Criminals running contraband in vehicles will often use certain types of “camouflage” in an attempt to appear harmless and to help divert officers’ attention from the vehicle; things like religious, pro-police and/or anti-drug bumper stickers, kids bikes strapped to bike racks, elderly drivers, family looking luggage on a luggage rack, drivers who drive just under the speed limit, etc. The most successful interdiction busts have come from officers who are always on the lookout and always looking beyond the obvious and digging deeper whenever possible, both visually and when talking to drivers they’ve stopped.
Don’t let camouflage tempt you into turning off your “contraband radar” and letting your guard down. You know what they’re trying to get you to think with that camouflage.
“Oh, look. There’s a little kid’s bike strapped to the bike rack on that boring looking minivan I just stopped. Must be a family on vacation. I’m obviously not dealing with criminal types.”
Yes, it’s true that you may very well be dealing with a family on vacation or someone who supports law enforcement and hates drugs and likes to share their sentiments through bumper stickers, but it’s also possible you’re dealing with a seasoned criminal who underestimates your ability to look beyond the seemingly obvious and get to the truth.
