Question for LEOs or anyone else that might know.

[Dave70968]

Lurker, if you really want to look into it, go read the links provided by VM, as well as mine, then go read the story of a horse named Clever Hans.

At the end of the day, animals are very perceptive and attuned to their handlers, and will do their best to give what they think their handlers want. They have great noses, and can smell all kinds of things, but they also pick up on all sorts of subtle cues--including unintended cues--and react accordingly. If an officer indicates that he expects the dog to alert--whether deliberately or, as in the case of Clever Hans, completely subconsciously, with no fraudulent intent--the dog will pick up on that and deliver accordingly.

 

[NikatKimber]

I actually took a guy to jail once for public intox while he was in the car with his DD.

The DD was courteous and polite, had the proper license, insurance, the whole ball of wax, but his buddy that he was taking home just could not keep his mouth shut. I ignored all the pig, copper, flatfoot remarks as well as the "ain't you got nuthin' else better to do?" remarks that everybody makes, but when he called me a fat motherer, that's when I had had enough.

I drug the dipshit out of the car, cuffed him and stuffed him the whole time he was yelling, "but I have a driver! But I have a driver!" I told him that yes, he did have a driver. And guess what - your driver gets to go home while you get to go to jail.

"But I wasn't driving!" was his defense.

I told him, "yessir, I realize that. But in the future when you are lucky enough to have a driver that can tolerate your obnoxious self when you're polluted, don't let your crocodile mouth get your jaybird ass in trouble."

Awesome. If I was that DD, I'd probably be offering to buy you a cup 'o joe and breakfast some time in the future!

 

[AKguy1985]

I once saw a MP K9 go apeshite over some jerky in a helmet bag during a gate check once. The WO was trying to give the K9 the jerky and the MP was pissed off.

Is that a false positive?

I had one go off years ago , working at Altus Air Force base
I was breeding Chows at the time and had several..."going"at the time.
This dog went ..ape ****...biting the car and barking like crazy...
the Mp pulled him back and ask....Do you have breeding dogs..?
I said Yessir I have 3 "going " right now
He said ....Move along please
.
Other than those situations ...Am I free to go?

When I was in highschool i witnessed a K9 react, or signal to the smell of another dogs scent on a vehicle.

 

[jman253]

I wished I knew what agency. It might educate us to the actual problem. Mostly it boils down to education and training. Unfortunately alot of smaller towns dont have the proper resources to train there guys and gals.

 

[aestus]

I've never heard of an officer asking to search a vehicle unless he/she had some indication of drugs being in the car. Canines don't search for alcohol nor do departments send canine units out for giggles. It sounds likes someone isn't being truthful about their 'oh, I got pulled over and harassed by the cops' story which is pretty common.

If you say no to having your vehicle searched then the assumption is that you have something to hide but this isn't done without cause, there's too much liability involved and no officer wants to be called before their supervisor and reamed for doing something stupid. However, if you say no then you just either wait for a canine or to be released after the officer is done. If you're calm and cooperative then the officer will most likely reflect that back and answer your questions. If you have a carload of drunken asshats being obnoxious the service might not be so nice. (I'm ex-leo)

It's naive to think that this doesn't happen. Police are human and like all humans have flaws, have bad days, some are arseholes, and some are not. A friend of mine was pulled over for driving "too slow." He was going 5 under the speed limit. Not only did they detain him, but they called 5 other cop cars and brought out the drug sniffing dogs. This was about 8 years ago in Lawton. After about 2 hours of practically stripping the car down, they let him go.

I can think of a few more encounters I've seen first hand that has happened to those I know where officers have responded overly aggresively or in a way where they "assumed" you to be more than what you are and hassling you just to see if they can dirt on you and justify their extended stop.