By Scott Buhrmaster
Police1 Contributing Editor
Police1 received a report late last week of a Massachusetts man who was booked for possession of more than six pounds of marijuana after he was pulled over for speeding. The state trooper who made the stop noticed the smell of pot when the driver rolled down his window.
Before this alert trooper’s “routine” work was over, he had surfaced two dope-filled packages and escorted a drug runner to jail.
In light of this excellent example of heads-up police work, we felt it was a good time to share a few reminders of red flags you might see during traffic duty that can help you turn the mundane into the monumental.
Some things to watch for -
Exterior Red Flags:
Signs of false or tampered-with chassis or roofs. If a visual scan of a vehicle body doesn’t seem to add up size-wise, take note and be curious. Abnormal wiring. What you’re looking to spot here are signs of an electronically controlled false compartment. Signs that the vehicle is heavily weighted down. Signs of a weighted vehicle become particularly suspicious when you find an empty trunk and/or no outward signs of a heavy load being transported. Out-of-place rivets, weld marks or other signs that body metal may have been cut away to gain access to hollow areas and replaced. Also look for signs of repainting those area, particularly on “beater” cars that wouldn’t typically be candidates for repainting of damaged areas. Signs of plate tampering. If you see bent plates, look closely to see if another plate may be underneath. Runners have been known to carry a collection of state plates and change them out when driving state-to-state in an effort to avoid attention. Also look for signs of heavy use of the screws that hold the plate/plate holder in place. License plate screws aren’ t typically victims of heavy use. Signs of attempts to “camouflage” the vehicle. Remember that you’re looking for signs that things just don’t match up. Keep your eyes open for an overwhelming collection of “good guy” signs, like a high-profile collection of law enforcement support bumper stickers and window decals, particularly if they’re used in tandem with other materials that seem to indicate a polar position. Interior Red Flags:
Seeing little or no luggage after a driver or passenger has told you they’ re taking a long trip or going on vacation. Indications that the interior upholstery has been cut open and repaired, particularly if you spot this in multiple places and you see signs that the “rips” look abnormally clean or long and not in line with the look of accidental tears. A spare tire, tire-changing tools, car cleaning materials, luggage or a collection of other things that are typically transported in a trunk piled in the back seat instead. This is an obvious sign that the trunk is full of something. If you ask the driver if he has anything in the trunk and he says no, or hesitates to quickly and clearly recall what’s inside, take note and be curious. Multiple air fresheners or an overload of masking agent odors. Pay particularly close attention to this if you feel the scent is strong enough to be noticeably unpleasant for driving any distance. If it smells too good to be true, it certainly could be. Also, obviously, stay alert for drug odors. Strange wiring. Again, as mentioned above, you’re looking for signs of electronically controlled hidden compartments. Watch for signs of use on screws that hold typically stable parts of the vehicle in place, like arm rests, the glove compartment, air vents, a factory installed middle console and the dash board. Driving Behavior:
Driving behavior can sometimes tell you a lot about what’s going on inside a car. Take this brief scenario for example: A speeding vehicle blows by you on the freeway but immediately pulls to the right lane and slows to the speed limit or just under it after he notices you. Just trying to avoid a speeding ticket? Maybe. But now you notice that his windows are down even though it’s freezing outside. Too warm inside? Maybe. But now you pull up next to him and notice that he’s staring straight ahead, both hands white-knuckling the wheel, seemingly avoiding the temptation to look over at you. Just to be sure he’s trying to dream you away, you give your horn a quick blast and sure enough, he continues to act like you’re not there (this, incidentally, is known as the highly effective “No Look Rule”). Now you notice that the overly dirty car, which bears plates from a far-away state, looks like it’s been driven a long way without stopping for any period. The driver looks tired. Suddenly, someone who’s obviously been sleeping in the back seat pops up in the rear window, looks over, sees you, immediately gets a startled, horrified look on his face and pops back down out of sight.
That’s a scenario that should make you go, “Hmmmm.”
Subject Behavior:
Watch for a story that varies between tellings or stories between drivers and passengers that don’t match. When asking questions about the who, what, where and why, remember to re-ask and rephrase questions at different times. This is a great way to surface inconsistencies and test a liar’s memory. Noticeable signs of nervousness like dry mouth, sweating, an inability to stand or sit still, visible shaking, pulling at clothes, repetitive behavior (like repeatedly taking off and putting on a ball cap), darting eye movements, trembling voice, or an abnormally high illustration of concern or fear during a normally low-stress situation like a speeding ticket. You may even witness such dramatic, high-stress responses as vomiting or passing out. A noticeable interest in enticing you away from a particular area of the vehicle. Watch for attempts to subtly direct you away from the trunk, for example, by consistently walking over to the passenger side of the vehicle, or trying to get you away from the vehicle in general by walking over to the shoulder during your conversation. A noticeable interest in “protecting” a certain area of the car. Watch for someone who, for example, immediately exits the vehicle and leans on the trunk or someone who refuses to take his eyes off you or continues rapid-fire talking while he reaches over to the glove compartment for his paperwork. Stay alert for both conscious and subconscious diversionary tactics. Watch the eyes. Stay alert for someone who repeatedly glances at a particular area of the car during your conversation. This may be a subconscious tendency to “protect” a suspicious spot by keeping an eye on it.
