Not answering a knock

[offroad]

Learned so far:

1) speaking can be interpreted as confession. 2) being in the right does not matter, only winning by authority matters.
3) you can be detained for suspicion and no other reason for a day or so.
4). Your property could be tied up in legal maneuvers leaving you without a place to live.

Best to ask to leave

 

[Zil]

Learned from experience living on the edge. One time out of about 50 interactions with LEO. Only one time did I have a problem just talking to the officer. I was never asked to submit to a vehicular search since i have been, and appeared, to be an adult. 50 to 1 seems good odds. I take the view: I don't know what has just come over the communications. My being polite and cooperative to some small part, will go a long way toward my being on my way.

 

[spd2918]

You are obviously biased on this matter, being a police officer yourself, so no I do not think your "real world experiences" trumps that of my protected rights that you are asking me to give up. Instead I would take the word of a defense attorney. What do you think he will say? You got it... STFU.

Good lord, no one is asking you to give up any of your rights. Where did you get that? Keep your mouth shut all you want.

I am a constitutional conservative that fears a big central government but understands the need for basic local law enforcement. Even if we were abusive thugs (like you seem to think we are) we simply don't have the time to randomly harass and search people. This week I handled the following incidents (along with many, many less serious calls):
-A 15 year kid whose father gave him oral sex, then shot himself in front of investigating officers.
-A 35 year old woman who was 5 months pregnant and drunk on Vodka and Meth.
-A man who held a knife to his girlfriend's throat and pushed it until she was bleeding.

Maybe the above defendants should not talk to the police. Maybe the victims should follow your advice and not talk to us, either. This is the real world, not a fantasy world where you think everyone is out to hassle you.

 

[Van-Tramp]

I did not say you were all abusive. I did say you were all human and make human mistakes (which may include abuse).

I do not see how ANY of your examples relate to NOT ANSWERING A KNOCK... I am a guy parked LEGALLY in a LEGALLY registered vehicle somewhere in the USA... and you are telling me (in this thread) that I "better answer your knock... or else". All of your examples of "answer me or else" do not apply in the slightest to a law abiding citizen camping in his/her van, yet here you are trying to get us to fear you... again.

I 100% agree that you guys have better things to do then harass everyone. That is why I simply refuse to even answer your knocks. You will go away (you always do) and I will go back to sleep (completely un-bothered by you). The only reason you take offense to this act is the "how dare he defy me" attitude that sometimes comes with the badge (you clearly have this affliction or this thread would not exist at all)

I am in 100% agreement that defendants should not talk to you yes. Are you saying that a defendant does not have the right to remain silent? He does not have the right to an attorney? How about the right to a fair trial? Yes, he should STFU too.

Wait, did you say that you guys let a 15 year old get access to a firearm and shoot himself "in font of investigating officers"? Are you serious? I got better things to do then tell you how to do your job Spd, but seriously?

 

[akrvbob]

A very wise man wrote this on the forum just a few days ago

Now, you and I have gone round-n-round on this for some time now. You believe I am wrong, and I believe you are (the Bill of Rights is on my side). Forum posts will never change the mind of the other. So, I will leave this forum post alone... I have offered the "other side" to anyone that is willing to listen.

You can't beat a dead horse and bring it back to life. All it does is stink more and more.
Bob

 

[spd2918]

I do not see how ANY of your examples relate to NOT ANSWERING A KNOCK... I am a guy parked LEGALLY in a LEGALLY registered vehicle somewhere in the USA... and you are telling me (in this thread) that I "better answer your knock... or else". All of your examples of "answer me or else" do not apply in the slightest to a law abiding citizen camping in his/her van, yet here you are trying to get us to fear you... again.

Wait, did you say that you guys let a 15 year old get access to a firearm and shoot himself "in font of investigating officers"? Are you serious? I got better things to do then tell you how to do your job Spd, but seriously?

The first example is 100% about a vandweller not answering a knock, the second is about talking to the police. You have made it about you and your legal van- try to think outside yourself. I don't want anyone to fear to me- again try to think outside your narrow perspective.

The 15 year old did not kill himself, the father did (I could have written that more clearly). He has the right to have a firearm in his home and he used it as soon as the officers entered with a warrant.

You are still invited to come up and do a ride along if you want to see what actually happens on my shift.

 

[Van-Tramp]

I'd rather just buy the beers and kick back and shoot the breeze with you honestly. I am not anti-cop. I know you guys have a tough job. I know you guys have your heart in the right places, really I do.

Anyway... I've pushed my luck with my responses in this thread enough as it is. Bob has been nice enough to allow me to express myself this far, and I should not take it any further. And honestly I feel more of a douche after each of my responses on this subject. I'd rather be posting helpful tidbits that arguing.

If I am ever up in the WA area again (is that right?) I will buy the 12-pack.

 

[spd2918]

Northwest Wisconsin.

I think it's a perspective thing. We're all good- I don't take things personal. I will certainly enjoy retirement.

 

[Reducto]

For myself, most of my interactions with police have been with highway patrol or local officers watching a road. They really don't seem to have much to do and seem to be trained to assume everyone has done something wrong and that it's their job to figure out what that is while you're pulled over. On my last cross-country trip I was pulled over for honking and gesturing at a truck driving on a blown out tire and for having the state at the top of my license plate be partially obscured by a backup camera. Both times I was detained for a significant amount of time and questioned very aggressively even after my license came back clean. I've also been pulled over for speeding, been treated professionally and given a ticket but those things fade from memory quickly.

I think many people are in the same boat and those few bad experiences with LEOs color our opinion. We don't know if an officer approaching us has an agenda so we assume the worst. Frankly, that's usually the fastest and safest approach - maybe it's only 1 in 10 but that 1 can really mess up your day!