M. Silbert (1976) has described a ten-point checklist of techniques for officers to use in field management of victim situations. Frederick (1986) lists twelve intervention responses that are of use to police officers. We have combined and edited these two lists as follows: 1. **Officers should introduce themselves by full name and title.** This is important in any police encounter with ...

I remember years ago standing guard on a crime scene and hearing detectives lament that the "evidence eradication gremlins have been here." They were referring to first responders. Firefighters and EMS personnel handling emergency medical response to a patient (no offense to them as they are doing a necessary job) have particularly been long joked about in police circles as being ...

Hypothetical: (Sergeant should use names of officers at the roll-call to emphasize the reality of such hypothetical situations): Officer Boehm, let’s suppose we have a high-speed pursuit this evening. The pursuit travels some distance and the suspect makes several aggressive actions toward police cruisers. Let’s further suppose that the suspect finally bails out of his vehicle proceeds to flee on foot. ...

Body: Hypothetical: Officer Courtney observes a subject, Mr. Eubanks, who he has reasonable suspicion, (but not probable cause), to believe has been involved in the shoplifting of a can of beer. Officer Courtney stops Eubanks. Question: Can Officer Courtney constitutionally conduct a frisk of Eubanks, for officer safety, prior to questioning him? Answer: No, not under the facts provided. Shoplifters are ...

Alcohol intoxication is a leading factor in motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Law enforcement officers have been trained to identify driving patterns that indicate a probability that a motorcyclist is driving while intoxicated. The driving patterns that police typically look for have been outlined by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA has delineated a number of "cues" that police ...

Vehicle searches are conducted on a daily basis by police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers on roadways throughout the country. And every day defense lawyers are successful in getting judges to suppress evidence obtained by showing that the vehicle operator's consent to search was not voluntary. In order to keep the Exclusionary Rule at bay, law enforcers requesting consent need ...

When I teach Vehicle Operations in the Basic Law Enforcement Academies, I tell the recruits that the second police vehicle through the intersection during a priority run or pursuit is not the safer one; rather it is the more dangerous place to be. Drivers hear the sirens and see the patrol car go through and then assume the coast is clear. ...

United States v. Concepcion-Ledesma, 447 F.3d 1307 (10th Cir. 2006) Just the Facts… On May 16, 2006 the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in the above case, held that the presence of a hidden compartment in vehicle, taken with the totality of the circumstances, provides probable cause for a warrantless search. In this case, a Kansas State Trooper observed a group ...

Many police pursuit proponents read with eagerness of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent case involving law enforcement chases. The 2007 case, Scott v. Harris was interpreted by many road rangers as giving more latitude to the officer pursuing the miscreants of the motorways. Actually the ruling should be examined within the scope of it two points. It also serves as a ...

Indiana v. Stickle, 2003 Ind.App. LEXIS 1304 (IN Ct. App. 2003). Members of the Indiana State Police received information regarding a drug deal that was going to take place at a McDonald’s restaurant in Batesville. The tipster provided the names of the individuals involved and indicated the vehicle which would be driven by the suspects. Officers placed the restaurant under surveillance ...