Keep it Consensual!

The 4th Amendment - which protects US citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government - has exceptions.  One of these exceptions is CONSENT!  Most police think of the 4th Amendment to apply to searches.  Think also of seizures of persons.

If you forcibly stop someone - blue lights, sirens, commands, handcuffs - you have seized their body.  If they consent to speaking with you...you're good!

Why in the world would they consent - agree - to speak with you if they are a 3x felon carrying a gun?  A drug dealer carrying 9 ounces of Heroin?  A child pornography producer with a hard drive in his backpack that will get him 30 to life?

Listen to this episode to develop your understanding of the legality of a consensual stop.  They did nothing wrong - no stop sign violation, no speeding, no nothing.  However, you have a suspicion and you want to speak with them.  This is the science.

Continue listening to develop your art.  How to transition from being a stranger danger in a uniform to building casual rapport.  How to develop this casual rapport into a closer rapport.  How to continue to build into a search and possibly an arrest.

If you choose to rely on traffic violations and boneheads walking up the middle of the street, you will catch the low-hanging fruit.  The easy ones.  Listen to me, hone your skills on your own, and become a more effective LEO!