Good cop, bad cop. A classic.
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I’m concerned it’s more nefarious surveillance practices. If the cops are using info they can’t use in prosecution, then just ignore the prosecution part. This is happening way more often than just chance. (Of course this is just a conspiracy theory, but the potential of abusing this power is tremendous)
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I’ve never been a friend of the police. I think over and over in my mind, what would I say if I had some friendly young cop asking me a whole bunch of questions like that, on the side of the road? I always find myself thinking that I need to turn the tables and ask them questions, and should be nice, friendly questions, like how long they’ve been on the force, do they like it, have they killed any black or brown people, and how many.
If I was able to successfully manage my way out of the situation shown in the video, I’d be all friendly with this cop, make sure I get his card, then once I’m safely out of his jurisdiction, give him a call or write a letter telling him how much he and his job suck. And how he can suck it.
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The correct response is to ask if you are being detained, and if so, what for. And then when they keep asking questions, no matter how friendly and innocuous the questions seem, tell them that you are not discussing your day, and you are not answering any questions, that you are invoking your 5th amendment rights. And then, after that, don’t say another word, because if you start talking again, they can assume you’ve waived your 5th amendment rights. It may sound interesting to turn the tables and ask them friendly questions but you will not be rewarded for that. As this video shows, you will never be rewarded for complying with or being friendly to the police. I’m not saying to fight them, but DO NOT TALK TO THEM FOR ANY REASON. They mean it when they say they can and will use anything you say against you.
ETA: I found it interesting that this guy doesn’t trust banks, but he trusted the police. Now, are banks entirely trustworthy? Of course not. But if you put your money in a checking or savings account, they aren’t going to steal your money. And that money is insured. And if you’re worried about what will happen to the banks if civilization collapses…well that paper money isn’t going to be worth shit then anyway.
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Yup. Don’t talk to the police. It can’t be said enough. It is better to be silent and uncooperative than to be friendly or even to seem like you know the law better than they do. Shut up, give them the bare minimum, and get out ASAP.
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But if the DEA has it? Charges or no, I don’t think the FDIC would help you out in a situation like this.
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Yup, you guys are absolutely right. It’s never in our interest to talk to the cops, especially in an adversarial situation like that, no matter how friendly they might seem to be.
But the smart ass in me just wants to ask one question, which is, Is it true that you, officer, are allowed to lie to me all you want, but if I lie to you, I can get in trouble? And THEN I shut up!
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At 1:41 the cop remarks that it’s odd the suspect was driving under the speed limit. What?
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It’s part of the same strategy as “stop resisting!” as they beat the crap out of you or that blowing bubbles in a cop’s face is “assault”.
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I need to brush up on the rules and how to respond to requests for a search in a scenario like that. All I kept thinking when the officer asked for permission to search the car was he had the perfect excuse to say no (not that an excuse should be needed). It was a rental car. Since people complain about the seats being removed and interiors damaged during a search, I would’ve said no and used the fact that it wasn’t my car as the reason.
It’s possible they’d find or “find” something in there from a previous renter. There are lots of places to hide things in a car, and it’s not something people tend to check during the rental process. All I do is take before and after pix to prevent the rental company from blaming me for damage done after the car has been returned.
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Yeah, the “logic” there is that the drivers are doing something else wrong and trying to hide it. So, they drive under the speed limit to be sure they won’t get pulled over for that. This is supposedly what people under the influence do to avoid being stopped, but it’s really just another excuse.
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and they always word the question so the answer means whatever they want it to mean
OFFICER: Do you mind if I search your vehicle?
CITIZEN: Yes!
OFFICER: Yes you don’t mind, or yes I can search your vehicle?
CITIZEN: No!
OFFICER: No you don’t mind, thank you citizen
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Sheesh - forget Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is there any rule against phoning a friend during a traffic stop? At that moment, my friend would happen to be a lawyer… 
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as long as we can somehow make the call without moving our hands
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I was talking about if he’d kept his money in a bank instead of carrying cash in his car. They would never have seized his money if he’d kept it in a bank. Which may sound like I’m victim blaming. I’m not. You totally should be able to carry that much cash without fear of the police seizing it. I just found it interesting that he kept his money in cash because he doesn’t trust banks, but he was completely trusting of the police when this happened.
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You don’t have to give them a reason for denying their request to search your vehicle. It’s your vehicle, even if you’re just renting it. That’s the 4th Amendment. If they’re asking you if they can search your anything, it means they do not have probable cause, because if they did, they wouldn’t ask. So, if they ask if they can search your anything, the answer is always no. Always. No exceptions. Do not make it easy for them to fabricate a reason to arrest you or seize your property. Do not do their job for them.
ETA: One thing I see expressed a lot by the general public, and by the media, both on the left and the right, is the idea that if someone has done nothing wrong and has nothing to hide, then they would be happy to talk to the police/consent to a search/answer questions under oath/etc., and that’s all just nonsense. Especially when it comes to talking to the police. Their job is not to find out the truth. Their job is not to see that justice is done. Their job is not to serve and protect. Their job is issuing fines and obtaining convictions (I’m not saying that’s what it should be, that’s just what it is). They will take anything you say, or anything they find during a search, and do everything they can to make it make you look guilty of something. this video is a great example of that in action.
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Don’t worry, there are apps for that:
Maybe some kind of early warning system might help, too… 
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IANAL, but I have a degree in political science and studied constitutional law as part of my course work. For the life of me I cannot understand how civil asset forfeiture is allowed to stand, as it flies in the face of the fifth amendment to my mind.
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Actually, I do understand why. (Hint: Notice any commonality amongst the civil forfeiture victims in the video?) Using the “war on drugs” is the justification, but in a just society built on the rule of law, law enforcement would not be allowed to flout the constitution. Alas, we do not live in a just society. TANJ!
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Not to mention that the officers will lie about what you said. Both times I interacted with cops, the police report had multiple “misinterpretations” of what I said, and all unfavorable to me. There will not be a third time.
“Officer, am I free to leave?”
“What crime do you suspect me of having committed?”
“I refuse all searches”
“I will not answer any questions without a lawyer”
“May I have the business cards of all officers present?”
Those are the only words that need come out of my mouth.
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Yup. I got pulled over by the OPP for driving at the limit on highway 400 (these are Canadian things). Officer came and stuck his head way inside the car to see if he smelled booze.
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