So here is a story for you.

Last weekend my friend and his wife go to a Drug mart (a small convenience store). While he was inside, which was only for a minute a cop drives up to his car (which mind you is on private property) and sees his IPod, and GPS on his dashboard. The cop then puts a note on his windshield that says to avoid a break in, he should take his things down from the windshield. The cop then uses his flashlight and looks inside his car (illegal), which the cop sees some periphernalia (weed pipe). The cop moves his car out of site and waits. My friend comes back out, sees the note. Then the cop rolls up and confronts him about his "crack pipe" then the cops search his car and find his gun, which is legally registered in his name. The problem though, he does not have a concealed carry permit. So now the cop has called for back-up and 5 more cruisers show up to give there support (why?).. anyway yes my friend made a mistake and yes he spent a couple days in jail because of it.

Now, meanwhile my friend is getting harassed by the cops, less than a mile down the road. 2 men hold up an Applebees at gun point and get away.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/15/crim15.ART_ART_12-15-08_B3_N0C85IE.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

My point is maybe if the cops didn't have such a hard on for my friend, some real criminals could have been caught. I'm not speaking for all cops, I know our fellow friend here is a cop and I'm sure he does a better job at protecting the innocent then the township I live in.

The whole calling for stupidly unnecessarily back up seems to be a popular move among cops.

I stumbled up Main St. one night after drinking at the bar. I had left what was left of a fifth of Jack Daniels (about a shot's worth) in an alley (in the doorway of the place I work, which was closed) so that I could return after leaving the bar and be on my way home. I grabbed the bottle and crossed the street. A couple of people I had been with at the bar hollered to me. One of them lived on Main St. and they were headed upstairs. I ran back across the street to talk to them for a minute. Not long after this, I see headlights coming down the street. They got closer and I thought they looked suspiciously like police headlights. I dropped the bottle into a trash can next to me.

Blues come on.

"What did you just drop in the trash?"

I'm not stupid enough to lie to the Po-po, especially when I'm hammered, so I told him I dropped a bottle in there. He told me to fish it out. The officer stood there talking to me while the gentleman who lived on the St. argued my case, saying we were just heading upstairs, yada yada yada. Two more cruisers pull up during this. Both officers get out. Now there are three officers in front of me, passing my license back and forth. Finally, the female in the group tells the other two to give my license back and let me be on my way. They hand it back to me and I decide to be a little bold. I ask, "Woah woah woah, can I ask one thing before we part?"

"Sure."

"Does it really take three officers to stop a pedestrian on the street for public intoxication?"

"Actually there are four of us," and the officer pointed to a parking lot nearby where another cruiser was parked with its lights off, underneath a streetlight that was also off.

End of discussion. I went on my way. They let me finish my Jack.

Plain sight, not illegal.

1. Just because it's private property doesn't mean that the cops aren't allowed there. Yes, the store is privately owned, but it is open to the public. Therefore, the police are allowed to set foot on said property.

2. I'm pretty sure that it is not illegal for a cop to glance into someone's car. It would be illegal if he opened the car up, but to just look inside is not breaking any laws. Either way, your friend is still a greater idiot that those cops are jerks for leaving his pipe in plain sight.

3. Just because the cops were busy with your friend does not mean that they could have prevented or stopped the hold up. I'm guessing that no one called the police until after the robbers got away:



You make it sound like the cops knew about and ignored this crime as it was in progress, when the truth I think is a bit different.

4. I imagine that being a police officer at times is a very nerve-racking experience. There is definitely safety in numbers. I've never been a police officer, but I have worked with teenagers who were involuntarily enrolled in a residential therapeutic program. While the vast majority of these teenagers were pretty tame, some would get violent on occasion. You could never be sure when you encountered someone for the first time just how they would react to you, and I can vouch for the comfort that knowing you are supported by someone else close by can give you in that sort of situation.

Additionally, in working as a Forest Ranger, there have been situations where I have had to confront people in the back country in order to enforce state land use rules and regulations. I can tell you that each experience was always a little bit of an adrenalin rush, knowing that I was the only one around for miles to deal with the problem. If I had had the option, I definitely would have approached those people with someone else on my side.

5. A lot of people seem to forget that cops have whats called a "duty to respond." Yeah, I agree that it would be cool if cops could selectively respond to stuff and ignore stuff where no one is in danger of being hurt and what not, but the fact is that they can't. They are obligated to respond to everything. If they didn't, they would risk losing their jobs, and possibly being prosecuted themselves. I know that in that position, I would definitely be a jerk to someone rather than risk losing my job.

DSettahr is right, the cops did their job. Nothing to be said.

Your friend is a moron for leaving the pipe in plain sight and your friend is a moron for illegally carrying the gun in the car. Guarantee you it was loaded, which was what made it illegal.

I agree that he's an idiot, but the cop's kind of a dick for snooping around his car.

The oinkers aren't allowed to search a private vehicle without either express permission from the owner or a warrant (although that pipe probably allows for the "plain-view" clause, though it's questionable - owning a pipe isn't illegal).

Ah, yes, because if they weren't doing their job there, they would have been hanging around at Applebees, because, y'know...we are psychic, and just want to harass the poor stupid kids with drug stuff plainly visible in their car...and want to ignore the 'real' crime because, really, that's dangerous and we don't wanna get hurt!



C'mon, dude. Get a grip.

And PLAIN VIEW just gave them probable cause. NH would have required a search warrant, but the car would be held while said warrant was obtained. Other states are more lenient on the search warrant requirement, as evidenced by their search.

You're whining about the police locating contraband and an illegally carried firearm..? Sounds to me like they did a great job.



We call for more guys because going home at the end of the day is a top priority. I make it a habit to check on the other guys when they're on traffic stops, even if it's just a "routine" (there is no such thing, but whatever) stop. This job is not predictable.

It is illegal. States have laws against possession of drug paraphernalia. (Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 481.125 is a good example.) The police can search on probable cause, which they had because seeing a weed pipe in the car is pretty solid evidence that that offense has been committed.

Yes he is a moron and yes he learned his lesson.

Look I'm not trying to argue the fact that what my friend did is not illegal and that he should not be punished.

But guys, that's the thing. It wasn't in plain view. It's not like it was sitting on his seat or steering wheel just begging for attention. I know where he puts it and you would really have to be looking for it to find it.

And yes, because it's private property that changes everything. I've been in situations where someone hit my car in a parking lot, and the cops couldn't write up a situation because it was private property.

I also understand the concept of back-up. If I were a cop and I just found a gun yes I would call back-up but not the entire force to 1 location.

Now back to Applebees, I find it hard to believe that during the robbery no one called the cops, or texted a friend or anything (but it's possible.. I guess it happened). Here's a scenario. I'm sitting down eating dinner, some criminals bust in. I'm on the phone, or sending a text to someone I know saying "call the cops to applebees NOW"

It shouldn't take more than 2 minutes for an officer to arrive, especially if they are down the street.

Others have already pointed out the validity and righteousness of the cops actions so I'll just cite that I concur.



Yeah, what a dick. His intention was to inform the afore mentioned idiot that it would be better to not leave valuables in plain sight. Unfortunately for the idiot, he also leaves drug paraphanelia in plain sight and, I infer, illegally caries a loaded weapon in his car.

Of course, had the police been clairvoyant, they probably would have dispatched other units to Applebees to apprehend the other criminals there.

Yes it is illegal to have drug paraphernalia. But looking at a pipe and assuming it's used in drugs is just that, and assumption. He could have used that pipe to smoke tobacco in which case it would have been totally legal. They tested his pipe for crack.. which it obviously turned up negative.

Do you have any idea what "probable cause" means? Hint: It is not the same as "beyond a reasonable doubt."

I do this for a living...keep arguing if you wish, but you're not getting anywhere.



Private property doesn't change anything for this. It is a public place, is it not? I have also done plenty of accident reports which occurred in parking lots..

You have no idea how the emergency response system works. It's going to take a couple of minutes just to get the officer DISPATCHED, let alone THERE. I'm going to work. Maybe I'll find a crack pipe in somebody's car..

well obviously if he looked through the window and saw it, it was in plain sight. Sure he had to 'look hard,' but its not like he broke open the car and looked for it like that.

Yeah. Through the window with a flashlight, according to you.

Another thing.

On the report, the cops did not report the weed pipe. The reported less than 2 grams of marijuana (which actually, he had closer to an 1/8 ounce, which is a misdemeanor) and a gun. It was suggested to us, that the reason the cops didn't report the paraphernalia, and all the weed because they smoked it up!

If I recall, having a weed pipe, bong or something similar is not illegal. Could differ from state to state, but not illegal where I live.

This is not even close to a valid case of "f the police".

No, no I don't. How long does it take to have a dispatcher dispatch an officer to a location. Because if it takes longer than just a couple minutes, something is wrong.

If there is drug residue in the pipe, bong or whatever I think that makes it illegal.

Yeah. But they wouldn't write down "weed pipe".

I'm not saying f- the police. I'm just saying that there are priorities, and their priorities are all f-ed

grr damn cops doing their jobs correctly grr

Interesting. You actually don't say until now that he did have drugs. So let me get this straight. You don't like that the cops were looking out for your friend in the first place by noticing that valuables were left in plain sight. Then you admit that they could have charged him with a misdemeanor but didn't. Seems to me that the cops were being as helpful as possible even after they realized your friend was a criminal.

Of course you just assume that they smoked that **** themselves while people at Applebees were all phoning and texting the world for help.

You are to be applauded though. It is threads like these where a member seems to be looking for sympathy about some rediculously stupid situation that does more to unify most opinions here than anything else.

lol yeah it's true; Supertroopers is a documentary you know

I have no need for a protocol droid

I'm loving the jokes in this thread

No they did charge him with a misdemeanor but the report is inaccurate. This was not to help him out.

I'm not trying to convince you guys about anything just wanted to hear some of your opinions, which I thank you guys for.

this (also holycrap i agreed with wookie )

Don't put words in my mouth

90% of people who smoke marijuana die the very first time

It is pretty much what you're saying though. "They have better thing to be doing such as dealing with that robbery."
You also just implied twice that somehow there was less marijuana reported, but it wasnt to help your friend

You are getting our opinions, and you're all butt hurt because no one agrees with you.

Yeah, I mean pretty much. I guess in my eyes, someone who smokes pot is not a criminal. Sorry for having this opinion.

I dunno maybe you are right, but when I saw they didn't report the whole deal I just thought it smelled fishy, didn't really think that they might be trying to "help him out"

Your post is not clear. It is possible that their report reflects more accurately the amount measured at the station. Or, it could be an inconsistency that your friend's lawyer can use to his advantage.

You know, I can so picture this on Cops. Actually, there probably has been a near identical situation to this one already aired.

Like the lady that called the cops because someone stole her crack rock???

yeah, because the police all have minature wormhole devices to get them across their partol area in an instant.

Dude, you have to realize that first you need to call the police (and do so without giving yourself away that you are, which quite often is only possible after the robber has left the store), you need to get connected to the dispatcher (which takes time for the system to work out which one to connect you to), you have to give all the baisc information about what is happening (ie, robbery in progress with x weapon at x location at x street,), you then need to have the dispatcher alert the police in the area, who then need to listen to the information, then they need to drive to the area, which even if the robber is still there, will take time to get there as the police cant just go at 100mph, they need to go at a safe speed so they dont run anyone over or crash their car (because cars can realy only remain controlable at certain speeds, which will vary depending on the road quality, not to mention the fact that you cant take turns in built up areas at high speed without taking a big risk of rolling the car), and depending where they are in their patrol area, it may take a few minutes to get there (not to mention that there may be trafic that they need to avoid)

A point has been mentioned here, which continues to be ignored... how did the cops know that there was a hold up at Applebee's ?