at least, it is not supposed to). A person refusing to allow an officer to search their car/person or refusing to answer questions they are not required to answer is NOT a justification for the police to try to screw that person over in some way. Period.

There is a difference in cooperating and being an ass. Put yourself in their position. Are you more likely to listen to the person that will answer a few questions , or the person that has an attitude the minute you walk up.
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
Most people do not realize this. Its sucha sham to because they can arrest you for something ridiculous and sure the judge will probably toss it out. However, you already spent the night in jail or posted bail money and wasted a day of work at court. So at the end of the day your out several hundred or more depending on if you brought a lawyer along with you just in case. The police should be held accountable for bad arrests. There is no score card though so they aren't.

Untrue. They cannot just arrest you for no reason. Too many people have an outside view that they don't know what really happens behind the scenes. For every arrests there is mountains of paperwork to fill out and follow up on. No scorecard ? How wrong you are. When police arrest someone without cause that creates a paper trail a mile long. The DA has to assign people to that case, the courts have to process it, judges have to hear the cases. What do you think happens to a cop that repeatedly waste all those peoples time ?
 

Raizinman

Platinum Member
Sep 7, 2007
2,353
74
91
meettomy.site
Not all police officers are honest. They would love to score points with their Sarge. How do they score points? If he found a gun or drugs in your trunk or hidden under your front seat, this would score points for him and might even get him that long overdue promotion. Some might say, "I have nothing to hide", but thats not the point. You will only have nothing to hide if the officer finds nothing. How do you know the previous owner or your sons friend left some drugs under the seat?
 

erikistired

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2000
9,739
0
0
Not all police officers are honest. They would love to score points with their Sarge. How do they score points? If he found a gun or drugs in your trunk or hidden under your front seat, this would score points for him and might even get him that long overdue promotion. Some might say, "I have nothing to hide", but thats not the point. You will only have nothing to hide if the officer finds nothing. How do you know the previous owner or your sons friend left some drugs under the seat?

1) you've seen too many movies.

1) this is why i had daughters.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Untrue. They cannot just arrest you for no reason. Too many people have an outside view that they don't know what really happens behind the scenes. For every arrests there is mountains of paperwork to fill out and follow up on. No scorecard ? How wrong you are. When police arrest someone without cause that creates a paper trail a mile long. The DA has to assign people to that case, the courts have to process it, judges have to hear the cases. What do you think happens to a cop that repeatedly waste all those peoples time ?

It does happen all the time. ALL THE TIME. On little cases and on murder cases. Cops fuck up all the time. They make bad decisions, they write crappy reports, they are only human. I know personally many cops. I have heard first hand they often arrest first and let the court sort it out. If there is a score card it certainly isn't transparent to joe citizen paying their salary.

Bolder area:

- Bad arrests don't get assigned they get tossed out by the DA.
- You still have to pay court fees in most cases even if your case is dismissed
- Judge will never see these cases

I know this goes both ways though...for everyone they arrest without good reason there are plenty of time they let things slide that they don't have to. Its just part of the job. Cops aren't all bad as I've said I'm friends with several. That being said, just because they aren't all bad doesn't mean you have to trust them with your life.
 
Last edited:

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
It does happen all the time. If there is a score card it certainly isn't transparent to joe citizen paying their salary.

Sure it is, go to your counties courthouse , the records are there.


Bolder area:

- Bad arrests don't get assigned they get tossed out by the DA.
- You still have to pay court fees in most cases even if your case is dismissed
- Judge will never see these cases

Arrests have to be processed by the DA, that means reading it, deciding, filing paper work. It isn't a two second process.
If your case is dismissed there is no court fees because a dismissal means the court found no basis for the charges.
If a judge is not involved then someone else still had to handle the case. Do you think these people want to have their workload increased because some cop is arresting everyone for nothing ?