CSO running my plate?

[JS89]

The fact that you use "suspicious behavior" when a member of a law enforcement agency runs your plate is a little scary. Regardless if it was a CSO or sworn member, it's within the scope of their duties. Maybe you will realize one day that rollers are the best way to get an occupied 10851 stat. There's nothing suspicious about someone doing their job... Well at least there shouldnt be.

[biochembruin]

I think you're just nervous about your background process, which is normal because you don't really know what they're looking at, or looking for. As far as that goes, just relax (and I mean that in the most sincere, nicest way!). You've done your part by preparing yourself for the job, so just let the process work and all will be fine.

There is no record kept of someone running your plate which will show up on your background check. I guarantee your plate has probably been run a dozen times without your knowledge because your plate is in plain view. As far as you noticing that the officer MAY have been running your plate (something you don't know for sure unless you were in the car with him), it's not a big deal. Again, the officer needs no reason to run your plate, since it's in plain view.

Once you get hired and see how the job works, you'll feel silly that you were worrying about this.

[hitman13]

Ha, I run plates ALL DAY if it's slow and I'm not on another call.

I have a great article on why LEO can run plates with no RS if anyone wants to read it I can email it to you

[eltee]

Tacit, as a former background investigator I'm giving you a courtesy heads up on your car. You mentioned that it is a Crown Vic and that the CSO may have mistaken you/your car as LE. If you have one of those Crown Vics that have the extra antenna(s), pursuit wheels and caps, etc. that sometimes leads people to think it is an unmarked unit, it may create some curiosity with your B.I. and maybe even your psych evaluator. One pre-hire psych used to send a subordinate to the parking lot to check out the car of the applicant about to be interviewed to see if it was a wannabe cop car, clean inside or littered with SWAT, GUNS & AMMO, etc. reading material.

I want to see you get into the business, so just a friendly ... just in case. Good luck.

[Ron-Solo]

Good advice Eltee!

[Tacit Blue]

Tacit, as a former background investigator I'm giving you a courtesy heads up on your car. You mentioned that it is a Crown Vic and that the CSO may have mistaken you/your car as LE. If you have one of those Crown Vics that have the extra antenna(s), pursuit wheels and caps, etc. that sometimes leads people to think it is an unmarked unit, it may create some curiosity with your B.I. and maybe even your psych evaluator. One pre-hire psych used to send a subordinate to the parking lot to check out the car of the applicant about to be interviewed to see if it was a wannabe cop car, clean inside or littered with SWAT, GUNS & AMMO, etc. reading material.

I want to see you get into the business, so just a friendly ... just in case. Good luck.

It's a base Crown Vic... No spot lights or antennas or any whackerish type of stuff. looks exactly like this one. I think i should just get rid of the car, i liked it for its reliability, cheap maintenance etc. After owning a couple sports cars, that ran me into the ground almost with reliability and cost issues. I decided to get something more practical.. I've always liked crown vics too. Truth be told i wanted a Mecury Marauder....

[TrailerparkTrash]

Hey guys,


So about 15 mins ago i had a rather odd experience, i was dropping off my brothers friend at his house. And there was a Community Service Officer in the area, i drove past him. Nothing out of the ordinary, then as i come up to the traffic light. He and i look at each other and he smiles, then i turn my head back towards the light, and out of my peripheral vision i noticed he's looking at my plate and writing it down. He tried to do it stealthy, as i noticed his eyes moving . And he pulls the page out and keys in my plate number into the MDT? Isn't this unusual behavior for a CSO?

I'm taking a written test soon, will this input show up on a background investigation? Btw, i drive a Crown Vic so maybe he thought i was LE??

As another poster mentioned, he's within the scope of his duty. All legal.

That being said, one's license plates being run by LEO's, or parking enforcement or CSO's, is NOT an infringement of anyone's rights. The ability to run a license plate by a government LE agency and their agents (CSO'S, cops, etc....) is LESS than what's needed for "reasonable suspicion" and a "detention" of a person.

In other words........ Running a plate is NOT hurting you. That's the way the courts have looked at it.

[KevH]

I run the plate of almost every car I'm behind to check if it is stolen, expired, etc. Having your plate run means absolutely nothing.

I don't know you at all and please don't take this the wrong way, but unless you have silver hair or are issued one as a fleet vehicle driving a Crown Vic is a tad weird and is going to rub most cops the wrong way.

[infernl]

I don't know you at all and please don't take this tmm unless you have silver hair or are issued one as a fleet vehicle driving a Crown Vic is a tad weird and is going to rub most cops the wrong way.

I'm not LE. Is it your opinion by this statement, that most cops, including you, are prone to preliminarily judging others? - Because someone drives an ugly grandma car, you form a negative opinion of them? If this is the case, I hope I never have to interact with "most cops". LE have huge responsibility, granted. Unfortunately, it seems that a God complex also comes with the package.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't believe that most people want your job.

[Tacit Blue]

I run the plate of almost every car I'm behind to check if it is stolen, expired, etc. Having your plate run means absolutely nothing.

I don't know you at all and please don't take this the wrong way, but unless you have silver hair or are issued one as a fleet vehicle driving a Crown Vic is a tad weird and is going to rub most cops the wrong way.

So a regular Crown Vic rubs you the wrong way? There's kids in my town that have a full blown retired patrol car, pushbar spot lights etc.. I just kinda laugh.

If it concerns LE so much, why don't you guys crush them, instead of selling them at auctions.

Like i said i like the car because it's reliable, 4.6 engine has a timing chain. So the engine is good for like 300k, compared most other cars which will never last that long. Sorry if i don't want to be in debt with a financed car again, at least my car is paid off for..

[Kody the Enforcer]

I'm not LE. Is it your opinion by this statement, that most cops, including you, are prone to preliminarily judging others? - Because someone drives an ugly grandma car, you form a negative opinion of them? If this is the case, I hope I never have to interact with "most cops". LE have huge responsibility, granted. Unfortunately, it seems that a God complex also comes with the package.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't believe that most people want your job.

Does it hurt when you think?

[infernl]

Does it hurt when you think?

Why? Because it took you so long to form a one sentence, no-thought reply?

Welcome to Calguns...

[hitman13]

I have no problem with people who drive CVs. Those things are tough as nails and roomy! Perfect family wagon IMO.

[SoCalDep]

I'm not LE. Is it your opinion by this statement, that most cops, including you, are prone to preliminarily judging others? - Because someone drives an ugly grandma car, you form a negative opinion of them? If this is the case, I hope I never have to interact with "most cops". LE have huge responsibility, granted. Unfortunately, it seems that a God complex also comes with the package.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't believe that most people want your job.

There are several reasons law enforcement officers are somewhat suspicious about people who drive law enforcement type vehicles. Some of these reasons include law enforcement impersonators and criminals who feel they are less likely to be stopped or interfered with by driving law enforcement looking cars. In addition, they are cheap to purchase, especially third or fourth owner, thus when one can't afford any other car because they have a suspended license from too many traffic fines, their last car was impounded and they can't afford to get it out because they're spending too much money on meth to actually pay traffic tickets, they buy cheap cars. Old, beat up cop cars are cheap, and fall into the category of vehicles often yielding good dope arrests.

There is a reason police run lots of late 80s to mid 90's Hondas. They are the number one stolen car. Yes, one could say we are preliminarily judging. It's called good police work.

My last meth arrest came out of an early 2000's Lincoln (Crown Vic body style) and I've got pictures on my phone of the early 2000's crown vic all set up to look just like a plain wrap, including push bar, rear cage, and a cheesy radio shack siren system (with animal noises...hilarious!). You can say I'm judging. I say I'm learning from my experiences.

[Ron-Solo]

Why? Because it took you so long to form a one sentence, no-thought reply?
.

No, because your post has an Anti-LE flavor to it. I kind of agree with Kody on this one, but I'm not as blunt as he/she is.

And a low post count doesn't mean they haven't been monitoring the forums for a while.


SoCalDep summed it up pretty well.