# Re: I have a beef



## omd (Mar 18, 2004)

I've addressed this issue before. Recently I was pulled over by a local police officer because I had a headlight out. That's ok because sometimes people don't know and the officer is providing a service. 

As it was I had just come from the parts store with a headlight. When the officer came up to my window I showed him the replacement headlight and the receipt I had just gotten 15 minutes earlier.

He wrote me a "courtesy ticket" BUT my beef is HE RAN MY PLATES!!! This courtesy ticket crap is just a scam to perform a search on you. There is no law that says the officer HAS to perform an electronic search, is there? We do not live in a police state and I do not like being viewed as being guilty for no cause other than to perform a search.

What gives here? I know that most officers are ok and a courtesy stop is fine if you have defective equipment. I just see no need to do an electronic search especially when I had replacement part in hand and was 2/10's of 1 mile from my house.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2008)

Here we go.......

We can run any license plate we see, for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Your license plates are the property of the Registry of Motor Vehicles and you have ZERO expectation of privacy in regards to them.

Instead of whining like a spurned high-school girl, be grateful you got off with a warning instead of a $35 ticket.


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## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

omd said:


> He wrote me a "courtesy ticket" BUT my beef is HE RAN MY PLATES!!! This courtesy ticket crap is just a scam to perform a search on you. There is no law that says the officer HAS to perform an electronic search, is there? We do not live in a police state and I do not like being viewed as being guilty for no cause other than to perform a search.
> 
> What gives here? I know that most officers are ok and a courtesy stop is fine if you have defective equipment. I just see no need to do an electronic search especially when I had replacement part in hand and was 2/10's of 1 mile from my house.


Your joking right? 

Running the plate that was issued to you by the RMV is not a search. Your plate can be run anytime day or night 24/7 365 for any or no reason at all. Your correct in the fact that there isn't a law that we HAVE to run your plate but there isn't one that says we CAN'T either.


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## PaulKersey (Nov 28, 2007)

omd said:


> . There is no law that says the officer HAS to perform an electronic search, is there?.


It's called the Patriot Act. I'm looking at your email, and hard drive files right now. I find them quite disturbing.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2008)

"Can I just have that written warning back for ONE SECOND ?" 

Perfect example why I rarely write warnings.......... If it's worth my time to stop you, it's worth a civil assessment......... 20 days..............


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2008)

Delta784 said:


> Here we go.......
> 
> We can run any license plate we see, for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Your license plates are the property of the Registry of Motor Vehicles and you have ZERO expectation of privacy in regards to them.
> 
> Instead of whining like a spurned high-school girl, be grateful you got off with a warning instead of a $35 ticket.


That pretty much sums it up buddy.


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## hupd451 (Nov 20, 2002)

Now I will just write everyone for headlights!!!!!


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## BPD3352 (Apr 18, 2007)

Sniper said:


> "Can I just have that written warning back for ONE SECOND ?"
> 
> Perfect example why I rarely write warnings.......... If it's worth my time to stop you, it's worth a civil assessment......... 20 days..............


BINGO!!! The ones who get the verbal warning, or written warning more times than not, call the station and speak to the Sgt. or Lt. about the improper attitude, or bitch to everyone and it gets back to you about how much of an asshole you were to some poor kid. Ill give someone a break and then I get the Lt saying "what happened on Main st yesterday" I'm now in Snipers boat... 20 days...


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## misconceived (Jun 18, 2006)

omd said:


> There is no law that says the officer HAS to perform an electronic search, is there?


No, the rectal probe is optional. :doctor:


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## Deuce (Sep 27, 2003)

Maybe next time, in lieu of a "courtesy ticket",the officer should pull you out of your car through the side vent window and beat the bag out of you.. Go back to myspace biotch...


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## ArchAngel2 (Oct 11, 2005)

PM me your plate number, then I will put it out here so everyone will know not to stop you because you might get upset.:wink:


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

After last friday I think I have jumped into Snipers boat also. Gave a woman a written warning and she was pissed. So now I just write everyone F**k 'em.


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## Rock (Mar 20, 2005)

Deuce said:


> the officer should pull you out of your car through the side vent window and beat the bag out of you.


Deuce, you're showing your age....I haven't seen a side vent window in years. Still a big fan of the vent window involontary exit.


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## zebra3 (Feb 28, 2006)

Right now we are testing a digital plate reader system. Two modules are magnetically mounted to the roof of the cruiser, each housing a digital and infrared camera. It takes pictures of every registration plate that comes into view and runs the numbers against a list of plates loaded each morning. 

Right now it is only looking for stolen plates/cars and warrants. The system is tied into the cruiser laptop and stores every plate ran during that day. The company is off-loading all the info to try and fine tune the system. Right now it is around 70% accurate, due to the structure of the Mass. plates, (Special plates). Yesterday the officer using the system found two stolen cars which were legally parked among other vehicles.


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## misconceived (Jun 18, 2006)

I've heard of the system before. Good stuff, has to be expensive though. Grant perhaps?


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## zebra3 (Feb 28, 2006)

As of now we have the system for a month, on loan from Remington Arms via NEMLEC. The company is trying to work out the bugs, supposedly the Red ink on the Mass. plates are not entirely compatable with the system. Also, the special plates have R over W, N over E, so they had to adjust for that. Now the problem is Vet plates don't show the VT, Taxi with the TA, and sometimes the letter is not read on comercial plates. 
We had a bank robbery a couple of weeks ago and they did a system dump to see if our unit was in the area and the plates it read. It stores the plates it reads. I think they said it has GPS as well. 
If it works out, the Chief wants to buy them for the two Traffic Units.


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## Mikey682 (May 2, 2002)

ATTN: Victimized citizen
FROM: Public Records, located through a google search that took me 4.7 seconds to find instead of crying on an internet mesage board.
RE: Case Law

See this link:

http://http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=ma&vol=appslip/appAug02f&invol=1

You have no expectation of privacy, just like you have no expectation of any further courtesy from this officer if he's a member of this board.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

I run damn near every plate I see. And on traffic stops (regardless of what I stopped a person for), I run the plate and license - ALWAYS. No one is immune...in fact, our new computer system (and administrator) we now have to copy down all the info, even if it's another cop..which 99% of us don't agree with, but whatever. 

Anyway....our headlight violation in CT is a lot more expensive then MA...but we write written warnings and then check off "defective equipment"...if they don't get it fixed within 20 days by a registered dealer then their reg. gets suspended...it's beautiful...


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

zebra3 said:


> Right now we are testing a digital plate reader system. Two modules are magnetically mounted to the roof of the cruiser, each housing a digital and infrared camera. It takes pictures of every registration plate that comes into view and runs the numbers against a list of plates loaded each morning.
> 
> Right now it is only looking for stolen plates/cars and warrants. The system is tied into the cruiser laptop and stores every plate ran during that day. The company is off-loading all the info to try and fine tune the system. Right now it is around 70% accurate, due to the structure of the Mass. plates, (Special plates). Yesterday the officer using the system found two stolen cars which were legally parked among other vehicles.


Yes, but can it tell the difference between these two plates?

638EPO
638EP0


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## zebra3 (Feb 28, 2006)

94c said:


> Yes, but can it tell the difference between these two plates?
> 
> 638EPO
> 638EP0


I was told that the computer runs both. 
Every morning a list of stolen plates and vehicles, plates with owners who have warrants, is downloaded onto the program, that's what the pictures are compared to. Once there is a match an alert sounds on the computer and info pops up on the screen.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

yup basically...isn't CT great?


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## misconceived (Jun 18, 2006)

USMCMP5811 said:


> So say I were to get one of these cites for a bad headlight, I would have to pay some schmuck some ungodly amount of money to fix my headlight Vs. headding down to the local Wal-Mat and getting a new headlight to install myself? that's bullshit.


+1
I'm going to have to pull an SE on this one 8-O


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## Andy0921 (Jan 12, 2006)

Written warnings are nothing but a pain in the ass. 

Verbal warning or infraction.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

verbal's are frowned upon in my PD...it's written or infraction....


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## Badge (Jan 8, 2008)

Do you realize how many serious arrests are made simply because someone was pulled over for something minor and it turns out after running them that they have a warrant, suspended license, revoked insurance... TONS!

There are serious criminals that are no longer on the streets because the Officer was thorough and ran someone on a minor MV stop.

I liken it to when I go into a store and use my credit card and the person _*actually*_ checks my signature. I feel more secure knowing that there are still a couple people out there that go the extra mile.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

Badge said:


> Do you realize how many serious arrests are made simply because someone was pulled over for something minor and it turns out after running them that they have a warrant, suspended license, revoked insurance... TONS!
> 
> There are serious criminals that are no longer on the streets because the Officer was thorough and ran someone on a minor MV stop.
> 
> I liken it to when I go into a store and use my credit card and the person _*actually*_ checks my signature. I feel more secure knowing that there are still a couple people out there that go the extra mile.


 I dont think anyone here has an issue with running the operator and plates....it's that Ct thing about a "registered dealer/mechanic being the only one can make a minor repair"


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

8-O


hupd451 said:


> Now I will just write everyone for headlights!!!!!


Hell, YOU did at your LAST job!


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## VanCott (Mar 19, 2007)

From today's Telegram-
"*SHREWSBURY- *Police say they found a cache of drugs and guns in the trunk of a car pulled over for a having a revoked registration."... "When Officer Rice opened up the trunk of the car, he found a gray backpack that contained a Smith & Wesson handgun, a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a magazine containing six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition, 50 .380-caliber rounds, nine 9 mm rounds, two clear bags of marijuana and two scales, according to the police report. Neither Ms. Kirwin nor Mr. Oliveras carried a firearm permit, police said. Police also found a pair of nunchuks in the car."

This officer ran the plate and all because of a revo reg, there are several guns off the streets. It happens all the time, good arrests coming after a motor vehicle stop for sometimes minor infractions.


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## Badge (Jan 8, 2008)

justanotherparatrooper said:


> I dont think anyone here has an issue with running the operator and plates...."


Except, of course, for the person who started this thread.:mrgreen:


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## SPINMASS (Jan 30, 2004)

What a tool bag bitching that his plate got run. I don't any cop who wouldn't run a plate on a stop. It's an officer safety issue.


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## TopCop24 (Jul 11, 2005)

SPINMASS said:


> What a tool bag bitching that his plate got run. I don't any cop who wouldn't run a plate on a stop. It's an officer safety issue.


I dont run every car I stop, and i'm sure there are hundreds of others on this board that do the same


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Sniper said:


> "Can I just have that written warning back for ONE SECOND ?"
> 
> Perfect example why I rarely write warnings.......... If it's worth my time to stop you, it's worth a civil assessment......... 20 days..............


Dito!!!!


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

zebra3 said:


> Right now we are testing a digital plate reader system. Two modules are magnetically mounted to the roof of the cruiser, each housing a digital and infrared camera. It takes pictures of every registration plate that comes into view and runs the numbers against a list of plates loaded each morning. [...] Yesterday the officer using the system found two stolen cars which were legally parked among other vehicles.


Now _that's_ cool. Bet they're going to have a lot of unexpected presents for the first couple of months using that if not years.


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## wgciv (Jan 4, 2007)

Badge said:


> Do you realize how many serious arrests are made simply because someone was pulled over for something minor and it turns out after running them that they have a warrant, suspended license, revoked insurance... TONS!


Are you kidding me? These are the types of arrests that you consider to be serious? For starters, revoked for insurance is not arrestable. Secondly, nine times out of ten the preffered course of action for suspended license is to summons. Do you realize what happens when your defendant gets to court after you spend all that time filing the complaint against him/her for revoked insurance? S/He is given a $100 fine.. case closed. This is why many officers remove the middle man by simply towing and citing 90/9. The result is the same! I do agree that there is plenty to be found on traffic stops.. I just dissagree with what you consider to be serious police work.


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