Chambers County (Texas) Narcotics Task Force Goes Fishing

Houston Area Texans - A FreeRepublic Network Chapter ^ | February 3, 2003 | Jim Chessher

[Flyer]

Reading the story doesn't quite do it justice unless you keep in mind that all this took an hour and half ! After my refusal of the 'consent to search' they really wanted to come away with an arrest.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am sure they did! I have never have the opportunity to refuse a search, because they have never asked me. I have certainly watched enough episodes of COPS to know that they don't expect to be told "no".

I am supportive of law enforcement by default, which is why I get genuinely angry when I see bad police attitudes.

Fortunately for me, and contributing to my attitude is that I have always been treated very well by all the police that have ever approached me, or assisted me when I have called them. I am a fairly hobbity looking chick though, and that makes a lot of difference. Even when I have declared my concealed weapon to them in contacts, they have not removed it from me... one even asked me what make and model it was out of curiosity.

But having said all that... I would have refused your search, and any request I can think of where they would ask me for a look inside my truck.

I was thinking about it the other day driving home from my Dad's. My dad's lady friend had bought a bunch of dog food that her dog ended up being allergic to. She was giving it to me, but had already emptied it into a bin she uses and thrown away the original bags. She poured it into about three big garbage bags, not too full so they wouldn't tear, and we put them in my truck.

To make a long story short, on the way home a cop came up behind me real fast and hung there. I assume he called me in (I had been driving too fast). Any minute, I expected to see the lights come on. I looked over at those bags sitting next to me and decided they looked pretty dang suspicious. I was imagining the cop calling and going to the trouble to get a warrant, and discovering 40 pounds of dog food.

This long story doesn't have a punch line, because he never did pull me over. I don't know why not!

[Flyer]

I have never have the opportunity to refuse a search

This was my first opportunity since it became standard practice on traffic stops. I wouldn't have been much better off if I gave him the okay to "have a look" because that gives consent to a full search. I have seen too many of the COPS stories where the "have a look" ends up with the car taken apart on the shoulder of the road.

If I would have had 3 trash bags of dog food they probably would have pulled out the drug test kits.

[The FRugitive]

How do any of your questions matter?

What country are you living in?

[The FRugitive]

Probably true. I've heard of cops pulling over drivers because they were "suspiciously" driving under the speed limit.

Someone once posted a police guide to profiling for drug smugglers they had got ahold of. It included driving faster AND driving slower then the posted limit.

Very funny but very sad.

[deport]

The warning ticket was from the Chambers County Narcotics Task Force. I was in Liberty County.

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Chambers County has a working alliance with Liberty County for the Narcotics Task Force. Galveston maybe looking at joining the group as they have lost their members thus they have to join another alliance or loose their funding....

Chambers has a reputation along the I-10 stretch......

[Orange1998]

I thought in TX a unmarket car can NOT pull someone over for speeding. Maybe that is why he said you were "weaving" all over the road instead of speeding like most traffic stops on the highway.

[deport]

The Numbers Game An Inside Look at a Texas Drug Task Force
Chambers County article by the The Texas Observer.....

[Oztrich Boy]

Firstly, the author doesn't deny the officer's assertion: "you were all over the road back there."

I'm going to assume that the cop was lying.

[Consort]

[radioman]

Vent away. Your ticket was from a "Narcotics Task Force".
They're the same all over the country.
The guy just didn't like your looks, and when you refused his request for an illegal search, you commited the "Contempt of Cop" sin.

They can use a bogus dog "sniff", as you just found out, for probable cause. Just be happy they didn't "find" anything.

[garandgal]

I got pulled over by a canine unit patrolman in Oklahoma for going...get this...67 in a 65 zone. Of course, having IA plates, I guess I somehow garnered his interest.

I wish I would have had a camera to capture the look of disappointment on his face when he got to the window and saw a blonde woman in a business suit with an SUV full of salesman's sample boards.

I could barely stop laughing between that, and the fact that his poor dog was wearing one of those "lampshade" things around its head because of an injured foot!

I got a warning ticket and, OF COURSE, have never traveled 2 MPH over the speed limit since.

[hadaclueonce]

I have a dumb question, does anyone know if the "drug sniffing dogs" have to be certified that they know what the heck they are barking about?

[Flyer]

Thanks for the link. Great stuff in that story. I will be referencing it when I do some more formal bitc complaning.

[Flyer]

Just be happy they didn't "find" anything

I'll be leaving for Lufkin in a few hours, passing through the same stretch of Highway 59. I guess I'll find out if they hold a grudge.

[Flyer]

I looked at your profile page and see you collect WWII homefront memorabilia. I sold a Block Captain's air raid siren on eBay you probably would have been interested in. Sorry, it was the only one I had.

[Flyer]

I thought in TX a unmarket car can NOT pull someone over for speeding

I see it all the time. I think it is very dangerous to pull over for a car that is not clearly marked.

[Flyer]

does anyone know if the "drug sniffing dogs" have to be certified

Good question. I would think so, but after reading the Texas Observer story I doubt if the CCNTF cares much about that.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Looks like a freepin' snake pit down there.

[radioman]

I'll be leaving for Lufkin in a few hours, passing through the same stretch of Highway 59. I guess I'll find out if they hold a grudge.

Talk about tempting fate!
Use an old truckers advice. When traveling through the confederate states, travel at night.