Disturbing Police tactics

[Wcross]

I am astounded be the Sheriff's dept in the county north of me. I use the interstate to commute to work every day. For the past 4 years or so, the sheriff has had a "drug interdiction" squad out on the interstate. I see them every day, and I question the tactics they use. I have seen people pulled over from time to time, black people, hispanic people, but hardly ever any white people. If the ratio of minorities to whites wasn't bad enough, they always seem to have these peoples belongings spread out on the side of the road searching vehicles. Why would anyone consent to a search? I have never been pulled over (even though I zoom by 10-15 over the limit sometimes) so I don't know what they tell these people to make them agree to a search.
Who would you contact to look into this situation? I am almost sure they are using racial profiling to make the stops. It is also possible they are making some kind of threat to force people to consent to a search.

P.S.

Another peculiar thing- we host the Bonnaroo festival every June, these guys didn't seem to be working that weekend- even though there was a good chance of drugs being transported to the rock festival.

[Caution]

1. write a letter to the editor

anonymously. (some police, by no means all or even most, can be vindictive) Keep writing them until they are published. Local government organizations tend to be very leery of bad press.

[damnraddem]

2. Hey, what do you want, anyway?

If they hassled the people going to the rock festival, they might actually find drugs. So, there are two counts against it: (1) the hassle to tourists, and (2) possible arrest of tourists. It's safer to hassle the defenseless.

[1monster]

3. If you refuse the search,

in Florida, law enforcement can detain you by the side of the road long enough (sometimes several hours) to bring in a drug sniffing dog. Then if the dog alerts on anything, they have probable cause and can search your vehicle without your consent.

If this is the same in other states, then it is no wonder that many folks consent to the search as a means of speeding up the process so that they can be on their way in as little time as possible.

Two counties south of me, there was once a sheriff who used these tactics to confiscate cash and other things from non-local travelers on the Interstate. The way the law is written, law enforcement can confiscate "suspected drug tainted" cash and goods and it is up the the rightful owners to take it to court to prove their innocence in order to get their cash and/or goods back. Most of the people so treated could not afford the legal costs of this and cu their losses and returned to their home states. That sheriff greatly enriched his office by such tactics.

These laws which by-pass Constitutional guarrantees against seizure by govenment bodies without due process were upheld by the Supreme Court, and these along with mandatory drug testing were among the first real incursions on the Constitution... The police state has been planned for a very long time. Drugs were the first excuse but were no longer enough to push the agenda far enough to satisfy those who want more power. Hence the war on terror.

[Wcross]

4. But...

Wouldn't the Police have to place you under arrest in order to detain you while waiting for the dogs? They must have probable cause to search, I think people need an education on the rights afforded to them.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Nope.

It's a traffic stop, and you really have no rights. None that count, anyway.

If you think you do, just try telling the cop you're leaving whether he likes it or not.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

7. eloquently stated

completely on point. The War on Drugs, which is a war on personal freedom, has been a power grab that has gone almost completely unchallenged.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Same problem here.

Joisey's racial profiling scandals made national news a few years ago, and there is still some fallout. But, aside from the head of the State Polizei being forced to resign because he said it was all blacks and hispanics causing the drug problems, no heads have really rolled, and no one has owned up to any of the problems they had. No apologies, and it took several courts to order them to release their statistics-- which they still haven't fully released.

They're forced to do more reporting now, but as far as anyone knows, they're still up to their old tricks. And no one's watching the small towns. Friend of mine was a NYC cop, and was on his way to a party another cop in his precinct was having a in a small Bergen County town. Stopped on the way, he was told no niggers allowed in town, in just those terms. His PBA card and NYPD ID didn't mean a thing.

Cornell West took a job at Princeton, but never moved from Connecticut. On his way down here 3 days a week, he said he was regularly stopped. At least once a month. Black guy with a beard driving a new BMW with out-of-state plates was on the list of Must Stop.

A federal judge was once stopped at Newark Airport because he was close enough to the profile. He wouldn't open his trunk, so they hauled him off in cuffs, and found out who he was when they saw his ID in the squad room. That cost the Port Authority Police a bundle.

Guy I know was a limo driver, a big black limo driver, and his big black Lincoln was parked in the driveway waiting for the customer to come out while he was reading the paper. Cop comes up, drags him out and has him assume the position. Like there's something suspicious about a livery car in a driveway...

I keep hearing stories like these, and can't really imagine it happening in any other civilised country. When are they going to admit it's a police state?

[slaveplanet]

8. this is just more

Acclimation by the totalitarian government that we now live under.They want to make sure all see it, so it becomes commonplace.It is just another step in the tyranny plan. Where I live this is not reserved for people of color. Last Time I took a 100mile jaunt down I80(toll road) I saw no less than 3 seperate middle aged white females with the contents of their vehicles spread out along the road, the trooper hard at work searching for terrorists. Stay tuned, much worse things coming down the Pike..

[1a2b3c]

9. dupe

[1a2b3c]

10. Why would anyone consent to a search?

Have you never been searched?

You dont really get a choice in the matter. One time i said no but they seen a bottle cap. They said it was a beer cap so they searched the car. It was a root beer cap.

Or the time i got pulled over for having a headlight out and they wanted to search the car. While i was in the front waiting on them i noticed i had my lights on and both headlights were working.

The last time i got searched after saying no was a few months ago. I had a suspended license. I was told i could either go to jail and not get searched until my car was towed or i could get searched and go home if they didnt find anything. I took the later one.

You dont get to choose to get searched or not.