cops!!!

[pr0n]

just about every night when we go for a drive between 11pm - 4am , we get pulled up every night without fail, so much that the cops even know my name and they say hey "mr fred"(not my real name), they always pull us out of the car one by one and pat us down, are they allowed to go though your wallet without asking? are they allowed to go into stuff like you glove box and centre console if its closed? because i had a mate tell me there not allowed to check anything concealed without a warrant or asking. cause if this is true i would like to see there reactions, cause if they are in the wrong they probally will let you off but try to do you for something else.

[bangers]

they can legally strip the interior of your car and leave you to put it all back in.

[pr0n]

i know thats what they sort of done like take the ashtray out and leave it on the seats, took everything out of the glovebox and spread it out, then said your right to go and left.leaving me to put it all back in place

[padrickz88]

there cops, they can practically do what they want its best to just shut up and co-operate, be nice and usually you will be told "your free to go"... if you be a smart ass in any sort of way your most likely going to get a little yellow sticker on your car :P

so even if they are doing something wrong, dont bother....

[tri501]

i believe i read thihe following on this site some time ago, that the police could search your car if they suspect you may be carrying something illegal but everything they touched or moved had to be returned to the state in which they found it.

[minux]

If you have an issue with Police, contact your state ombudsman.

[bradcad]

Next time state that you dont agree with the search (but naturally dont resist or physically stop them), and you would like to know what reasonable suspicion they are basing the search on, and what exactly they are searching for.

[nicko]

seriously though mate you are driving around in the dead of night in what i assume is a "sus" looking VP with your mates in the car. Your a natural target for police. If you have nothing to hide then whats the problem, clean your glove box and centre console and entire car so that when they pull you over there is like 3 things in there then it will be easy to put back together. dont bother asking them for reason right there and then becuase the will screw you over, as minux said make a complaint but dont do it on the side of the road as it will only make things worse.

[Spaced]

No offence but why do you think you attract attention? Have you had trouble with police in the past? Do you associate with people who the police are targeting?

If you can't answer yes to any of the questions above go in and have a chat to the seargent. Ask him why you are being targeted. If the harrasment doesn't stop then I would speak to your local member of parliament.

Don't be surprised if the attention heats up though.

I come from a small town and the cops targeted anyone under 25. I drove a granny mobile at the time (gemi complete with louvers) so I didn't get much grief but my mates with commodores were harrased.

All else fails move to a bigger city where cops have more work to do.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Basically your car isn't private property. If it is out on public land, ie roads, carparks and the like, the police can search it and you. If you have an issue with being searched every time you drive between 11pm and 4am, pick another time to drive.

[daron]

the police can not search your wallet or your pockets without a reasonable reason or warrent to search
when you get out of the car lock it
yes this will **** them off and cause you trouble but stand your ground
ask for a sargent to be present
and the reason why
the only info you need to give is name and address no other persoanl info needed and thye cant go into your wallet

[Kikki]

If they think you may be doing something wrong then yes they have the right to search anything they want, ask your name details etc etc.

We get pulled over all the time too, hubby has the whole "bikie/Bogan" look happeneing, shaved head, goatee, flanno shirts etc, so they always pull him over, even with kids, if your nice, polite, answer respectfully without attitude then you shouldnt have any problems.

[Spaced]

If they think you may be doing something wrong then yes they have the right to search anything they want, ask your name details etc etc.

We get pulled over all the time too, hubby has the whole "bikie/Bogan" look happeneing, shaved head, goatee, flanno shirts etc, so they always pull him over, even with kids, if your nice, polite, answer respectfully without attitude then you shouldnt have any problems.

It's also different between states, in QLD for example they can only do this if they believe you have drugs on you.

Does WA still have that stupid law where if someone takes drugs on your front lawn you're liable?

[VL_5SPEED]

Pretty sure it is illegal for them to search your wallet??? Maybe move to Newcastle? You see a cop maybe once a week of daily driving and I have never been pulled over in my Life. I know a cop and i told him yesterday that I'm turbo charging my VL (he knows that I am on my P's) and he told me not to put an intercooler on and just run the standard vlt setup while I'm on my P's because its a dead give away with an intercooler sticking out the front.

[Spaced]

Pretty sure it is illegal for them to search your wallet??? Maybe move to Newcastle? You see a cop maybe once a week of daily driving and I have never been pulled over in my Life. I know a cop and i told him yesterday that I'm turbo charging my VL (he knows that I am on my P's) and he told me not to put an intercooler on and just run the standard vlt setup while I'm on my P's because its a dead give away with an intercooler sticking out the front.

But if you're in a crash your insurance can't cover you?

[Kikki]

It's also different between states, in QLD for example they can only do this if they believe you have drugs on you.

But define that.... what do they need to do IF they think you have drugs on you? Simple, if you ask them "why" yuour being searched and they say "we believe you may have drugs on you" then what? nothing you have to let them do it anyways lol. So prolly pointless fighting the point with them, only make things worse.

Even if they want to be a pain in the ass, they only have to say "oh yeah we think he might have drugs hey" just to kill time really.

[bradcad]

my standard line

'I do not agree to this search, however I am not stopping you if you have legal reason to conduct this search. I do want to know what you are looking for, and what reasonable suspicion you have that gives you grounds to search'. Then I ask for the officers details. Always being polite and courteous, and respectful. I always am met with the same response- "would you mind showing us what is in the ashtray and glovebox'.

I dont have a problem with the police doing a job, but I dont agree that just because someone is driving at night they should be subject. That is entering policed state territory, where your basic rights are at risk. Driving erratically or from a known drug street, I cant argue with.

[bradcad]

To reasonably believe you have drugs-

-just come from a known drug address
-physical appearance or manner
-driving style
-smells

[VLDavo]

meh got nothing to hide let em do it.....

but usualy if u have a car full of mates between 11 and 4 am it looks suss and if i was a copper i would pull u over and search just incase one of ya mates or u is carrying drugs or weapons ....

[immortality]

how many times have you been pulled over and searched by the same copper? if they have never found anything then i would consider it harrasement, ask for there details and enguire there reason for the search, then go make a formal complaint, best if you have a record off all the times they have searched you so they can see that it's not a random thing.

i wish cops would get on with dealing with real crime like rape/murder etc rather then just patroling the roads and dealing out fines and defects to make money

[albert5268]

A cop from a nearby town here got done for harassment after he pulled some P platers over 4 times in one night and 3 times the next without charging them for anything or giving them a fine. He didn't go through their car just pull them over, bretho, check tyres etc.

[VLDavo]

i wish cops would get on with dealing with real crime like rape/murder etc rather then just patroling the roads and dealing out fines and defects to make money

there are many different types of police..each with a different job to do
traffic cops are just doing there job.. dont want defects dont have a defective car..
dont want a fine dont speed or dont do anything wrong ..

as i said before got nothing to hide then u shouldnt have a problem with it

[excalibur]

as i said before got nothing to hide then u shouldnt have a problem with it

the annoyence factor makes it a problem though being pulled over everytime u go out will start to annoy the most placid person around

[immortality]

there are many different types of police..each with a different job to do
traffic cops are just doing there job.. dont want defects dont have a defective car..
dont want a fine dont speed or dont do anything wrong ..

as i said before got nothing to hide then u shouldnt have a problem with it

i don't think it's a case of different cops for different jobs(i'm making an assumption here because here in NZ we have a single police department that covers all levels of policing, we don't have a specific traffic unit except for the motorway unit but they stick to the motorways mostly), it's how they make the best use of resources. this guy is being pulled over for what seems like no reason, if(going on info supplied by original thread poster) he has never been fined or arrested or being defected then it's plain and simple police harrasement and bad management of police resources

[pr0n]

the only reason we go driving that time of night is because thats when my mates finish work ( shift work) and its the only time we have to hang out, also they said to us if we continue to drive arround at this time of night we will get pulled up, nothing sused about the car its stock atm no mods, and it happens in every car we drive VP,VS, XF Station Wagon, Holden barina 85', suzuki seria 4wd,ford fairmont, i really just think they have nothing better to do at night, and for over a week now every night we get pulled up without fail, and sometimes we will just be drivin and see a cop coming in the oppisite direction and were like 10 bucks we weill get pulled up like 2 seconds later they turn arround follow u for like 100mtrs then flash there lights.and they always pat us down, check glove box,centre console, and ask us to leave our wallets in our pockets to they can take them out, then they go though it, look at cards, pockets,money. then say your right to go, its just weird, im thinking about making a complaint.