The truth is, I have a lot of pet peeves. Maybe too many. I think the number of peeves I’ve adopted has greatly increased since becoming a cop. It seems that once you’ve done this job for a little while it doesn’t take long to develop a litany of new ones. It comes with the territory, I suppose.
One Question
If you work for a smaller agency, I’m sure there’s a good chance motor vehicle enforcement for the sake of bean-counting is a top priority. If you work for a larger agency there’s a good chance motor vehicle enforcement is something you either don’t have time do much of, or it’s a tool you use to find criminal activity and suppress it. Whichever way you or your department leans, I’d like to offer my opinion, and somewhat rant about one particular pet peeve of mine. It’s the one question we often ask, Do you know why I stopped you?
I was trained to ask that question. I was taught that if I asked that question it gave the driver the opportunity to incriminate themselves for the motor vehicle violation I just watched them commit. That’s pretty dumb. This isn’t a homicide investigation, it’s a red light violation.
Liar, Liar
Do you know why I stopped you? is actually a patronizing question that is only going to irritate the driver. It’s not what you are saying, it’s what they are hearing. They are hearing, “Hey, dummy. You already know why I stopped you. I just want you to admit everything to me, like you’re in the Confessional. Oh, and if you give a different answer than the one I’m expecting, then you’re a liar and I’ll hammer you!”
Honestly, are you hoping that if you ask that question the driver is going to develop diarrhea of the mouth like Jim Carey in Liar, Liar and involuntarily admit to a laundry list of violations and unpaid parking tickets? After which you can sit back in your cruiser and fist pump while shouting, “Jackpot!” as a cash register sound-effect rings in the air? It’s not going to happen.
Fight Club
Some members of the public just want to pick a fight with us, and they will use that question as a detonator for their inner time-bomb. The do-you-know-why-I-stopped-you question just doesn’t ring genuine no matter how sincere we try to make it sound.
My Take
Here’s my take. When you stop a car, first introduce yourself and then just tell them the reason for the stop. Next, ask for the driver’s license and registration. While they’re fumbling around looking for their paperwork, get a good look inside and pay attention to their body language and their verbal response.
Telling them the reason for the stop right out of the gate does several things. First, if they plan to do you harm or want to conceal something from you, it gets inside their thought process (their OODA loop) and disrupts it because now they have to process what you just said and form a response. If they’re planning something, there will be a delay in answering or acknowledging you. Second, in most cases, it will actually lower the driver’s heightened sense of self-preservation and psychologically move them toward complacency, which is where we want them. Third, it keeps you in control of the conversation and lowers the probability it will unintentionally go off the rails.
How To
It sounds something like this: “Hi, I’m Delta 9 with the Johnny Tactical Police Department. The reason I stopped you is that you have a taillight out. May I have your license and registration please?” They’ll probably say they didn’t know or didn’t realize it. I’ll agree and then minimize, minimize, minimize. All the while I’m watching hands, listening for verbal cues, and scanning inside the car.
If I’m stopping a car in a high-crime area for a tail light, I want to make the driver think I’m just stopping them for a tail light. So I tell them that, because it’s true. That gets them relaxed a bit because now they believe I am not stopping them for the drug deal they were just involved in or for the gun that’s tucked under their seat. All the while my demeanor is nonchalant and care free as I lull them further into complacency. And though my stop is legal and moral, I can use it as a tool to find out what other criminal activity may be afoot.
The Truth Is
De-escalation is a buzz word these days, and I find it more political than anything, so I hate to use it. But the truth is, telling them the reason for the stop rather than asking them for it is a form of de-escalation. And I only suggest it for your benefit, not theirs.
Believe me, I get it. There are those out there who are simply agitators destined to be confrontational and no amount of logic or verbal judo can calm them down. You just have to be polite, direct, fair, and firm and let the chips fall where they may.
Have A Plan
During your next rotation, try telling the drivers the reason for the stop instead of asking for it. Do this on each car stop you make and see what happens. Think of it as a little experiment in human behavior. Try it for at least a week. My guess is your interactions will be less hostile and the outcomes more productive.
And while you’re out there, remember what General James Mattis said:
Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
We must be ever on our guard to protect ourselves, our coworkers, and the public we serve from those who seek to do us harm while we conduct ourselves as true professionals.
Send me an email and let me know how it goes. Good luck and Godspeed.
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- What’s your spiel on traffic stops?
- How would you describe your usual demeanor during a traffic stop?
- Would you be willing to try telling rather than asking for one week?
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