Consenting to be abused

I f I approach as you pull into a parking space and ask if you'd mind my rummaging through your car, the chances are at least 90 percent that you'd decline.

[Bill P]

Chapman, its akin to going through security at the airport. Inconvenience the masses for the safety of us all.

The ACLU should be brought up on racketeering charges and run out of business.

[Bill P]

Chapman, you and Zorn should head over to the Sun Times. You are ruining a great newspaper.

[David Leibowitz]

I had a chat with a Deerfield Illinois police officer, who was standing in uniform, armed, of course, suited up in a Kevlar vest, guarding our train station against people who might mistakenly choose to smoke within 15 feet of the building. Nobody was doing that, by the way.

He told me that I didn't understand what it was to be a police officer and that I should be happy that he stops people driving along the road at 3 am because they have a light out on their car and then ask their consent to search their vehicle. He said that it would surprise me how often he finds contraband, weapons, or other evidence of wrongdoing in peoples' cars.

He's right. I don't know what it is to be a police officer. And I don't doubt that this officer does his job as he is trained in the very best manner he can. I am not faulting or criticizing him. He is doing his duty to the bet of his ability.

But it is clear that police officers are being trained to stop people on grounds which would not be probable cause for a search and then, with a smile on their faces, ask people to consent to be searched.

I would expect this sort of thing in other countries. I am finding that what it is to live in America is rapidly eroding.

This is not the country I thought I grew up in. And it is becoming something other than the country of which I have been so proud when I travel to other places in the world. The idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is eroding. The idea that a person should be given the benefit of the doubt is eroding. The idea that a person is a wrong-doer and has something to hide because his tail-light is out or just because he is riding down a road at 3 am strikes me as un-American. Am I alone?

[Bruce]

This pains me to see the ACLU and liberal media paint a picture of the police being heavy handed. 99.9% of police are out trying their best to do the right thing. These articles make it seem that police are stopping nice families on there way to tour college for their kids and randomly ask to search their stuff. The majority of the people asked for consent searches generally have a troubled past and give off small indications that are usually only recognized by experienced police officers, often called a "6th sense". Unfortunately an officer's gut feeling is not recognized by courts as probable cause. So consent searches are the tool police are left with. Correct, these searches don't always yield evidence of a crime, but there is crime prevention that happens during this contact with the police that is immeasureable. Take that away and you only tie the hands of law enforcement even more. These searches are not a mere treasure hunt. How does anyone know before hand if the police stopped and did a consent search on a guy that was circling your block and about to break into your house? To take away consent searches is only hurting the domestic safety of this country. Support your local police!

[Cyberist]

The police are heavy handed.

[DS3M]

David Leibowitz wrote:

I had a chat with a Deerfield Illinois police officer, who was standing in uniform, armed, of course, suited up in a Kevlar vest, guarding our train station against people who might mistakenly choose to smoke within 15 feet of the building. Nobody was doing that, by the way.
He told me that I didn't understand what it was to be a police officer and that I should be happy that he stops people driving along the road at 3 am because they have a light out on their car and then ask their consent to search their vehicle. He said that it would surprise me how often he finds contraband, weapons, or other evidence of wrongdoing in peoples' cars.
He's right. I don't know what it is to be a police officer. And I don't doubt that this officer does his job as he is trained in the very best manner he can. I am not faulting or criticizing him. He is doing his duty to the bet of his ability.
But it is clear that police officers are being trained to stop people on grounds which would not be probable cause for a search and then, with a smile on their faces, ask people to consent to be searched.
I would expect this sort of thing in other countries. I am finding that what it is to live in America is rapidly eroding.
This is not the country I thought I grew up in. And it is becoming something other than the country of which I have been so proud when I travel to other places in the world. The idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is eroding. The idea that a person should be given the benefit of the doubt is eroding. The idea that a person is a wrong-doer and has something to hide because his tail-light is out or just because he is riding down a road at 3 am strikes me as un-American. Am I alone?

You are not alone, and it is a travesty. The amount of pressure involved with these situations is tremendous. I have been asked twice - I acquiesced once and did not the second time. The second time, I was pulled out of my car for a search anyway, since they said my driving looked wobbly (it was NOT). They made me submit to a field sobriety test, while a second officer (second squad car, yes, I'm that serious of an offender! lol) rummaged through the car looking to make a case I was doing something wrong.
Had my pockets dug out, my butt and my front touched, and was sent on my way with a warning citation. An even more useless piece of paper for a ridiculously useless waste of taxpayer (and my) time.

[DS3M]

Bruce wrote:

This pains me to see the ACLU and liberal media paint a picture of the police being heavy handed. 99.9% of police are out trying their best to do the right thing. These articles make it seem that police are stopping nice families on there way to tour college for their kids and randomly ask to search their stuff. The majority of the people asked for consent searches generally have a troubled past and give off small indications that are usually only recognized by experienced police officers, often called a "6th sense". Unfortunately an officer's gut feeling is not recognized by courts as probable cause. So consent searches are the tool police are left with. Correct, these searches don't always yield evidence of a crime, but there is crime prevention that happens during this contact with the police that is immeasureable. Take that away and you only tie the hands of law enforcement even more. These searches are not a mere treasure hunt. How does anyone know before hand if the police stopped and did a consent search on a guy that was circling your block and about to break into your house? To take away consent searches is only hurting the domestic safety of this country. Support your local police!

You're clearly on a different planet, or you're middle aged, male, white, and completely oblivious.

Im brown, Young, and have a look that would qualify me for a thorough second check through in line at the airport (EVERY TIME).
Despite my Italian/Mexican?American/CHICA GO Pride, I am still a threat (not just to the cops and pigs either, but to the rubes, regular folk, and the wonderful bigots on the red line every day when I go to and from work, S Side to N Side. Watch for the sullen brown kid with headphones.)

[The only good cop]

There aren't any. I have never had a cop protect me from anything. I have had them refuse to help. I have had them push me around, I have had them be surly rude and tyrannical. They have never prevented a crime against me or my family or anyone I know.

There is a reason we had a revolution. A big part of it was the "police officers" of the king of England took advantage of the colonists, including searches of everyday innocent citizens and their bleongings. Even those who had nothing to hide. It was recognized as wrong then and it is wrong now.

Never forget police are not your servants, they are employed by the state to oppress, to bully, to demean you, and to keep you afraid. That is why we need another revolution now.

We have become a tyranny in which the rich monied classes hide behind gated communities, buy their way out of illegal acts and use the police to keep others down.

The only good cop is a .... well you know the rest

[CherieL]

David Leibowitz wrote:

....I am finding that what it is to live in America is rapidly eroding.
This is not the country I thought I grew up in. And it is becoming something other than the country of which I have been so proud when I travel to other places in the world. The idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is eroding. The idea that a person should be given the benefit of the doubt is eroding. The idea that a person is a wrong-doer and has something to hide because his tail-light is out or just because he is riding down a road at 3 am strikes me as un-American. Am I alone?

I've come to this conclusion myself. But how do we go about changing this state of affairs?

[CherieL]

The only good cop wrote:

There aren't any. I have never had a cop protect me from anything. I have had them refuse to help. I have had them push me around, I have had them be surly rude and tyrannical. They have never prevented a crime against me or my family or anyone I know.
There is a reason we had a revolution. A big part of it was the "police officers" of the king of England took advantage of the colonists, including searches of everyday innocent citizens and their bleongings. Even those who had nothing to hide. It was recognized as wrong then and it is wrong now.
Never forget police are not your servants, they are employed by the state to oppress, to bully, to demean you, and to keep you afraid. That is why we need another revolution now.
We have become a tyranny in which the rich monied classes hide behind gated communities, buy their way out of illegal acts and use the police to keep others down.
The only good cop is a .... well you know the rest

There are good cops, but in an understaffed, improperly run system, it's got to be tough for them to keep from getting dirty over time.

I realized few years back that the more money a person has, the more 'justice' he/she can afford. The Cook County Judicial System is an excellent example of what happens under this premise; crowded, poorly staffed, crude treatment of its prisoners, with no assurance of a swift trial. After all, judges only have to work until lunch time don't they?

How many people spend DAYS in jail waiting for Justice who should never have been put behind bars to begin with?

[The Bloody Snowman]

As guilty as you may think it makes you look, just say no!

[stop feeding the machine]

Exercise your rights! Check out the video "Busted" for practical advice on how to legally exercise your 4th amendment rights when confronted by police on a traffic stop, on the street, or at your front door. REMEMBER: refusal to consent to a search DOES NOT create probable cause, no matter how the police try to twist it by saying things like, "you must have something to hide, or else you'd consent."

http://www.flexyourrights.org/busted

[Sock Ray Blue]

David Leibowitz wrote:

I had a chat with a Deerfield Illinois police officer, who was standing in uniform, armed, of course, suited up in a Kevlar vest, guarding our train station against people who might mistakenly choose to smoke within 15 feet of the building. Nobody was doing that, by the way.
He told me that I didn't understand what it was to be a police officer and that I should be happy that he stops people driving along the road at 3 am because they have a light out on their car and then ask their consent to search their vehicle. He said that it would surprise me how often he finds contraband, weapons, or other evidence of wrongdoing in peoples' cars.
He's right. I don't know what it is to be a police officer. And I don't doubt that this officer does his job as he is trained in the very best manner he can. I am not faulting or criticizing him. He is doing his duty to the bet of his ability.
But it is clear that police officers are being trained to stop people on grounds which would not be probable cause for a search and then, with a smile on their faces, ask people to consent to be searched.
I would expect this sort of thing in other countries. I am finding that what it is to live in America is rapidly eroding.
This is not the country I thought I grew up in. And it is becoming something other than the country of which I have been so proud when I travel to other places in the world. The idea that people are innocent until proven guilty is eroding. The idea that a person should be given the benefit of the doubt is eroding. The idea that a person is a wrong-doer and has something to hide because his tail-light is out or just because he is riding down a road at 3 am strikes me as un-American. Am I alone?

Late at night the cop is bored. Another "contact" for his nightly log entry. The tail light deal is the probable cause. The stop is the investigation. The consent search is a "fishing trip". If you say no to the requested search the cop can start to play games with you. The threat of impounding your car, making you wait, etc. Tell 'em no and you want to talk to their supervisor. A P.O.ed sergeant will make sure you're on your way.
After reading these comments it looks like America needs to reclaim its Constitutional Rights pretty quick. You folks in the city have been scammed for years by authority and roll over pretty quick to pressure. On the contrary, out here in the sticks, the cops are known by the residents and treated very respectfully. Unless, of course, you're a jerk.

[takeourcountryba ck]

Excellent column! Be aware of what we are losing right in front of our eyes! Let's take America back!

[Ben]

What can we do? one asks about invasive probes and illegal searches?(AND YES THEY ARE 100% ILLEGAL according to our Constitution)

You can bow to the man or be prepared to be snarled into the bureaucracy of madness.

In places deep in south America or China innocents are pulled off the road and asked to show me your papers, now toady because of ignorance and cowardly fear we are like them.

Our forefathers by now would have stormed the castle. I am truly ashamed of my own leaders and my own country, it makes me want to cry.

For all of you who think this is a good thing, you are stepping on our forefathers graves. You should be ashamed to be called American citizens, you are behaving not like intelligent men and women you are behaving like sheep following the goat.

[gassy]

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.
GOD BLESS OUR POLICE!

[Doomiss]

gassy wrote:

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.
GOD BLESS OUR POLICE!

File your comment under "Missing the entire point."

Big Brother Bush & Co can set up a camera in your bathroom to make sure you've properly inserted Dumbya's statue far enough up your bungus, since you've "got nothing to hide."

Cool wi' dat?

[DKO]

Most police officers are the same people who were the bullies in grammar school except now they have guns and the legal backing to hassle people all they want.

Sure there are good cops out there, but most of the ones I've met in social settings are gigantic d-bags who are drunk on the power that the citizens have given them.

[those wacky kids]

Bruce wrote:

This pains me to see the ACLU and liberal media paint a picture of the police being heavy handed. 99.9% of police are out trying their best to do the right thing. These articles make it seem that police are stopping nice families on there way to tour college for their kids and randomly ask to search their stuff. The majority of the people asked for consent searches generally have a troubled past and give off small indications that are usually only recognized by experienced police officers, often called a "6th sense". Unfortunately an officer's gut feeling is not recognized by courts as probable cause. So consent searches are the tool police are left with. Correct, these searches don't always yield evidence of a crime, but there is crime prevention that happens during this contact with the police that is immeasureable. Take that away and you only tie the hands of law enforcement even more. These searches are not a mere treasure hunt. How does anyone know before hand if the police stopped and did a consent search on a guy that was circling your block and about to break into your house? To take away consent searches is only hurting the domestic safety of this country. Support your local police!

This country's going town the toilet because of this idea.

Ben Franklin: They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.

in a lot of cases they're pulling over college kids who're driving crappy old cars. before my beater broke down, i was getting pulled over at least once a week because some light or another was burned out, or i was going 2 mph over the speed limit, then asking me to consent to a search. i consented once. then i started asking for badge numbers in order to report these rookie cops on power trips. interestingly, once my beater died and i started driving my mom's mini van around i never got pulled over again!

[Bill P]

gassy wrote:

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.
GOD BLESS OUR POLICE!

Exactly! It amazes me that so many people fear the police. Let me clarify. They don't fear the police, they fear the consequences of their own actions. These are the same people who want to leagalize drugs, listen to hip-hop and will vote for Obama.

The police need to start clamping down on these freaks. It's just like the 60's...They fear THE MAN!