Police SOP question.....

[Achilleslastand]

Got pulled over this afternoon for failure to use a signal and was asked three things.
Where are you coming from?
Where are you going?
And have you ever been in jail?

The last question caught me by suprise because ive never been asked this before?
Is this SOP now or does it depend on the officer?

[Mel]

All I ever get is "do you know why I pulled you over?" It has been a couple of years though.

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm surprised that you even got pulled over. If I were a police officer I could have written 50+ citations this past week alone for folks not using their blinkers. No one uses 'em anymore. I do, but that's just because it's good practice.

[Achilleslastand]

I'm surprised that you even got pulled over. If I were a police officer I could have written 50+ citations this past week alone for folks not using their blinkers. No one uses 'em anymore. I do, but that's just because it's good practice.

Ditto..
Even tho i did get just a verbal warning i thought it was strange to be asked if i was ever in jail.

[Hawk405359]

It sort of makes me think that they were looking for someone and you just happened to match the description. I certainly have never been asked that, although I don't get pulled over often.

[kevinpate]

Not a set of questions I've ever been asked.

Usually it's limited to 'do you know why I stopped you?'
(politely answered with a simple no, as any other answer is 1/2 to 7/8 way to being presumed to be an admission of guilt to one thing or another.)

If I were to be asked 'ever been in jail' I'd probably answer truthfully with 'yes, frequently" ... if only to take stock of the expression.
What can I say. Not everyone is bond eligible, and some who are lack the ability to meet their bond obligation.

[MadMonk]

Usually it's limited to 'do you know why I stopped you?'
(politely answered with a simple no, as any other answer is 1/2 to 7/8 way to being presumed to be an admission of guilt to one thing or another.)

The best* answer to that question is "I'm sorry, don't you?"









*Best, but maybe not the wisest.

[Stew]

The last time I got pulled over was in 2007 in Norman. The cop did ask me where I was going which I found really odd. I simply asked him why are you asking where I'm going? Obviously I could give you any answer truthful or not and you wouldn't know the difference. And the cop was pretty cool and told me he didn't care about the answer but was more interested in my demeanor while answering the question. Kind of a rorschach test I guess. I must have passed because I only got a warning.

[OKCRT]

Got pulled over this afternoon for failure to use a signal and was asked three things.
Where are you coming from?
Where are you going?
And have you ever been in jail?

The last question caught me by suprise because ive never been asked this before?
Is this SOP now or does it depend on the officer?

I wonder what he would have done if you told him you just got out of prison after doing a long stretch for assaulting someone that asked too many questions?

[Larry OKC]

I was asked the where are you from/going questions not that long ago. Thought it was odd , but the neighborhood has become more diverse over the years and maybe a white guy seemed out of place for the officer. But it may have been like someone else said, they are looking for the way you respond more than anything. Got pulled over because there was traffic behind me and I needed to make a wide right hand turn to get into my mothers driveway (using turn signals) but often folks get impatient and pass you on the right hand side. Rather than risk an accident, go around the median and try again. While doing the around-the-block thing I "rolled" thru two stop signs. Fortunately only got a verbal warning. Wasn't asked the jail question.

[Anonymous.]

This is called obvious prodding/probing. Most of the time when you are pulled over for 'silly' things it is because they want to get you on other things. Such as DUI, theft, weapons, drugs. Most of the time pending on how you look and how you act they will want to search your vehicle.

Excercise your rights. Answer zero personal questions.

I have found myself on this side of situation with LEOs many times due to my vehicle and self being profiled.


If you do NOT want to remain silent (judge this based upon casualness of the encounter).
Your answers should go as follows:

Where are you coming from?
"My previous destination"

Where are you going?
"My destination"


And have you ever been in jail?
"My information is on my license, officer"



Also any time you are pulled over, set your phone to record video and place it in the cupholder facing the window or at least somewhere it can capture audio. I strongly recommend dashcameras for your vehicle for many reasons, but this is one of the greatest advantages you can have in any 'sticky' situation.

[Martin]

i haven't been pulled over in a couple years (knock on wood) but i'm usually asked if i know why i was pulled over. several times, when the officer came back with my license i was asked if i knew anybody on the force.

my best "getting pulled over" story happened in july of 2004. my brother was visiting from out of state and riding with me when i was pulled over near nw 23rd and classen by a young looking officer for a tail light being out. the officer went through the typical routine, came back with my license and then said in the usual authoritative, "i've got you now" tone, "sir, do you realize your tag expired in december of '04?"... it was so stupid, i thought it might be some kind of trick question and i sat there a moment trying to find a response that didn't come across as "gee, you're dumb." finally, in the most polite tone i can muster, without cracking up, i say "that's... not... for another 5 months." he looks at me and you could see his jaw drop ever so slightly and then in the most deadpan tone says "my bad. carry on." once the window was rolled up, we cracked up about that all the way back home.

-M

[Mel]

When my Dad was a cop they called this fishing. Especially if your guilty of driving after midnight.

[RadicalModerate]

As a seasoned, semi-senior citizen (like for about the last 15 years) I have a bit of difficulty calling a 24 year old, shaved-head, Vin Diesel or whomever imitator, "Sir". I always use the term "Officer" instead. As in "Yes, Officer." (note the absence of anything involving "No" that could be confused with challenging his "authority" or adherance to what guys about my age told him to do back at the station house.)

So far, my "be respectful and friendly" strategy has worked.
(those kids out there, maintaining "the thin blue line" have a way tougher job to do in this day and age than most of us ever did.)

Heck . . . It even worked with an Illinois State Trooper as I--a biker-lookin' pseudo cowboy--at the wheel of a KW pullin' a reefer to some town in Kentucky to load up some chemicals for the turnaround to the West Coast--was pulled over while illegally driving a semi across the southermost tip of the state when I was a mere child of about 25. All it took was handing him an Oklahoma Commercial Chauffer's License and listening to him extol the virtues of that area up around Grove for about 15 minutes. Written warning. (72 in a 55--remember The Carter Years and the 55mph speed limit?). Verbal warning: "Slow it down." I said "Yes Sir" not "Yes Officer. I was a kid. Live and learn . . . =)

Friendly Note to Anonymous: I probably could have handed him my ACLU What To Do If You Are Arrested At A Demonstration card from back around '68 but the outcome of the situation would probably have been different. In a negative way. As far as I would have been concerned.

[LakeEffect]

This is called obvious prodding/probing. Most of the time when you are pulled over for 'silly' things it is because they want to get you on other things. Such as DUI, theft, weapons, drugs. Most of the time pending on how you look and how you act they will want to search your vehicle.

Excercise your rights. Answer zero personal questions.

I have found myself on this side of situation with LEOs many times due to my vehicle and self being profiled.


If you do NOT want to remain silent (judge this based upon casualness of the encounter).
Your answers should go as follows:

Where are you coming from?
"My previous destination"

Where are you going?
"My destination"


And have you ever been in jail?
"My information is on my license, officer"



Also any time you are pulled over, set your phone to record video and place it in the cupholder facing the window or at least somewhere it can capture audio. I strongly recommend dashcameras for your vehicle for many reasons, but this is one of the greatest advantages you can have in any 'sticky' situation.

I know we are all innocent until proven guilty and it's our right to keep these things private, but I always feel the urge to answer their questions because I know I have nothing too hide and I feel like it would speed up the conversation. Not answering, or giving very vague answers, and having a dashcam, etc. just makes me feel like I'm going to end up attracting more attention to myself than anything.

[Midtowner]

Congratulations, you probably just got profiled.

[RadicalModerate]

Congratulations, you probably just got profiled.

Can we pause for a moment, for a musical interlude,
that might serve to align paradigms and put things in perspective?


Fight The Law All You Want
Yet Remember: Lawyers Always Win.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

You guys get easy questions.

I always get tough ones.

"Where are your pants?" and "is that blood?" are the most common.