Dissecting the traffic stop from all angles
Getting pulled over is something that most people will have to deal with sometime in their lifetime. Knowing how to act in that situation keeps both the police officer and you safe.
Croix Snapp, a freshman at GCSU, almost hit an officer while pulling away from a stop sign. The officer pulled him over later.
“The policeman looked cold and angry,” said Snapp. “He had been following me for a few minutes.”
When the officer came up to the car, he calmly told Snapp to stay in the car and explained why he was pulled over. Snapp feels that the officer had a preconceived notion of who was behind the wheel.
“I felt he had an aggressive mentality and was stereotyping me as a drunk college student,” Snapp said. “However, he was very polite and respectful after talking to me.”
Snapp feels he was treated fairly and the officer followed proper procedure during the traffic stop. He offers his advice to anyone in a traffic stop.
“Be simple, polite and respectful,” Snapp said. “Admit what you know and don’t know.”
Richard Goodson, deputy director of Public Safety, explains the process in a traffic stop.
“People need to remember that a traffic stop is a routine for an officer,” said Goodson. “However, it is a major event for the one who is pulled over.”
Kari Hamlin, a junior at GCSU, had trouble staying calm when she was pulled over.
“I had no clue why I was pulled over,” Hamlin said. “I was terrified.”
Hamlin did not know what to do in the situation.
“The officer came up to my window and asked for my license,” Hamlin said. “He came back after two minutes to talk.”
Hamlin feels that she was treated fairly by the officer.
“He was really nice and wanted to make sure I was okay,” said Hamlin. “I didn’t learn anything and still sped off after he left.”
The routine the officer goes through at each traffic stop is standard.
“The officer takes the license and runs it through GCIC (Georgia Crime Information Center) to check for any warrants,” Goodson said. “It is preferable for the officer to say why they stopped the driver.”
Safety for both the officer and the driver is of utmost importance in a traffic stop.
“We explain to all our officers that officer safety is extremely important,” Goodson said. “The officer never knows what to expect as he walks up to a car.”
Goodson offers some advice to anyone who is pulled over.
“Staying calm is important,” Goodson said. “If you can get your insurance and license ready with both hands in sight as the officer walks up to the car, it will help make the whole process run more easily.”
The driver has rights in a traffic stop that can be asserted; however, some feel it is easier to just be honest and not get into a civil liberty fight.
Brendan Kelly, a freshman at GCSU, only tells the truth when in a traffic stop.
“I find it is easier to just cooperate rather than trying to get in a big fight,” Kelly said. “After all, the police are only trying to do their jobs.”
Fighting a ticket on the street will rarely work.
“You are not going to win an argument on the street,” said Goodson. “You are just increasing the opportunity to go to jail.”
Instead, Goodson recommends accepting the ticket and protesting the ticket in court if there is a feeling of unfairness and filing a complaint with Public Safety.
Hamlin feels that Public Safety does a good job.
“I have had problems before with cops in Atlanta,” Hamlin said. “Although, I have never had a problem with the cops in Milledgeville before.”
Good communication between the officer and the driver and staying calm are some of the most important concepts to remember when pulled over.
“GCSU Public Safety is committed to serving the community by giving the people a safe environment,” Goodson said. “We cater our enforcement to our community.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 5 2007. Filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
