Behind the Badge:

PUT YOURSELF IN THE POLICE OFFICER'S SHOES DURING TRAFFIC STOPS

"Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman 'round the
corner."

- - W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), "Of Human Bondage," 1915

OK. How many of you have been stopped by a police officer because you
followed your inclinations while driving without due regard to the
policeman around the corner? I bet there are some of you out there who
have found yourself in that situation. I know that some of you have
had that feeling. You know, the one you get when the red lights come
on and you get a little afraid and really mad at yourself for perhaps
not driving as carefully as you should have. I know the feeling.

So how do you act if you get stopped? What is going through the
officer's mind and what is he or she looking for? And the most
important question; is there anyway to get out of a ticket?

First, you need to understand that traffic stops can be very
dangerous. While you know that a police officer is stopping you and
will be approaching your car, the police officer has no idea who you
are or what you have been doing before he or she observed you. For all
the officer knows, you could be on your way to work or to Grandma's
house with a freshly baked pie, or you could have just robbed a
convenience store, killed the clerk, stole his car, and rolled through
that stop sign back there, which is what the officer saw and why he or
she is stopping you. As Forrest Gump said, "A traffic stop is like a
box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." That is
what he said, isn't it?

The first thing you need to do is to pull to the right and stop as
soon as it is safe to do so, hence the name traffic stop. If you don't
stop, then we change the name to "pursuit," and you get into a lot
more trouble. Don't pull into a driveway at a private residence or
drive from a main street to a dark, dead end street. If you do then
you won't be stopped by one cruiser, but by a host of cruisers who are
going to wonder what you are going to come out of the car with, or if
you are going to run into a house and come back out with a cannon or a
host of friends and relatives. Any car that I stopped that pulled into
a driveway always made me exceptionally nervous.

Even if you know or think you know that you did nothing to get stopped
for, you still need to pull over as quickly and as safely as possible.
You never know, I have stopped people because there was a briefcase on
top of their car, forgotten by the busy person when they got into their car.

Stay in your car when stopped. If you get out, then the officer is
going to think several things. One, there is something in the car that
the driver does not want him or her to see, like a bale of marijuana,
a machine gun, or something worse. Two, one of the passengers is
wanted for something bad. Three, the driver is up to something and
wants a tactical advantage over the officer. Regardless of why you get
out, even if it's only because you are nervous or you think it's the
right thing to do, you are going to make the officer very edgy, and he
is going to tell you to get back in your car. We feel more in control
of the situation if all persons are in the car as we approach. If you
refuse to get back in your car, then you might be guilty of
disobedience to a police officer.

If you happen to get stopped at night, turn on your dome light. The
officer will be using his flashlight but the more light the better for
him or her to determine that there is no threat inside the vehicle.
Also, keep your hands in plain sight, preferably on the steering
wheel. Sudden moves or reaching into the glove box or under the seat
will set off all kinds of alarms in the officer's head. Are they
hiding something or reaching for a weapon? Is this Mr. or Mrs.
Upstanding Citizen, or Michael Myers from Halloween 18? Sit quietly
and wait for instructions from the officer.

Some officers will tell you immediately why you are stopped, some will
wait until they have your driver's license and registration. Everyone
develops their own style or procedure on traffic stops. If you wish to
ask about the stop or offer an explanation, do so before the officer
returns to his cruiser with your license. Stay in your car and wait
for instructions. If the officer asks you to step out of the car, do
so without any sudden moves. Some officers like to conduct business at
the rear of the stopped car or on the side of the road after they have
observed the driver and got a read on the situation. It gets them
further from moving traffic.

Now for the all important question, can you talk the officer out of a
ticket?

Unfortunately, probably not. The decision to write a ticket or not to
write a ticket is entirely up to the officer. Your best bet is to be
polite and answer all questions honestly. If you believe you did not
commit the violation that the officer thinks you did, the place for
argument is court, not on the side of the road. Can an officer make a
mistake? Sure, we are only people trying to do a job. I am not saying
that you cannot talk to the officer about the alleged violation, but
don't get into a debate or heated argument.

There is not one person who drives who does not think that a traffic
stop or traffic ticket is not a huge pain in the you-know-what.
Traffic enforcement is done in order to make our streets safer for the
motoring public. Without enforcement, our insurance rates, both
medical and property, would be even higher than they are now. So if
you get stopped, remember that the officer is only doing what he or
she gets paid to do. Please also remember that the officer is facing
the unknown and will be on alert. If you follow these few simple
suggestions then things will go much better, except for the ticket, of
course.