A Comprehensive Guide to Dealing with Police (No Snitching Involved)

[sinsemillapleas]

Originally Posted by Lawn Boy

Yeah... avoid being paranoid at all costs. That being said, there is no need to provide answers to their intrusive line of questioning. All you owe them is a name. If they ask other questions just deflect them with questions of your own. If you have done nothing wrong the law views cop as having no more power over you than a private citizen. Would you tell a random stranger where you are going or allow them to search you or your property? I think not...

Q: "Where are you headed?"
A: "Why did you stop me sir? Have I done something wrong?"
A: "Am I being detained or am I free to leave?"

I we keep allowing police officers into our private lives what is left to encourage them to operate under the protections of the bill of rights?

Originally Posted by lawnboy

The problem is, that usually seems confrontational to a cop. If you are simply walking somewhere and a cop asks you what is up, it is best to just tell him you are on your way to some location, even if it isn't really your destination. To a cop, a simple question such as where a dude is headed is a reasonable thing to request, and he he is going to think you have something to hide when you don't tell him. When you do counter with a question, even one so politely worded as yours, some cops will even think you are playing smart with them and will hassle you further. But if a cop walks up and you tell him where you are headed confidently, then you just look like an average citizen going about their business.

Think like a cop for a second. If some guy is walking along on the sidewalk and you stop him and ask him where he is headed and he says "why am I being stopped, did I do something wrong?" is going to seem odd because it makes it seem like he is on the defensive right away has some reason to not answer what you just asked him, such as not wanting the cop to know where he is going. If he said "oh, I'm on my way home it's just a few blocks away" or some shit, that seems more like the average response, and even if you didn't believe him you can always just ask where he lives and radio in the name, which is what most cops do to see if you the guy isn't lying.

Edit: In the instance you describe the cop is nothing more than a private citizen in the eyes of the law. They are not entitled to any information from you. Would you tell every inquisitive stranger where you are going?

Just because cops are used to people allowing them to infringe on their rights doesn't make it the right thing to do. If you want to indulge a cop's prying questions go right ahead. The law is clear that you don't have to and can't be required to and that it can't be used against you. A cop may hassle you because they expect full cooperation no matter if it is obligatory or not. Continuing to indulge them perpetuates this expectation for yourself and the rest of us. Just because they have a difficult job does not mean we should allow them all to cut corners at our expense. If you don't mind bowing to their abuses of authority and stroking LEOs' collective ego its your decision but don't expect me to endorse it here. I provided your rights as constitutionally defined. They are yours to invoke or yours to waive.

My guide discusses dealing with cops from a legal minimalistic viewpoint. This viewpoint maximizes liberty and privacy rights. These are values that most Americans proclaim are of great importance to them, yet they become scared to protect them when it comes to LEOs. I don't need to think like a cop... not even for a second. I don't exist to serve the needs of LEO nor should I. LEOs exist to serve my needs and the needs of other citizens. We should not be thinking like LEOs... they should be thinking like us. They should be thinking about preserving our rights to liberty and privacy.

2nd Edit: Your method of dealing with cops is certainly the easy route. That being said, what is easiest is hardly ever the best method and almost always comes at a greater cost in the long-term.

[zach2753]

Nicee guide man

[sinsemillapleas]

Sticky? Tell me if I seem too self-serving but this isn't information that should be slipping to the deep depths of the Apprentice Tokers archives. This is stuff that every citizen should be aware of... stoner or not.

[420gamer4life]

I think it would make a great sticky...

[420Skunk420]

This NEEEDS a sticky...

Everyone who smokes should know this shit

[sinsemillapleas]

bump for the newbies... hopefully the last one?

[Dr. Dedoverde]

Originally Posted by hugepeck

hell yeah, no snitching +rep fo sho 1st post

thats the funniest shit i seen all day, looking at your picture and reading this post! hahaha

good shit man.

[SwiftBlaze]

Does most of your guide apply to Canada as well? Or is the legal system a little different here?

[thompsonbassman]

Sticky! :d

[sinsemillapleas]

Originally Posted by SwiftBlaze

Does most of your guide apply to Canada as well? Or is the legal system a little different here?

It is a little different I'm sure... but you don't have much to worry about in Canada with weed... do you? I was under the impression that Canada was way lax on pot. In the coming weeks I'm going to be doing a little research on Canadian law and British law. I'll update the guide for Canadians if I find it necessary.

[sandwichman]

ha great guide man. i can relate to this with a funny incident of my own. we finished hotboxing a friends car (i'm driving) after we were blazing these fat js, i'm going at like 60 on 35 (dumb i know), when a cop pulls me over. the car straight up reeked, so i'm thinking shit we're fucked. the cop comes up, asks me if we go to the local college, and i'm so high, i started talking in an indian accent. the cop was a bit startled and after checking my registration and lisecnce was just like slow down friend and let me off with a warning. i was so perplexed. i cant believe he didnt haul my ass to jail. good stuff, never again have i hotboxed.

[sinsemillapleas]

Originally Posted by sandwichman

ha great guide man. i can relate to this with a funny incident of my own. we finished hotboxing a friends car (i'm driving) after we were blazing these fat js, i'm going at like 60 on 35 (dumb i know), when a cop pulls me over. the car straight up reeked, so i'm thinking shit we're fucked. the cop comes up, asks me if we go to the local college, and i'm so high, i started talking in an indian accent. the cop was a bit startled and after checking my registration and lisecnce was just like slow down friend and let me off with a warning. i was so perplexed. i cant believe he didnt haul my ass to jail. good stuff, never again have i hotboxed.

I've never known a cop to take it easy on students. You lucked out man... that's pretty cool.

[Gentle]

excellent guide. i have been stopped many times by LEOs while being blazed out of my mind and essentially followed this advice. the one thing that the original poster really grasps well yet a lot of people have a hard time grasping is the fact that you expressing your rights and "pissing off" a LEO does not give the LEO more rights to do anything to you. don't be afraid to avoid questions and ask if you're free to leave. educated people in these matters really do make officers very timid to violate someone's rights. sure it will anger the LEO to deflect his questions, but there's nothing he/she could do about it.

great advice here and critical for most tokers.

[SwiftBlaze]

Originally Posted by sinsemillapleas

It is a little different I'm sure... but you don't have much to worry about in Canada with weed... do you? I was under the impression that Canada was way lax on pot. In the coming weeks I'm going to be doing a little research on Canadian law and British law. I'll update the guide for Canadians if I find it necessary.

Thanks, and yeah they are very lax when it comes to weed, but they still do search u, and if they find weed they take it and if you've been warned u might get a court date or a ticket, so I was just wondering if I can still refuse the searches and what not over here.

[lim(x->0)]

If you do refuse a search and they do bring in the dogs do you have to get out of the car or open the door? how does it work?