LEO Question

[Huntingfool]

This happened several years ago and the way it was handled left a bad taste in my mouth then, but out of respect for the law I didn't raise any stink on it other than with the officers involved.

I will add this, I have a two track road down to the barns. He was pulled off in the pasture a good 100 yards. On this occasion he did open a gate and went in and closed the gate behind him.


When it happened. I parked across my gate and walked to to the Sheriff Tahoe to the drivers side window. The officer was looking thru binoculars at a house across the back fence. I stood at the window for maybe 10-15 secs before he put the binos down. When he put them down he looked over at me and then for the next 10-15 secs just set there not rolling down the window just sitting there looking the same direction he was watching. I knocked on the window and made the roll down motion and he rolled his window down . Immediately in a very irritated tone said . Who are you! As most anyone would be at that point I'm sure I was a little irritated myself. I said I'm the land owner and you need to tell me what you are doing. He replied with Don't worry about it. So I said you need to leave. He rolled up his window and drove off to the gate and waited while I moved my truck.

I went in the house and sat and thought a bit. I went and got in my truck and made a loop in the area and found the same deputy parked sitting next to another deputy so I pulled up. When I pulled up the deputy that was in the pasture drove off. I got out and talked to the other deputy and he is the one that told me they were watching a house out the back that had suspicious activity. I asked him if it was drug related and he said yes. I told him that if they needed to use my pasture O had no issue with it but they would need to ask before hand and told him that if they did use it that the officer that was in it before wasn't to be back there again unless we spoke again. He said he understood.

I never made a complaint or anything. I just let it be.

You know if I saw a law officers vehicle sitting near or on my property I would think "thank you" - I know I have done nothing wrong so I have nothing to worry about.

If he needs to sit in his vehicle on my property in order to bust a neighbor who may be breaking the law??? Then I am thankful. But for you to roll up on him and knock on his window?

Truth is he was most likely making YOUR neighborhood safer by busting someone breaking the law that lives next to you! Holy cow -

Lets assume this - the neighbor he was watching is a drug dealer. One of his customers comes to collect their money and they get the address mixed up and come to YOUR front door to collect. They knock on your door in the middle of the night wanting payment - my guess is you would be calling the law out to protect you.

Come on guys - LEO's are not perfect and there are some bad ones - but overall they are guys just like you and me trying to protect you and your families rear ends

[RiverRat1]

I’m with you on this one. I don’t want any law enforcement on me. There’s no reason for them to be on my property and I’d be especially peeved if they were snooping on my neighbors like the OPs situation. After demanding that they get off my property, I’d immediately notify my neighbors that they were being harassed.

FTR - If there's a call of a fire, prisoner escape, robbery etc.. Heck yes, come on in. But there needs to be a reason. Not just to spy on my neighbor or myself.

I tend to agree with this right here. I don't see this as disrespectful toward cops, and I certainly don't see how this can be turned into a guilt trip of "when you need them you'll be calling them..." There is no reason to subject yourself to unnecessary search, just in case you do have an "old park sign" or even something more questionable than that. Also, if you know you're not hurting anyone, there's no argument that opening your property to search cuts down on crime.This video is from a law school and gives a good summary of the reasons why it is unwise to interact unnecessarily with the police, and even includes the perspective of a detective (who agrees). Personally, I have nothing but respect for police/LEO, and yet I will do everything I can to avoid interacting with them for the reasons laid out in the video. As stated in an earlier post, you have nothing to gain.

Don't Talk to the Police - YouTube


Edit: Sorry, this doesn't really answer the OP but still worth discussing

I agree with the bolded. Sure a lot of LEO's are great people. Heck I hunt with them all the time. But I've also been detained by POS LEO's before where they just had to find something. No I had nothing to hide. They found nothing but issued me a disorderly conduct. Was so stupid. And I've seen people harassed by LEO's on the water (LCRA, Sheriff etc).

I have zero issue with a GW or LEO stopping me like once in Lampasas he ran my plate and no insurance showed up. He simply asked to see my insurance and I showed him and he said commercial? Yep.. Ok, Have a good day.

[Huntingfool]

People get butt hurt for anything now days, the generation.

You got that right - a law enforcement officer parked near my home and property??

I think "awesome" - I want to go out and give them a cup of coffee and say "thank you" - instead this generation drives up and knocks on their window to ask "what the hell are you doing on my property?"

What a screwed up world we are living in

[tex4k]

FTR - If there's a call of a fire, prisoner escape, robbery etc.. Heck yes, come on in. But there needs to be a reason. Not just to spy on my neighbor or myself.



I agree with the bolded. Sure a lot of LEO's are great people. Heck I hunt with them all the time. But I've also been detained by POS LEO's before where they just had to find something. No I had nothing to hide. They found nothing but issued me a disorderly conduct. Was so stupid. And I've seen people harassed by LEO's on the water (LCRA, Sheriff etc).

I have zero issue with a GW or LEO stopping me like once in Lampasas he ran my plate and no insurance showed up. He simply asked to see my insurance and I showed him and he said commercial? Yep.. Ok, Have a good day.

I agree with this, I hold no ill will toward LE, but I've came across as many lying pos LE's as I have good ones and I'm not putting myself out there to give them reason to contact me!

[Huntingfool]

FTR - If there's a call of a fire, prisoner escape, robbery etc.. Heck yes, come on in. But there needs to be a reason. Not just to spy on my neighbor or myself.



I agree with the bolded. Sure a lot of LEO's are great people. Heck I hunt with them all the time. But I've also been detained by POS LEO's before where they just had to find something. No I had nothing to hide. They found nothing but issued me a disorderly conduct. Was so stupid. And I've seen people harassed by LEO's on the water (LCRA, Sheriff etc).

I have zero issue with a GW or LEO stopping me like once in Lampasas he ran my plate and no insurance showed up. He simply asked to see my insurance and I showed him and he said commercial? Yep.. Ok, Have a good day.

So the LEO just issued you a disorderly conduct for no reason at all??? You were the perfect respectful gentleman but he wrote a citation "just because?"

Once again --- give me a break

I am out on this - just sad to see folks who are hunters who have a total distrust for our first responders -

[RiverRat1]

So the LEO just issued you a disorderly conduct for no reason at all??? You were the perfect respectful gentleman but he wrote a citation "just because?"

Once again --- give me a break

Yes, that's correct. If they would have given me a copy of the video I'd have proof. But oh well...You can go ahead and consider me a menace to society that everyone should fear. People who know me will laugh.

You obviously have been lucky enough to avoid "bad" LEOs That's great.

[mocephus]

great info. 4th amendment is fascinating.

[Olphart]

I'm curious. Do you have a stolen park sign?

[one66stang]

We can agree that we disagree. I 100% see you point and share it up to the point of ANYONE being on my place without permission or cause.

Bad guy crashes my fence and is on foot by all mean run the dude down.

See where I think we differ is I don't feel that I should have my rights abused even if it is for the greater good. Just how I feel.

I'm still very much pro police. To the point a week ago after the shooting had happened and they had every available resource out containing and work 15 crime scenes I went and got $200 worth of Subway sandwiches and took them to a couple of the scenes to help out. So by no means am I anti-cop. I am very much Pro Rights.

I asked the question legitimately looking for the legal answers. I think I got it. I read what I could researching the internet and trying as a layman to understand.

So going forward the gate will be locked with a No Trespassing sign posted. We will go from there. Simple as that.

You know if I saw a law officers vehicle sitting near or on my property I would think "thank you" - I know I have done nothing wrong so I have nothing to worry about.

If he needs to sit in his vehicle on my property in order to bust a neighbor who may be breaking the law??? Then I am thankful. But for you to roll up on him and knock on his window?

Truth is he was most likely making YOUR neighborhood safer by busting someone breaking the law that lives next to you! Holy cow -

Lets assume this - the neighbor he was watching is a drug dealer. One of his customers comes to collect their money and they get the address mixed up and come to YOUR front door to collect. They knock on your door in the middle of the night wanting payment - my guess is you would be calling the law out to protect you.

Come on guys - LEO's are not perfect and there are some bad ones - but overall they are guys just like you and me trying to protect you and your families rear ends

[dac6933]

Yes, that's correct. If they would have given me a copy of the video I'd have proof. But oh well...You can go ahead and consider me a menace to society that everyone should fear. People who know me will laugh.

You obviously have been lucky enough to avoid "bad" LEOs That's great.

Open records request🙄🙄🙄

[Razrbk89]

FTR - If there's a call of a fire, prisoner escape, robbery etc.. Heck yes, come on in. But there needs to be a reason. Not just to spy on my neighbor or myself.



I agree with the bolded. Sure a lot of LEO's are great people. Heck I hunt with them all the time. But I've also been detained by POS LEO's before where they just had to find something. No I had nothing to hide. They found nothing but issued me a disorderly conduct. Was so stupid. And I've seen people harassed by LEO's on the water (LCRA, Sheriff etc).

I’m with you on the top part, I know that they have a job to do and I’m not going to interfere with legit stuff like you mentioned. I’ll just never stand for them snooping around on me or aid in any way in them snooping on a neighbor. There are very few situations that I could dream up in which going to your neighbor like a man wouldn’t come before getting the law involved. VERY few.

I too have been detained and fined for no good reason. It will leave a bad taste in your mouth that won’t go away! Our locals spend a good deal of their time harassing citizens & I am fed up with it.

[RiverRat1]

I'm curious. Do you have a stolen park sign?

There was a story a long time ago about a guy who hit an owl with his truck. He didn't realized it was stuck in his grill. He posted pictures on the internet. Fed game wardens came to his house and searched his freezer(found nothing) They then wanted to look in his garage. As they were leaving after not finding the owl they saw an old park sign hanging in his garage. They then held that sign against him. Ended up costing him 100k or so. It's a long story. Someone needs to dig it up.

[Wile E.]

Still boils down to this - IF YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG THEN WHY WOULD YOU NOT TALK TO THE POLICE? I am 66 years old and never been in trouble with the law - if an LEO showed up at my door to ask questions I would GLADLY be respectful and honestly answer any question they asked me. I have ZERO to hide -

What a citizen "Has to gain" is helping the first responders to do their job!

This attitude is what is contributing to the loss of respect towards the first responders who protect us - makes me sick to my stomach. Sorry I get a little worked up over this stuff but in todays world when I see folks who basically are saying "do not comply with law enforcement or Do not respond to law enforcements questions" it is pretty upsetting - I ride out with my LEO son and see FIRST HAND what they deal with day to day -

I don't mean to hijack so this is probably the last I'll say on it, and I also understand that with your son being LEO you are always going to have a favorable view or a bit of bias, it's only natural. (BTW, thank you to your son for doing what he does, that's a dangerous and necessary job and cops really do keep us all safe.) However, just to answer your question "If you have nothing to hide, what's the problem," consider the situation in the OP or the similar situation in post #12. So imagine the police come around investigating reports of shots fired, which I assume must be illegal in the area these people live. Now assume the police come to your yard, just like in the OP, because they want to look at your neighbor, whom they suspect. (Or they suspect you, like is the case in post #12.) Now, assume that you have been hunting or to the shooting range recently and getting out of the truck at home you accidentally dropped a couple of spent casings into the grass; no problem, it's your own yard and they're just spent brass so no big deal. You forget about it, and next day LEO come around investigating your neighbor for shots fired and you gladly let them in, give them a cup of coffee, sing them a song, whatever because you are happy to help police. Then, as the LEO are getting set up for their stakeout, one looks down and sees spent casings in the grass. They smell them, can smell that they were fired recently, etc. Seeing this, a perfectly well-meaning and logical LEO will honestly and justifiably believe that he has caught the culprit (you) and he has physical evidence to back up the shots fired claim (evidence being the casings from your yard.) In this case, the evidence seems to support his theory, and you have gone from helpful landowner to prime suspect even without any wrongdoing on the cops' part; they are only following evidence, which is all they have to go on. That's why, even if you have done nothing wrong at all and respect police totally, it would be better for you if they didn't come onto your property except in an emergency. After all, there are much better and more helpful/meaningful ways to show support for LEO (like the subway sandwich thing the OP did, which is a great gesture) than just giving them access to your property at their discretion.

Edit: Also, particularly for the situation above (or anything involving firearms) it could be disastrous for you to be falsely accused/convicted of something because with the national trend of red-flag laws and terrible mass shootings which tend to hurt gun rights, a false accusation could literally strip you of your right to bear arms, at least temporarily. Hate to say it, but that's not even a far fetched story (17 states already have red-flag laws.) In 5 years, who knows what the state of gun control regulation may be. So, again ,a citizen has a whole lot to lose in certain situations from too much contact with (perfectly honest and well-meaning) police, and this is the whole reason that the 4th and 5th amendments exist.

[Olphart]

There was a story a long time ago about a guy who hit an owl with his truck. He didn't realized it was stuck in his grill. He posted pictures on the internet. Fed game wardens came to his house and searched his freezer(found nothing) They then wanted to look in his garage. As they were leaving after not finding the owl they saw an old park sign hanging in his garage. They then held that sign against him. Ended up costing him 100k or so. It's a long story. Someone needs to dig it up.

Gotcha. My point in asking was if an officer is in a place he either has a right to be or has been given permission to be, and spots a violation (such as a stolen sign), it can lead to an arrest. However, proving the sign is stolen is another matter and often difficult to prove. Similar to seeing/smelling dope in plain view, but dope is much more serious and obviously easier to prove.

[monsterspike]

these threads are a magnet for the suckups.

we get it guys, put on your sunday best, and bake a pie. the cops are here.

its private property dude. you can stop the casual visitations.