GOT DRUGS?!

Law Enforcement Officers utilize a variety of different proactive activities during down time that are goal oriented at catching violators of the law and bettering the jurisdiction served. 

Some of the activities (i.e. Traffic Stops) are done all the time and some activities (i.e. DUI enforcement) are more reserved for specific timeframes. No matter what the activity is, it is always goal oriented at catching a violator of law, it can be simply a violated of traffic law or a criminal offense requiring a custodial arrest of a subject. 

The discussion of the day will be surrounding the outcome of a proactive activity I was involved in and caught a violator on. 

While on patrol like normal I observed a vehicle roll right through a stop sign without stopping, thus I activated my cruisers lights and sirens to let the motorist know to pullover as soon as safely possible. 

Upon approaching the vehicle I could immediately smell the odor of Marijuana, when the driver rolled the window down to greet me I was able to determine the smell was coming from the vehicle. I asked the driver of the vehicle to exit and come talk to me at the rear of his/her vehicle in reference to the reason for the stop. The subject exits the vehicle without incident, I explained to the subject that I can smell marijuana coming from his/her vehicle and that is enough in the eyes of the law to establish probable cause for me to search her/his vehicle.

I asked the subject if any drugs or weapons are present in the vehicle, he/she replied stating “No” and then were given the command to sit on the curb while their vehicle was searched. My partner responded to the incident to watch the subject as I searched the vehicle (Officer Safety). I found several individually packed bags of marijuana, a scale, rubber bands, and a book of names w/numbers. It was immediately apparent that the subject in question was a drug dealer and what I had found was his/her supply to sell. 

Upon completion of the search of the vehicle I present the finding to the subject and asked for the truth, the subject attempts to tell me he/she had all those items to control the consumption of the marijuana and did not plan to sell any of it. I inform him/her that I do not believe them and that the evidence says otherwise. 

In the end, the subject was released on a Summons for Possession of Marijuana w/Intent to Distribute and given a traffic citation regarding the Stop sign violation. The subject wasn’t taken in custody immediately because in accordance with the Law of Arrest he could be released on a Summons due to the incident being deemed a Misdemeanor due to the amount of marijuana recovered. In addition to that, the marijuana was obviously tested at the scene and then taken as evidence. 

The overall point is that the narcotics violations was discovered through a proactive activity (the traffic stop), thus proving the value of said proactive activities. This isn’t the only instance where this happens, however it was a good reference to assist in getting the point across. LEOs do activities like this one all the time and discover all sorts of different criminal acts... 

Got Drugs?!