Do Cops really stop cars for random checks, and if so, who do they target?

Answer 1

Officers Can stop people "at random" they use what is called a pre-textural stop. In other words if they find you to be suspicious they will just find an alternative reason to pull someone over. Also because cars are to be licensed as well as the driver they do have the right to pull you over. It is a violation to not be licensed. So there are many ways for an officer to pull you over and have it be justifiable. And officers do not need probable cause to pull a vehicle over. You need probable cause for arresting someone and for getting a search warrant. Who do they target not all officers target certain people yes there are some that do the whole racial profiling but it isnt as big of an issue as people make it seem.But if you believe there maybe something wrong with your vehicle chances are so will the police and plan on getting pulled over just in case. As long as you obey the law there shouldn't really be any worrying, because if you're legit there shouldn't be any problems even if you're pulled over you can get out of it!

Answer 2

On any given day a police officer has enough to do without doing a truly "random" stop.

Any of the previous comments about equipment issues, erratic behavior, or driving infractions would by definition mean it wasn't a random stop.

In many areas officers are encouraged to run license plates while sitting at a traffic light or such as a good use of idle time & sometimes this uncovers something they stop a car for. I know I've been stopped this way.

As a citizen I think it's great they're making good use of their time & equipment....as the person in violation it seems wrong when I did nothing to warrant being checked on.

Bottom line.....I'll renew my license on time in the future, & won't get stopped.

Answer 3

Only at authorized check points. They look for alcohol violations. A police officer by law cannot randomly stop a motorist to simply check your license or insurance.

However they may radio in your license plate number and if it shows as suspended or expired or a pick order exists they may stop the vehicle. Also the same for the owner if the owner is suspended they may stop the vehicle to see if the owner is driving the vehicle.

The first case involving random stop was in the 90"s State of Delaware V Stiz. A Delaware state trooper stopped a vehicle to simply do a random stop. The case went to Delaware Supreme Court. Court ruled that a law abiding motorists may only be stopped without just cause.

Answer 4

The police need a reason to pull you over. But any car on the road has some kind of violation on it. A brand new car driven off the lot will have some sort of violation on it. The majority of these violations are so the police can pull you over just to check things out, but have a reason for the intial stop.

Do you think a cop will stop someone just because they have a frame around their license plate? Of course not. But, do you think a middle-aged white guy from the suburbs, driving through an area of the city infested prostitutes will get pulled over for a license plate frame? Definitely possible.

Answer 5

Normally, police need a reason to stop you. It's called probable cause. Now, almost anything can be used as a probable cause, a burned out taillight for example. Sometimes the cops will stop just because they think you're doing something wrong and they will find a way to justify it (something like "there was a holdup at the grocery store down the block and you resemble the description of the robber ( you are alive)) That's called "manufacturing PC"

Answer 6

Yes sometimes they do, I guess they would look for older vehicles that might be unsafe, they have a habit of pulling over younger males and females. Also if you stare at a police officer, then they might think you are trying to hide something and pull you over. They also target speeders and unsafe driving practises on the road and make it safer for all us good drivers out there. I hate to think what it would be like on the roadways if the police presence was not there.

Answer 7

To do it legally, they cannot stop people at random.

They can set up DUI checkpoints or driver's license checks and either check every car, or if there are too many cars to check every one, they can check every third, fourth, fifth, etc. so your position in the line is random, but their search is not.

Of course if you pull up to the checkpoint and the cops smell or see drugs, booze, or other evidence of illegal activity, they then can invoke "probable cause" and proceed to investigate as they normally would.

Answer 8

in specific circumstances purely random tags ... or tags that lead them to suspicious for some reason! Plates that don't tournament the motor vehicle could make an officer suspicious adequate to run them, like a truck plate displayed on a passenger motor vehicle case in point. motor vehicle plate popularity structures will alert on a plate that became stated stolen. If the officer is practise a clean patrolman ... they might run some plates a night basically for the trainee to prepare! a great number of distinctive strategies the officer would desire to have been alerted to the tags no longer matching.

Answer 9

I've never stopped a vehicle for a random check. The only time I've stopped a vehicle is when they broke the law.

Answer 10

Not unless they have an authorized check point set up to catch drunk drivers. In most cases the police have to have a reason to pull you over like you were driving to fast or to slow, not wearing your seat belt, if you are in Utah all you have to do is smoke a cigarette and they can pull you over, and just about any thing that is not legal they can pull you over for!