[NavVet]

Okay, change the word “killed” to assaulted and see how many that raises the number up to.

You act like the cops are trampeling on your rights if they ask you if you will consent. The only rights violation would be if you said no, and they searched anyway without the proper authorization. Consenting to a search is also one of your fundamental rights.

This, “I got a speeding ticket once so all cops are evil” mentality is amazing. I don’t know if you’ve ever been involved in many traffic stops, but the reactions are predictable, “Did you make your quota this month?”, “Don’t you have any murders to be harassing” etc.

The fact that most posters seem to equate cops with “Jack booted thugs” is very disturbing.

[SubGeniusX]

Okay, change the word “killed” to assaulted and see how many that raises the number up to.

so your first assumption turned out to be unsubstantiated by facts, and you want to change the rules ...

Ok, do me a favor and you do the research this time^*... please try to find info on Officers Assaulted w/ a Weapon (Gun/Knife/Etc..)since what you are talking about here is the searching of the vehicle in order to ensure the safety of the officer. I would think that would disqualify a hand to hand assault ... for the purposes of this discussion ...

^*since you are the one making the statement the burden should be on you to back it up ... not me to refute it...

[SubGeniusX]

Never Mind I found it... Here of the 6,490 assaults on police officers during traffic stops in 2006, only 291(4.5%) were with a Firearm and 37(0.6%) were with a Knife or cutting weapon.

for a Total of 328 (5.1%) ....

now if I make an assumptive extrapolation from previously demonstrated data (post #166) we can "assume" that approximately 118(36%) of those were Felony stops... The other 210(64%) are what you referred to as "simple" stops...(I think I am giving you the benifit of the doubt here as I think the %s would be higher for the Assults during Felony stops)

considering that 6490 assaults occurred on officers at traffic stops yet only a very small % of them involved a Knife or a Firearm, I would again state that the theory you posit as the search being for officer safety is flawed... it could even be argued that by removing folks from the vehicle for a search puts the officer more at risk ...

[Still Thinking]

The fact that most posters seem to equate cops with ?Jack booted thugs? is very disturbing healthy.

I freely grant you that most cops are fine upstanding people. But they do work for the government and government is an institution our Founders regarded with suspicion at best. So cops, like any other government employee, must have their feet held to the fire at all times. If they can accept the job on those terms, I salute their selflessness and their calling.