Recording Traffic Stops

[soundwave]

OK, when a traffic stop is made, it is recorded on some kind of activity report as well as with the dispatcher just before you initiate the stop (I would imagine, anyway). I was wondering if the actual traffic stop itself is recorded in your computer systems (e.g. if you lookup the plate information it will give you the date/time/officer/location/reason/etc.). I'm not talking about the civil or criminal actions related to the vehicle, or things with the DMV or anything else -- just the actual stop information like when you check out the occupants, suspicious activity, etc. Or, is it done somehow differently?

The second part of my question is that if you do keep a history of traffic stops themselves, is there any reason that you would use that information (e.g. establish a suspicious vehicle in the area of a bank, high drug trafficking area, gang area, etc.)?

Thanks guys! =O)

[acreature]

All of our stops are logged on the CAD system when we call them in.

In addition, we are mandated by state law to fill out those Liberal Tree Huggin Racial Profiling sheets for every stop.
It includes time of day, reason for stop, race/sex/age of stoppee, enforcement action taken... if searched; reason for search, number of passengers - race, sex and age of passengers, and what items - if any- were seized. And who was arrested.

PITA!

edit to say part of what steelcityk9 says below me.... We too have the system that CAD that records when/where/why for vehicles. If I run a tag... and has had a prior contact, it will state so. And it does come in very handy.

[steelcityk9cop]

It all depends..... Most 911 centers will have a "card" or log of all activity and radio traffic while on a call or traffic stop. Some CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) programs will compile all of the license plates, drivers license numbers and keep them on file for cross ref later on.

Some departments flag "cards" for all traffic stops, some don't. That is generally a individual department decision. Now depending on weather the county 911 center or the city does the dispatching will determine how much information will be available at a later date.

When I worked in Montgomery County Pa. your MDT check of a plate would list all past contacts that anyone dispatched by county radio had with that vehicle. You could look up the stop, see why they made it, and what they did with it. My department did not use the county CAD system that way so I would never know if another officer in my department stopped that vehicle 8 hours prior but I would know if a department on the other side of the county stopped it any time in the last year or two.

You would keep traffic stop information for all the reasons you mentioned. The system my current department uses is HEAVY in the data collection. They can check all the entry fields to tell you how many red 4-door vehicles were stopped in the parking lot of Olive Garden between 1300 and 1400 Hrs. each Friday last year.

We have solved a ton of cases due to our data collection. As soon as someone says that the actor fled in a dark blue Buick Skylark we can start pulling up every vehicle we ever stopped if that description along with ownership and call history information. We even gather information and have solved a bunch of cases with that information. Big Brother Rocks!

[corporal716]

[QUOTE=acreature]
In addition, we are mandated by state law to fill out those Liberal Tree Huggin Racial Profiling sheets for every stop.
QUOTE]

The law here does not require the sheets yet, but we do have departments voluntarily gathering information . One of your local depatments decided the best way to documet stops was the give everyone a cite. No breaks for anyone anymore. If you get stopped, you get a cite.

[acreature]

Unsure of the exact details for our "Legislation" But it was kicked out when brought up intially. Then during the signing of a new budget, it was passed.

The Highway Patrol and all 100 Sheriff's Offices are required by the law to fill them out.

But the PD do not have to if their Officer to Citizen ratio is not within guidelines. It is stupid.... we have 6 PDs in our County and only one of them meets the ratio requirement. The others either have too many Officers or too many citizens. :confused:

[JD45]

As long as we call out our stops, everything is recorded in CAD. Time, date, location, license plate, driver's license number or name of any occuppants we run records check on.

Then the dispatchers usually enter in a dispo whether it be cited/advised.

[bobcoop06]

Speaking of recording stops, do of you record your? Not in the same way, like as a record, but the local PD here has a little tape recorder with a mic that they use to record all of their traffic stops. Does anyone else do this? If so, has it helped you out in any way? I was just wondering because it saved an officers butt here recently.

This cop pulled over a 16 year old girl for speeding, he wouldn't let her out of the ticket and she got upset. She went home and told her parents that he asked her out and requested sexual favors. Luckily, he had the whole stop video taped and the conversation was recorded. After she found this out, she decided not to pursue any charges. She might get false reporting or something out of it.

[acreature]

Speaking of recording stops, do of you record your? Not in the same way, like as a record, but the local PD here has a little tape recorder with a mic that they use to record all of their traffic stops. Does anyone else do this? If so, has it helped you out in any way? I was just wondering because it saved an officers butt here recently.

This cop pulled over a 16 year old girl for speeding, he wouldn't let her out of the ticket and she got upset. She went home and told her parents that he asked her out and requested sexual favors. Luckily, he had the whole stop video taped and the conversation was recorded. After she found this out, she decided not to pursue any charges. She might get false reporting or something out of it.

In Car cam and Body Mic

[sbrad]

ALL of our stops are recorded on video.

[acreature]

As are ours, except Sgts and above. Our Admin would like Sgts and above to simply Supervise.

Us Corps keep the Cam ;)

[bobcoop06]

Yeah, I figured most were recorded on video, but sound recording doesn't seem to be as widespread.

[soundwave]

I figured as much. Thanks guys for the information. I really do think that it would help out in some form or another. If anything I think the biggest thing that would help is establishing the location of a person/vehicle with a date and time. Cheers. =O)

[MORA Ranger]

Yeah, I figured most were recorded on video, but sound recording doesn't seem to be as widespread.

My agency is too dang CHEAP to buy us in car video, in fact I didn't even get issued a recorder. I use my own and record all my stops so when people are stupid I can take the tape back to the ranger station and let my co-worker listen to it (I think she's done one traffic stop all summer, but she gets a kick out of the people I manage to piss off). Then we laugh and hope they complain to my boss so I can let him listen to the tape. :D .

[Legoate]

My dept. seems to mirror Acreature's exactly. We have in car camera with a body mic for all stops that comes on anytime we activate our lights. We have a CAD system that tracks every call for service we are on including stops, and it attaches plates and license info that we run through the dispatcher. If we run the license ourselves it is not attached to the call.
And finally, we have the hippy treehugger forms.

[acreature]

My agency is too dang CHEAP to buy us in car video, in fact I didn't even get issued a recorder. I use my own and record all my stops so when people are stupid I can take the tape back to the ranger station and let my co-worker listen to it (I think she's done one traffic stop all summer, but she gets a kick out of the people I manage to piss off). Then we laugh and hope they complain to my boss so I can let him listen to the tape. :D .

Learn to write Grants. Grants are a God send.