Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with police

Near Longfellow Bridge in Cambridge MA: What is going on?

vincele — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:43:39 -0800

Why are there dozens of emergency vehicles with lights flashing right now on the Cambridge side of the Longfellow Bridge (in MA)? Training? Incident? Other? I couldn't find any mention of it on boston.com or traffic.com and google terms elude me. Just curious.

Stick to our guns? No thanks.

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:13:46 -0800

How do we get rid of an unregistered handgun we inherited? Yesterday, when going through some boxes in my mom's home, I found a handgun. When I asked her about it, she said that it was my grandfather's, and that she had found it in my grandfather's apartment when he died (20 years ago) and had been carting it around ever since.

My mother does not have any desire to own a handgun. If she could make it disappear with a wish, she would. But she's not sure whether my grandmother obtained the gun legally, and she's worried that she'll get in trouble for holding on to it for so long without registering it, and for bringing it across state lines (we have lived in NY, NJ, NH, and MD (where she currently lives)).

I've asked a couple of friends and they say that she should just take it to the police and explain the situation, and that they'll take care of it. But as I said, my mom is worried about getting into trouble.

So - should we take it to the police? How can we expect them to respond? Is there some other way to get rid of it *safely*? My mother and I are both kind of terrified by this thing - we're hippie pacifists and we don't even know how to tell if it's loaded.

What rights do I have to protect my personal information?

notmydesk — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:54:57 -0800

I ran a red light and got caught by a traffic camera. I received a citation in the mail a few days later. Not my citation, though, someone else's. The citation showed a different car, different intersection, different driver. While examining it, I noticed the citation had a lot of personal information on it. This person's full name, his address, his date of birth, his driver's license number, and all of his vehicle information.

The coversheet of the citation had my name and address and citation number, which was one digit off from his. It appears they made an error matching up the two sheets -- I got mailed someone else's, someone else got mailed mine, and so on down the line. This was confirmed after a couple visits to the red light enforcement office and several phone calls: they messed up their mailings that day and a number of people were mailed the wrong citation.

The officers admit they made an error but say it's no big deal. I say, they violated my right to privacy by sending my personal information to a person unknown to me, and exposed me to potential identify theft or other mischief.

Just wondering what recourse you think I have, realistically. I live in Sacramento, California. Note: I'm not contesting my actual citation.

Not that I don't like it when non-violent protesters get permanant lung damage, but...

Truthiness — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:36:20 -0800

NoveltyUseOnlyFilter: Chemists- do you think it would be possible to develop a chemical compound (aerosol? liquid?) which could counter tear gas by causing it to break down/change phase? Like I said, this is a PURELY theoretical question. I would never actually want to subvert any kind of authority. That said, I am rather curious. Compounds commonly used as tear gas:

CS Gas

CN Gas

CR Gas

Do you think the development of a counter-agent could be possible?

What will happen in court?

lwclec072 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:09:55 -0800

I got my first ticket ahh! What will happen? Today I got a ticket, for expired tags, licenses and insurance. They all expired within the last month but I've been having a very rough time personally and financially (not very smart at all financially, i know). The cop only told me to make sure I had all of them renewed by the court date and then he let me go, thankfully. I do not have any police record, never have had a ticket before. What will happen in court? My friend said they would suspend my license, make me pay a fine and send me to classes. Is this true? If so around how much will the fine be?

If it helps at all I live in Louisville, KY.

What do you do when the court has no record of your "crime"?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0800

I received a traffic ticket for driving without headlights on in Los Angeles, but now the court has no record of my citation. What do I do now? I was cited during the evening of October 4th for "Driving without Lights on During Darkness." I had only been driving for a few blocks when I was pulled over and hadn't noticed my lights weren't on. For what it's worth, it was a fairly busy street that was well-lit at the time.

Anyway, the ticket says that I must appear at the courthouse by November 18 but I haven't received a courtesy notice in the mail yet. Assuming that the notice must've been lost in the mail, I checked the court's website and they have no record of a citation. I've searched the database with both my driver's license and citation number, but nothing comes up, even though it's past the "21 days" it sometimes takes for the citation to appear in the system.

I've called the court and navigated the automated phone system, but they have no record of it either. I tried to speak to an operator but the system was "too busy" so an automated message said to try the call at a later time.

Is it possible that the police officer, after the fact, realized how brightly lit the street was and decided to discard the ticket or not process it? Incidentally, I later learned that there was a full moon that evening, which could be counted as an extenuating circumstance, something which the officer might have realized himself. I don't know how likely that is or if it's even possible (or just wishful thinking on my part).

Does anyone have any experience with this or advice about what I should do? At this point, I'm leaning towards just going to the courthouse, which is a hassle, but would presumably settle the matter once and for all. On the other hand, I would like to avoid bringing the ticket to the court's attention if it somehow fell through the cracks and there's otherwise no record of it. Please help me, hivemind!

If anyone has any follow-up questions or would like to reply anonymously, my email is wheresmytrafficticket@gmail.com.

Thanks!

"How do I know you're not a cop?"

stinkycheese — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:08:37 -0800

How do criminals convince other criminals they aren't (undercover) police?

To Call or Not to Call

thankyouforyourconsideration — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:39:52 -0800

I called the police after watching my neighbor chase a family member across the street, yelling and screaming. I requested that I remain anonymous, but I'm worried that I won't be, is there a law about this? (state of Oregon). I don't want to go too far into it, as the details are unclear. But it seemed to me that one neighbor (A) chased their family member (B) across the street. I don't know exactly what happened because it was still dark (5am) and they were soon behind a trees. I heard what sounded like tough blows from (B) and (A) begging and crying to stop and "just let them go."

At that point the person from the house they were in front of (C) came outside and called the police. As C called the police but B seemed to be yelling into the phone. Actually screaming over C on the phone. At that point I called the police and let them know I didn't know what was going on but it sounded like abuse. The dispatcher spoke with another and I believed they came to an agreement on what to do.

While waiting for the police and EMT A became violently ill. A could not lift their head off the ground. C was assisting in holding the head up while A puked. B watched from a few feet away. Just to clarify, this part happened in front of C's house, separate from where B and A live.

First, I've never called the police before. Can I be certain that my neighbors won't know I called?

Second, I was horrified by what was going on and felt obligated to call, but now I'm feeling horribly guilty as there seems to be chaos unfolding on my street. (FWIW my neighborhood is middle to lower middle class). I didn't know the full situation and I don't want to cause unnecessary damage or stress. Maybe A was a drunk and irrational teen trying to run away? Maybe A had good reason to try to run away? Should I have waited until I was certain I knew what was happening? (Sorry for being so long, my nerves are shot and there are still neighbors and trucks in the street). Should I have just left the whole thing alone and gone back to bed?

Thanks in advance, throw away gmail for follow up questions: tocallornottocall@gmail.com

Busted by the pen nazi

hollyanderbody — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:42:00 -0800

I got a traffic citation last night, and I think the cop was a dick. I want to report him, but I want to do it the right way. What do you think? I was driving home from work last night in my husband's work truck, and he pulled me over because one of the tail light covers was broken, making the tail light white. Also the license plate was not illuminated, and partially obscured by the trailer hitch ball thing. Yes, I know, but my driving was scrupulously correct, and people were passing me left and right. I admit, I wasn't cheerful. I was anoyed. I had to call my husband asking where the registration and insurance was, and the heater is broken so I was freezing. The cop comes back and explains that he is giving me a warning, and hands me the clip-board to sign. I had my pen ready and began to sign my name, and he pushes his (cheap) ball point pen at me and says, kinda beauracratically, (I don't recall the exact verbage of any of the exchange, so I'm paraphrasing) "Use this one". So I said "Why" and he said "just use this one" and I said "why? this is a regular ball point pen" (it was a Zebra F-301 ball point. It wasn't a purple glitter gel pen with a fuzzy cap and a bell). He says, pulling away the clip board, "You want me to go back and make this a citation?" I was incredulous. I asked again "what is wrong with me using this pen" He said again "You want this to be a citation? Is that what you want?" So I took his pen and went to take back the clip board, and as I did so I said " I'm going to report you." and he grabbed back the pen and clip board and said " ok you just got yourself a citation".

He goes back to his car, and later returns with the citation, handing it to me, along with his stupid pen. I took the clip board, and began to sign it with my pen; Whats he gonna do about it at this point? He actually hadn't figured that bit out yet because he again asked me to use his pen! I said "What are you gonna do if I don't, arrest me?" He nodded in concession, I signed my citation, and he stalked away without another word.

OK so I know my getting to use my pen on what is now a $103 citation phyrric victory. My husband says I should have been cheerful and compliant, and just gone along with him so as to minimize the damage a person with power over me can inflict. I know that is the more practical approach, but WTF! Is it really ok to threaten me with a citation because I question his insistance that I use his goddam cheap ass pen?!

I don't want to argue this in court; not the right forum. I do wish to report him to his supervisors. I'm sure more level headed, and reasonable people in law enforcement would want to know that one of their officers is an immature jerk on a power trip. I think something like this should go in his file...

Hive mind, how best to report this? Thanks

How to avoid police charges?

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:53:07 -0800

After being apprehended but before being charged by the police, how do you maximize your chances of being let off with a warning? I was apprehended recently for theft under $5,000 in Ontario, involving items worth a bit over $200. The police were tied up so I was released from the store. The police called later on and I'll be meeting with them in a few days.

I'm 19 (so an adult now) with no priors and very cooperative. I spoke to duty counsel and then a lawyer afterward, and they said that if charged, I would likely be eligible for diversion. I don't mind completing diversion, since I realize I need to take responsibility for my actions; however, any sort of criminal record would be devastating for a number of reasons. Now, the loss prevention officer told me that for people like me, the police often just give a verbal warning. The loss prevention officer even went so far as to change the wording on my notice of apprehension, crossing out the "will" in "A Criminal Summons will be obtained by the Police on that charge after your release" to "may." On the other hand, I've heard that for cases involving hundreds of dollars, officers always charge. I'm still holding out hope that if I behave in all the right ways, the officer might let me off without charges (and thus no record).

My main concern is of how to talk to the police officer. I want to express remorse for my actions and demonstrate that it won't happen again. But would it be a bad idea to admit guilt in case the police decide to charge? I should add that the loss prevention officers saw me conceal some merchandise and attempt to leave the store with it, so I don't know if I have much of a chance at pleading not guilty. I'm just worried that telling the police officer too much could really hurt my options should he decide to charge me.

What do you think is the best way to go about this? Is the dollar value of the items too high to hope for a warning? If there is a possibility of leniency, then how can I maximize this possibility in my interactions with the officer? YANAL, etc. but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Throwaway e-mail at anon0602@gmail.com.

What happens if an arresting officer records your conversation with the public defender?

doomtop — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:48:02 -0800

What happens if an arresting officer records your conversation with the public defender? When you get arrested, at some point the officer will ask if you want to speak to a lawyer. If you say yes, they put you on the phone with a public defender.

As I understand, it is illegal for law enforcement to record that conversation you have with the public defender.

If they do record it, what are the consequences of that? Does that usually affect the outcome of the charges you were originally arrested for?

Speaker tries to ascertain his own cognizance

war wrath of wraith — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:24:14 -0800

What is the term for how police officers talk to the press in official situations? You all know what I mean: when they throw around words like "ascertain" and "cognizant" in an effort to sound extremely official, when in fact it sounds (to some) like severe affectation.

It's a difficult one to google because "police", "speech" and the like throw up all kinds of irregardless hits. (yes, joke)

How do I buy a police scanner? and which kind?

john m — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:56:19 -0800

I'm considering getting a police scanner, but I'm having a difficult time making sense of all of what I read. Can anyone break it down for me? I live in Richmond, VA. I contribute to a number of the local community blogs, and have begun to think that a police scanner might be an interesting tool.

Googling for info leaves me totally confused, though. Any help would be very appreciated.

What phone number do use to reach the police in a non-emergency?

TSGlenn — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:25:30 -0800

When you need to call the police, but it isn't an emergency, what phone number do you call? 911? (U.S.) Example: Fender bender. No one is hurt, but you want to call the police to report the accident. Do you call 911? You don't know the number for the actual police department.

Was it inappropriate for a highway patrolman to ask me to sit in his car?

selavy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:41:45 -0800

As a female 22 year old citizen, was it out of line for the male highway patrol officer to ask me to sit in the front seat of his vehicle with him while he filled out an official warning? I live in Oklahoma City, which may or may not be relevant. A couple weeks ago I was driving down the interstate on a Friday night at about 10PM and I was too close to the person in front of me and got pulled over. I was driving my dad's V10 Dodge truck and I am a 22 year old female, which may also be relevant. The Oklahoma Highway Patrolman pulled me over onto the area between the exit and the highway because I was originally in the left lane. He asked for my driver's license and insurance which I complied with, but I couldn't find current insurance in the truck in a timely manner and he said the expired proof of insurance would be fine. He went to his car for a minute then came back and asked me to step out of the truck and go to his car. So, I sat in his front seat while he asked me questions and filled out an official warning for following too closely. I had never been asked to get out of my car before when pulled over, but my first thought was that he was going to test me for alcohol, which I would have complied with since I hadn't been drinking. But he never asked me anything about whether I'd been drinking at all, gave me the ticket, told me not to drink and drive, and went on his way. I told my boyfriend and my mom about the occurrence and they were very concerned and thought that the highway patrolman's actions were borderline sexual harassment. What do you think? Should I have gotten in his car? If not, how would I refuse that to a police officer in the future? Answers from people with actual experience in law enforcement would be greatly appreciated.

How is it that people can post videos of illegal acts onto YouTube and they can't be found?

Sully — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:40:16 -0800

How is it that people can post videos of illegal acts onto YouTube and they can't be found? I remember watching a video where someone has a camera mounted on the front of their motorcycle and they thread through traffic at insane speeds. I always thought that there would be some electronic trail the cops could follow. A more recent example includes one where hunters shoot some ducks with callous regard in a pond, and another involves a man who let his 7-year old drive the car at 70 kilometers per hour. In both cases, the police are showing stills from the videos on the news in the hopes that someone can ID them. But can't they just trace it back electronically? I would have thought that the cops' ability to track down the posters would have been better than this.

What happens when police find dead people?

bensherman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:16:17 -0800

What happens when police find dead people? Over the weekend, I came across a dead person in front of a store, slumped over on a bench. It was a rather deserted area, he'd been there a while. I called 911 and they sent out a paramedic and police. The fire department and paramedics came, quickly followed by police. They determined he was in fact dead, and covered him in a sheet.

The police asked me for my information (Name, DOB, address, phone number). One of the firemen said it was an overdose. Everyone who I talked to was super well trained and knew exactly what to do (including keeping me busy so I wouldn't get freaked out). I asked if they needed me for anything more and went on my way. I wanted to see what would happen, but also wanted to get out of the way. This leads to a few questions.

What happened next? I drove by again a few hours later on my way home and there were more police there. The body was still there, still covered up. Who normally takes them away? Where does he go? How do they clean up?

What did the police do with my information? In what circumstances might I be able to help the police? Was it only for questioning in case I had something to do with it?

The law behind the controversy.

zardoz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:40:48 -0800

Some legal questions about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. If I am in my home and a police officer comes to the door and either asks or orders me to step outside, for whatever reason, am I legally obligated to do so? My dad says I am, I think not. Who's right?

Also, for the reason that Gates was arrested: basically yelling and screaming and causing a scene. Is it illegal to yell at a police officer? Does it make a difference if it occurs in the individual's home or happens elsewhere? Is it completely up to the officer to decide if the law has been broken in that instance?

Bad Constable, Bad Constable / Whatcha gonna do?

spoobnooble — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:47:57 -0800

CanuckFilter: Members of the Ontario Provincial Police, as well as a variety of other Canadian police forces, employ the rank of 'Constable' rather than 'Officer'. Is it inappropriate to refer to a Canadian policeman or -woman as "Officer?" If, say, you're pulled over for speeding, does it matter if you address the police representative as "officer"? (I ask this as a Canuck who has never referred to the police as anything other than "officers" or "cops". It never occurred to me until today to use any other designation. And no, I'm not in trouble with the law. I'm just curious.)

Do Phone Records Record Location of Mobile Phone?

bagadonuts — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:08:45 -0800

I'm writing a crime story and need to know the following detail about phone records: Let's say I live in Dallas, but while I'm visiting New York I call Joe using my mobile phone. Because there has been a crime committed, the police have subpoenaed Joe's phone records. MY QUESTION: When they see the record of the call, will the police know that the phone call originated from New York instead of Dallas?

Bring us your car so we can search it

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:39:06 -0800

Indiana legal filter: My kid was charged with misdemeanor possession Tuesday night. But, that's not the crux of the question... So, my kid was stopped by a small town officer because he had his bright lights on (I know...it's small town Indiana) Long-story-short, the found a couple grams of pot and a small pipe in the car. They didn't take him to the station, take his picture, or book him. They wrote a couple of citations and sent him home. Court date is in a month or so.

The step parent of a friend of his is an officer in the town and he got a message to my kid that the police may contact my kid in a couple of days to have him bring the car back to the station. We're assuming the intent would be to search it more thoroughly, even though several days (and a thorough cleaning) have passed.

My question is, obviously, is that even legal? And, what sense would it make to bring a car in several days after the incident? And, since the car is actually owned by me, wouldn't they actually have to contact me?

Obviously, this is our first involvement with the law, so we really have no idea what's what.

Hard drinking NY cops from the 20s and 30s

Artw — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:29:08 -0800

Are there any accounts of cops in prohibition/depression era New York being drinkers? Would drink be widely available to the point where no one would think much of it, or would it be especially difficult for a public employee?

Rental Car Accident filter

spacefire — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:43:10 -0800

Hertz fender bender, do I need to file police report, and am I covered? I backing up out of my parents driveway, I hit my mom's car with the rear of my Hertz rental car. Dents and scratches , but no other damage. I have Liability Insurance supplement but no Loss Damage Waiver as that should be taken care of by Visa since I rented using my Visa card. Should we file a police report?

Another question, related: The liability protection states, quote:
Within the limits stated in this subparagraph, hertz will indemnify, hold harmless....which by definition EXCLUDES ANY OF YOUR OR ANY AUTHORIZED OPERATOR'S FAMILY MEMBERS...RESIDING WITH YOU OR THEM..."
I don't live with my parents, I was just visiting, will the liability thing cover the damage to my mother's car?

Do you know why I pulled you over?

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:29:23 -0800

I got pulled over by a cop. I wasn't speeding, nor was I driving erratically. P.S - My passenger was standing up with his torso out of the sunroof. So he asks for ID, and goes through with the checks. He returns saying that he's going to let us off. He also made a note of the following, for both, my passenger and I.

Place of Birth
Eye colour
Height
Weight
Clothing Description
Facial Hair
Any Tattoos or Piercings?
Phone Number

So what's the deal? Is this being recorded somewhere? Was I given a warning (He didn't literally say anything along the lines) ?

I'm thinking this was just him entering it into his log for the night.

Please shed some light

Anonymous just cause I'm paranoid.