In May 2013, officers stopped 29-year-old Robert Wilson for improper vehicle registration. During the stop, these coppers observed a clear liquid that was concerning – further analysis showed it had explosive contents – so bomb techs were dispatched to an apartment complex in the Palms neighborhood of west Los Angeles.
There, the EOD guys found (and subsequently detonated) 17 homemade explosive devices. Wilson was taken into custody and booked on felony possession of a destructive device – all from a “routine” traffic stop.
Although this event did not get a whole lot of attention at the time, it serves as a tremendous reminder of the important role the “routine” traffic stop has in keeping American streets safe. It also reminds us to remember that all traffic stops involve risks.
All Stops Involve Risk
Not every traffic stop is going to end with your bomb squad’s detonation of 17 IEDs, but all traffic stops involve risks, and all stops involve at least one violation of the law.
Let’s have a discussion about your best traffic stop safety tips and tactics. I’ll get the ball rolling, but your comments below will be where the rubber really meets the road (so to speak).
1. Be ready
Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to use all necessary force – including deadly force – on everyone you meet.
2. Watch the hands
Controlling the subject’s hands is the most critical element for officer safety in just about every circumstance, so insist your violator put his or her hands on the wheel or the dashboard.
3. Communicate!
Get on the radio and give your dispatchers an idea of where you’re at when you initiate the stop, and then again when you get to the location of the stop.
4. Provide backup
If you hear that fellow officer’s call and can do so without leaving something else undone, drive on over to that officer’s stop.
5. Take your time
When the violator hands you his or her driver’s license, let their extended hand stay there for a beat or two. Someone who has something to hide may exhibit some shaking in that hand.
6. Time their answers
Ask open-ended questions and take note of the details given and the timing of a subject’s answers to your questions. If a question that should yield a short, simple answer instead yields a flood of information (or you get pre-planned, rapid-fire answers) this could indicate an attempt at deception.
7. Watch for camouflaged contraband
Watch for drug runners using “vacation camo” like suitcases and other items (bikes strapped to the back of the car, tents and camping gear lashed to the roof) as contraband couriers have been known to capitalize on the Christmas and summer vacation seasons as a perfect time to move loads.
8. Beware motorcycle helmets
Remember to order a helmeted rider you’ve pulled over to remove his or her helmet. With minimal practice, someone wearing a helmet can inflict serious damage with a head butt, and once it’s removed, the helmet itself can be a dangerous projectile.
9. Use existing cover
Even in inclement weather, it’s a good practice to do your traffic stop paperwork on the trunk of your squad car – if you’re inside, you might be taking unnecessary risk.
10. Passenger-side approach
When environmental conditions permit it, try to use a passenger-side approach – this affords added safety against oncoming traffic, and may prove safer than driver-side B-pillar positioning should the driver initiate an armed assault.
11. Trust your gut
If your “hinky alarm” goes off, follow-up on that instinct – I’d bet a tall stack of green money that’s precisely what happened with the traffic stop on Robert Wilson in Los Angeles.
