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Is this normal police action?

IowaMeatMan

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Nov 25, 2001
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I found a credit card on the sidewalk at a downtown music event, turned it over to two policemen. They took all my info, name address phone number, and that of my girlfriend that was with me. About 30 minutes later my girlfriend gets a call from a friend, she asked if she was alright. She said yes, why do you ask. Friend said she heard her name on the scanner. I later asked the two officers why they ran both of us. They said it was for their report and not that they were trying to to see if we had any warrants. The one officer says you both came back clean . So why did they run us, hoping to make an easy arrest?
 
If you give the police your name just in a friendly encounter out and about, a good chunk of them are immediately going to to check to see if you have warrants when they get back to their squad car laptop. Regardless of the type of interaction. That's how I found out I had Johnson county warrants. I got stopped riding my bicycle at night in Parkersburg, IA when I was visiting my parents because cycling at night is suspicious in a small town.
 
What’s your objection for cops checking for open warrants??

Depends entirely on the context. CSB alert, ignore the rest of this if you don't want CSB. I was pulled over on my bicycle once because some rookie small town cop had previously received reports of minor vandalism of already poorly maintained public property from a month or two earlier. It's a tiny town and a road that goes near that area was part of my bicycle lap. So I was profiled as the only bored under 30 lost soul riding my bike around town at night with nothing better to do than go to Kwik Star to load my backpack up with 8% Steel Reserve cans and then take another lap around town before going home to pound them. My explanation to the officer that I had been drinking a bit and didn't want to drive to get more booze and that I was not a vandal was plenty good for the officer who let me go on my bicycle until he got back to his squad car and ran my name and then sped up a couple blocks to catch me again on my bicycle. This time he decided to get a little more forceful handling me even though I was in total compliance and agreed to be cuffed and sit on the curb while he searched my backpack. When he was done not finding any weapons or drugs in my backpack, he had me sit there on the curb in cuffs while he waited to see if anyone from Johnson County wanted to drive 2 hours at 11 PM to come get me for possession of half a gram of marijuana they found in my bedroom months and months previously when they executed a search warrant targeting my roommate while I was at work (and then never bothered to follow up contacting me about the warrant thing).

Not all cops are bad people who are going to hell, many get into it for the right reasons, but it's really hard swallow all the copaganda that these people are constantly self-sacrificing heroes. ACAB is much closer to the truth than "a few bad apples."
 
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It's BAU though it could have been worse. These divers find stolen property in a river and then the cop rages on them when they wish to turn it in anonymously.

 
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I found a credit card on the sidewalk at a downtown music event, turned it over to two policemen. They took all my info, name address phone number, and that of my girlfriend that was with me. About 30 minutes later my girlfriend gets a call from a friend, she asked if she was alright. She said yes, why do you ask. Friend said she heard her name on the scanner. I later asked the two officers why they ran both of us. They said it was for their report and not that they were trying to to see if we had any warrants. The one officer says you both came back clean . So why did they run us, hoping to make an easy arrest?
This is halfway normal. If someone gave me a lost item at a event of some sort, I'm not sure I would run them. I'd say thanks and see if I could track down the owner. Or maybe write down their info incase I needed something at a later time. I'm not sure why they felt the need to run you if they weren't checking for warrants. They could do that when they were getting ready to do their report. Most people with warrants aren't looking to make contact with LE.
 
Depends entirely on the context. CSB alert, ignore the rest of this if you don't want CSB. I was pulled over on my bicycle once because some rookie small town cop had previously received reports of minor vandalism of already poorly maintained public property from a month or two earlier. It's a tiny town and a road that goes near that area was part of my bicycle lap. So I was profiled as the only bored under 30 lost soul riding my bike around town at night with nothing better to do than go to Kwik Star to load my backpack up with 8% Steel Reserve cans and then take another lap around town before going home to pound them. My explanation to the officer that I had been drinking a bit and didn't want to drive to get more booze and that I was not a vandal was plenty good for the officer who let me go on my bicycle until he got back to his squad car and ran my name and then sped up a couple blocks to catch me again on my bicycle. This time he decided to get a little more forceful handling me even though I was in total compliance and agreed to be cuffed and sit on the curb while he searched my backpack. When he was done not finding any weapons or drugs in my backpack, he had me sit there on the curb in cuffs while he waited to see if anyone from Johnson County wanted to drive 2 hours at 11 PM to come get me for possession of half a gram of marijuana they found in my bedroom months and months previously when they executed a search warrant targeting my roommate while I was at work (and then never bothered to follow up contacting me about the warrant thing).

Not all cops are bad people who are going to hell, many get into it for the right reasons, but it's really hard swallow all the copaganda that these people are constantly self-sacrificing heroes. ACAB is much closer to the truth than "a few bad apples."
I'm all for calling out shitty cops when I see or hear about one, but you can't be mad at the cop for doing his job because you had a warrant for your arrest.
 
This is halfway normal. If someone gave me a lost item at a event of some sort, I'm not sure I would run them. I'd say thanks and see if I could track down the owner. Or maybe write down their info incase I needed something at a later time. I'm not sure why they felt the need to run you if they weren't checking for warrants. They could do that when they were getting ready to do their report. Most people with warrants aren't looking to make contact with LE.

If I was in that situation & declined to give you my name, what would be the reaction of the officer?
 
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Seems ridiculous to me and your spider senses should have been tingling when they wanted all that information from both of you. Yet what are you suppose to do? Because they will only get belligerent and suspicious and cause more issues if you refused. On something like this I would have looked for official event person or looked for the card owners on social media before walking over to two cops. I hate to say it, but these days I just would avoid all interactions with cops unless truly related to a crime or emergency.
 
I found a credit card on the sidewalk at a downtown music event, turned it over to two policemen. They took all my info, name address phone number, and that of my girlfriend that was with me. About 30 minutes later my girlfriend gets a call from a friend, she asked if she was alright. She said yes, why do you ask. Friend said she heard her name on the scanner. I later asked the two officers why they ran both of us. They said it was for their report and not that they were trying to to see if we had any warrants. The one officer says you both came back clean . So why did they run us, hoping to make an easy arrest?
christmas-vacation-cop.gif
 
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What’s your objection for cops checking for open warrants??
My objection is that if someone is a victim of abuse they are less likely to call for help if the officer is going to run a warrant check on them.

Or, as the case was here, less likely to turn in a lost item.
 
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If you give the police your name just in a friendly encounter out and about, a good chunk of them are immediately going to to check to see if you have warrants when they get back to their squad car laptop. Regardless of the type of interaction. That's how I found out I had Johnson county warrants. I got stopped riding my bicycle at night in Parkersburg, IA when I was visiting my parents because mass murderers ride bikes at night in a small town.
Fify
 
I'm all for calling out shitty cops when I see or hear about one, but you can't be mad at the cop for doing his job because you had a warrant for your arrest.

He would have had no way of knowing I had a warrant if he didn't pull me over for riding my bicycle because he's a nosy POS. Whatever as far as the warrant is concerned, he has a job to do at that point. The piece of shit "heroes" at ICPD did nothing to inform me of my warrant. Asshole small town cop had no business stopping me for riding my bicycle (which had lights even). So I don't care if he was "doing his job." He was being a nosy piece of shit who ended up having to inform me of something the even bigger pieces of shit at ICPD (who knew where I lived at the time) neglected to inform me of. Somebody didn't just "do their job" or it's something I would have handled months and months in the past rather than right after graduation when it was time to go job hunting.
 
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To add, I'm pretty certain the cops who never followed up on my arrest warrant did so because of the tiny haul they found serving a search warrant on my roommate. They were embarrassed to be shitty cops. Sorry dipshit "heroes." A minor stash of weed and a handful of Adderall. They were looking for steroids based on interrogating an untrustworthy informant. So they were extremely embarrassed to learn that they are pathetic at their jobs and none of them had the balls to call or mail me to admit they busted down a door with a ramrod to find less than $500 in drugs and cash and still felt compelled to draw up a warrant after finding half a gram of weed in my bedroom instead of slinking away like the pathetic failures they are. All such pathetic gutless bootlicking losers from the team that executed the search warrant all the way to whoever runs that shit hole PD. Not one of them had decency to inform me they issued an arrest warrant.
 
I found a credit card on the sidewalk at a downtown music event, turned it over to two policemen. They took all my info, name address phone number, and that of my girlfriend that was with me. About 30 minutes later my girlfriend gets a call from a friend, she asked if she was alright. She said yes, why do you ask. Friend said she heard her name on the scanner. I later asked the two officers why they ran both of us. They said it was for their report and not that they were trying to to see if we had any warrants. The one officer says you both came back clean . So why did they run us, hoping to make an easy arrest?
Same reason they run plates of cars, just want to know who they are dealing with.
 
To add, I'm pretty certain the cops who never followed up on my arrest warrant did so because of the tiny haul they found serving a search warrant on my roommate. They were embarrassed to be shitty cops. Sorry dipshit "heroes." A minor stash of weed and a handful of Adderall. They were looking for steroids based on interrogating an untrustworthy informant. So they were extremely embarrassed to learn that they are pathetic at their jobs and none of them had the balls to call or mail me to admit they busted down a door with a ramrod to find less than $500 in drugs and cash and still felt compelled to draw up a warrant after finding half a gram of weed in my bedroom instead of slinking away like the pathetic failures they are. All such pathetic gutless bootlicking losers from the team that executed the search warrant all the way to whoever runs that shit hole PD. Not one of them had decency to inform me they issued an arrest warrant.
lol

stop breaking the ****ing law.
 
If I was in that situation & declined to give you my name, what would be the reaction of the officer?
Nothing. In that situation, they haven't committed a crime, so have no obligation to identify themselves.
 
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He would have had no way of knowing I had a warrant if he didn't pull me over for riding my bicycle because he's a nosy POS. Whatever as far as the warrant is concerned, he has a job to do at that point. The piece of shit "heroes" at ICPD did nothing to inform me of my warrant. Asshole small town cop had no business stopping me for riding my bicycle (which had lights even). So I don't care if he was "doing his job." He was being a nosy piece of shit who ended up having to inform me of something the even bigger pieces of shit at ICPD (who knew where I lived at the time) neglected to inform me of. Somebody didn't just "do their job" or it's something I would have handled months and months in the past rather than right after graduation when it was time to go job hunting.
The police don't have an obligation to inform you that they were putting out a warrant for your arrest. If that was me, I would have made contact with you first and asked you to turn yourself in for a quick book and release. My guess is ICPD don't have the time to personally contact everyone they are putting a warrant out for. Plus it can be an officer safety situation when we give people (not in your situation) the heads up there is going to be an arrest warrant put out for them.

I agree, if your story is correct, the small town cop had no legal reason to stop you.
 
The police don't have an obligation to inform you that they were putting out a warrant for your arrest. If that was me, I would have made contact with you first and asked you to turn yourself in for a quick book and release. My guess is ICPD don't have the time to personally contact everyone they are putting a warrant out for. Plus it can be an officer safety situation when we give people (not in your situation) the heads up there is going to be an arrest warrant put out for them.

I agree, if your story is correct, the small town cop had no legal reason to stop you.

When is someone supposed to find out they have an arrest warrant if the lazy armed bureaucrats responsible for that paperwork decide it's not their responsibility or anyone else's for that matter to inform them? Next time they go to renew their car registration? The cops can't afford mail? They have no trouble finding someone's unlisted phone number when they want to call for questioning, but I guess they can't be bothered to place a call when their shitty detective work results in a lame bust?
 
When is someone supposed to find out they have an arrest warrant if the lazy armed bureaucrats responsible for that paperwork decide it's not their responsibility or anyone else's for that matter to inform them? Next time they go to renew their car registration? The cops can't afford mail? They have no trouble finding someone's unlisted phone number when they want to call for questioning, but I guess they can't be bothered to place a call when their shitty detective work results in a lame bust?
That is correct. Most LE will not personally contact someone and say hey, we are putting a arrest warrant out for you where you will spend significant time in jail. Now please wait for me to show up to shoot me or go into hiding where it takes years to find you. ICPD would need a full time person just to make phone calls or mailing personal letters to inform them. Remember, you screwed up (regardless if you think it's big or small) and it's not LE job to make it convenient for you. As I stated, I would have placed the phone call, but I'm a nice guy.
 
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That is correct. Most LE will not personally contact someone and say hey, we are putting a arrest warrant out for you where you will spend significant time in jail. Now please wait for me to show up to shoot me or go into hiding where it takes years to find you. ICPD would need a full time person just to make phone calls or mailing personal letters to inform them. Remember, you screwed up (regardless if you think it's big or small) and it's not LE job to make it convenient for you. As I stated, I would have placed the phone call, but I'm a nice guy.

Got it, cops are frightened, insecure, lazy, and inconsiderate jerks who are too chickenshit to alert a citizen about a misdemeanor arrest warrant because they think someone with no history is going to flee the state or shoot at cops instead of get their slap on the wrist over with like 99.99% of people would in that situation. Heroes.
 
That is correct. Most LE will not personally contact someone and say hey, we are putting a arrest warrant out for you where you will spend significant time in jail. Now please wait for me to show up to shoot me or go into hiding where it takes years to find you. ICPD would need a full time person just to make phone calls or mailing personal letters to inform them. Remember, you screwed up (regardless if you think it's big or small) and it's not LE job to make it convenient for you. As I stated, I would have placed the phone call, but I'm a nice guy.
Paying someone to notify people they have a warrant out for their arrest isn’t an unreasonable request. In fact, I’d go so far to say it’s laughable you think so.

Edit: and to clump all warrants under one umbrella is equally stupid and lazy. If it’s a violent crime or such handle that differently than the guy who has a warrant for unpaid parking tickets, JFC, this isn’t hard.
 
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Got it, cops are frightened, insecure, lazy, and inconsiderate jerks who are too chickenshit to alert a citizen about a misdemeanor arrest warrant because they think someone with no history is going to flee the state or shoot at cops instead of get their slap on the wrist over with like 99.99% of people would in that situation. Heroes.
You must have missed the part when I said not in your situation. Regardless, ICPD isn't going to make contact with people with warrants. I don't expect you to understand that.
 
Paying someone to notify people they have a warrant out for their arrest isn’t an unreasonable request. In fact, I’d go so far to say it’s laughable you think so.

Edit: and to clump all warrants under one umbrella is equally stupid and lazy. If it’s a violent crime or such handle that differently than the guy who has a warrant for unpaid parking tickets, JFC, this isn’t hard.
We are hiring

Edit....Don't break the law and you don't have to worry about warrants.
 
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You must have missed the part when I said not in your situation. Regardless, ICPD isn't going to make contact with people with warrants. I don't expect you to understand that.

That makes it sound to me like police don't actively pursue dangerous people with warrants after their first failed attempt. I can understand not wanting to tip a known violent person off, but then shouldn't they be found pretty easily with just a little effort without the calls and letters? I wasn't in hiding, so even if I was on the bottom of ICPDs warrant bounty list, they wouldn't have had to work hard to find me. Sounds to me like police are lousy all the way around with this warrant system. Lazy, unstrategic, inconsiderate, and ineffective.
 
That makes it sound to me like police don't actively pursue dangerous people with warrants after their first failed attempt. I can understand not wanting to tip a known violent person off, but then shouldn't they be found pretty easily with just a little effort without the calls and letters? I wasn't in hiding, so even if I was on the bottom of ICPDs warrant bounty list, they wouldn't have had to work hard to find me. Sounds to me like police are lousy all the way around with this warrant system. Lazy, unstrategic, inconsiderate, and ineffective.
Sounds like you are looking to blame someone for your issues. Come ride along with me and we can have a open conversations and maybe we both can understand each others perspective a bit better.
 
Sounds like you are looking to blame someone for your issues. Come ride along with me and we can have a open conversations and maybe we both can understand each others perspective a bit better.

No I get it. Cops have dangerous jobs which completely excuses them from treating the public with respect the way other institutions are expected to.
 
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Um no. Don't break the law and LE won't apply for a warrant. It's pretty simple actually.
lol, k

edit: I thought we had this cleared up but apparently not. Has a warrant been issued for someone in error? Yes or no.
 
That is correct. Most LE will not personally contact someone and say hey, we are putting a arrest warrant out for you where you will spend significant time in jail. Now please wait for me to show up to shoot me or go into hiding where it takes years to find you. ICPD would need a full time person just to make phone calls or mailing personal letters to inform them. Remember, you screwed up (regardless if you think it's big or small) and it's not LE job to make it convenient for you. As I stated, I would have placed the phone call, but I'm a nice guy.
This is interesting. So, were I in those shoes...a small amount of weed found during a search and a warrant taken out...I might not find out until years later when a prospective employer does a background search? If that's the case, what's the point of the warrant? Seems like if there's a warrant, someone should at the least make a call if not go to the last known residence to serve it. If that minimal effort isn't going to be made, seems like there's no purpose in the warrant other than to plant a time bomb that will blow up at some future date. Kind of makes it sound almost vindictive.
 
lol, k

edit: I thought we had this cleared up but apparently not. Has a warrant been issued for someone in error? Yes or no.
In my 22 years in LE, I can't recall a time one has been issued in error, so NO. There have been times where the warrants have been cleared up and the warrant wasn't taken out of the system. You also have to realize that if there was an error, LE we wouldn't necessarily see it. That gets figured out in court where LE isn't present. If you would like me to assume, then yes, I assume at some point across the nation a warrant was issued in error.
 
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