You missed my point completely. Completely. If something catches an LEO's eye, whatever it may be, ESPECIALLY out of state plates on a back gravel road at 1am in the morning (I forgot the 1am thing in my previous post, my bad) in meth haven USA, this LEO is going to run your plates. If I pull up behind you and I see you twitching, not paying attention (conatantly looking somewhere else than dead ahead), constantly adjusting your mirror, looking down at your seat or into your backseat, I am going to run your plates. I run plates on "questionable" out of state plates as often as I can and like I said if Gpa and Gma are putzin' down the highway at 55mph and they have FL plates... the odds of them being snowbirds are quite high. The ones as of late, or so I am told, are the 1980's model cars with "Jesus is Lord" and other such omnious religious stickers on them. Those have been the shuttle of choice for meth runners in NW Iowa.
This is not an abuse, it is called patrolling. No one's "rights" are invaded if an LEO runs your plates. How do you think a good chunk of those people with warrants out on them get apprehended??? Some of you need to remove the tinfoil hat and veg out a bit. We're talking about checking your plates, not pulling you over, asking for "das papiers", and beating you for looking crossed eyed at the officer or not wearing your "Juden" armband. Lighten up, Francis.
Oh, and having a voice recorder and video in your own car not a bad idea. It will help you vs others in civil liabilities. Just keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of LEO's are mic'ed up and on video all the time when dealing with the public so if you are doing so because your tinfoil hat is too tight it isnt going to help you one bit vs an LEO.
i well may have missed your point, and i want you to understand, that i mean absolutley no disrespect whatsoever in the things i say.
the gravel road, and 1am thing does change things a bit. actually in those circumstances, i'd almost think you'd run any tag, unless it was on a car that you recognized.
but now you mention about sitting at a traffic light, and doing anything other than staring straight ahead. the guy that sits and stares straight ahead, is the accident waiting to happen. like i said.....i know what's going on all around me all the time. that requires me to be turning my head, checking my mirrors, and if i'm in my cargo van, moving a bit in the seat to help lok into the blind spots. again, the guy driving, that is just staring straight ahead, is the accident waiting to happen, as he most likely has no clue what's about to hit him.
here in nj(i think) it's mostly tinted benzes, bmw, or rice burners, that they seem to catch the drug runners in. most common(used to be anyway) are florida or ny plates.
as for running plates.......so far no ones rights are.......i was referencing what's coming. remember when they said ezpass would never be used for anything other than paying tolls? well, again, here in jersey(and i would assume other places as well) there's been speeding tickets mailed out. they timed them from tollbooth to tollbooth. granted they
were speeding, but in todays conditions, you take your life in your hands if you're on the highway only doing the speedlimit.
as for my recorders......i know most officers are. the locals in my area aren't yet. so that leaves it my word against his. 99% of the people out there will take the word of the officer over anyone else. the video and voice are impartial witnesses. and yes, it will help with any possible altercations with other motorists too.
my tinfoil hat fits me juuuust fine BTW.
here's one to ponder. i came home last night about 11:30pm. the 3 mile stretch of rt 30 that i drive had close to a dozen officers sitting in parking lots. it goes through lawnside, magnolia, somerdale, stratford, and laurel springs. 12 police officers. 3 miles. sitting there. light traffic that time of night. why? all of these towns, with the exception of laurel springs, has "problem" areas, where there's
always something going on. so why are these guys sitting out near the road, rather than "protecting and serving" those areas, which also contain good families?
i've asked officers that i know, and never get a straight answer.....except from one, that did say that the town he used to patrol in does indeed have quotas.
anyway, those of you that are truly trying to make things better for the rest of us(you sound much more professional than our other pd friend) i <<S>> you. it's a job that i could never do.