I would like to know what town has police officers randomly pulling people and requesting to search. I've been pulled over about two dozen times in my lifetime and have never been asked to allow a search. Either you are giving the cops a reason to request a search, or you guys are making this **** up. (Geez, I'm trying to have conversation with someone calling himself "r****do". I'm out of this. This is a face to face conversation, and I'm sure as hell not driving to y'alls neighborhoods.)
Some people may refuse because they feel the cop is racially targeting them (as there is plenty of evidence that it happens). Or maybe they have something embarrassing but not illegal in their car. Or maybe they have heard the stories of police planting evidence and don't want to give the cops the opportunity to do so. There are plenty of reasons to refuse an unwarranted search.
I was at work. As a driver, time is money. I told him I was in a hurry. Besides, I'm under no obligation to allow them to search my vehicle.
I was speeding. It probably had something to do with my appearance. At the time, I had long unkempt hair and dressed like a skateboarding punk.
Does it really matter? Doesn't the law say that he has that right? And if police officers truly do uphold the law, should they not respect his right to refuse a search? It's that old chestnut "if you're not doing anything wrong, you should have no problem with ____ ". It's the presumption of guilt that is the problem. Now look at what you said: Sounds a lot like a presumption of guilt. I generally find that distasteful (at best) or downright sinister. Face it: the nature of police work is policing people (duh), which is something a certain segment of the population will never be okay with.
Why is it that the people who always say cops are worthless and racist are the SAME people who only want cops to have all the guns? It makes no freakin sense.
I don't have anything to hide, and I'd still refuse a search. They might have a job to do, but our civil liberties aren't cheap. Then again, I'm not one of the 'other' minorities and as I get older, my chances of getting randomly searched decreases year after year.
First reason is most people don't have time for that crap and don't think they should dismiss their rights just because a random cop asks them to do it.
"civic duty" should have nothing to do with it. its a constitutional issue - you may not like it, but we do not live in a police state (yet) - the people have protections against unreasonable search and seizure. cops must have probable cause to search. they cant just go around demanding to search and see your "papers". again, you may not like it, but the united states is not a police state (yet). when i was in high school i knew a girl who was stopped, allowed a search and they still tore up her car - ripped all her seats up and tore them up - and for nothing. all of them? white? and two dozen times is alot - what are you doing wrong to get pulled over so much? im 35 and have only been pulled over like 5 or 6 times. it is odd that you find the fact that cops will demand to search cars they pull over so unbelievable. it happens everyday. personally, i was a passenger in a car once and a DPS officer demanded to search - the driver allowed it.
I think for most people this is the real issue. They don't like the fact that other people have power over them.
