Why do police officers touch the rear of cars during traffic stops?

“When law enforcement officers conduct a traffic stop, there are plenty of procedures that need to be done, not only for the safety of the violator, but for the safety of that officer,” Trooper Steve said. “One of those things is proving that that officer was with that car, so when officers approach a vehicle, they touch the rear of it.”

Why do police officers use the off set position when stopping?

Due to the officers being in a 2-man unit they opted for the Off-Set method when stopping, and that was probably the best position for their circumstances. It offered some protection and allowed both officers to get into the fight rather quickly.

What happens when a police officer takes a driver’s side approach?

If the officer does a driver’s side approach there is a brief time the officer will be exposed to traffic when he/she walks around the front of their patrol car, but then they have a “protected” approach lane the rest of the way. Remember, officers are always exposed to traffic on the driver’s side.

How often does a police officer make a traffic stop?

One of the most frequently conducted activities of the patrol officer is the traffic stop. In all but the most busy jurisdictions an officer can be reasonably expected to make at least one car stop per shift. Doing it safely is extremely important to your survival.

What happens when things go wrong during police vehicle chases?

When things go wrong during police vehicular chases, the carnage is big news. In the past there were enough dash-cam images from disastrous law-enforcement pursuits to fill seasons of cheap, sensationalized TV shows, while live footage from helicopters made for some of the highest-rated shows on Los Angeles stations.

When is a police pursuit of a stolen car not justified?

If the car’s tag came back clean, then a pursuit would probably not be justified. But if a report came back that the car was stolen at gunpoint, or had been used in an armed robbery, then the officer would have reason to believe the driver posed a serious danger and needed to be stopped. He would also consider road conditions.

When is a police chase appropriate?

At 1 am with no traffic on an empty highway and a suspect car that matches a description of one involved in a robbery . . . well, then a chase may be appropriate.” About one-fifth of police departments allow pursuits only for felony offenses, while half require the pursuit to end when the suspect has been identified, according to the IACP study.