Traffic Stop Training – No Routine Stops

If you have been on the job for very long at all, you will have discovered that seemingly ‘routine’ traffic stops can go bad in a heartbeat.

The driver I stopped the other day for a minor tag violation had his child’s lunch box in the car with him. Only this little girl’s lunch box held a .38 Special revolver. Fortunately, his behavior prior to the stop tipped me off that something might not be quite right, and I was able to safely conduct the stop.

Last week I was getting ready to stop a car for a minor violation when I was dispatched to another call. So rather than stopping the car, I went and handled the dispatched call. For whatever reason, I clearly recalled some pretty specific details about the car. The next day we got a BOLO from a neighboring agency about that same exact car…that had just conducted a drive by shooting.

These are just two of many examples of minor traffic infractions that could have turned into a deadly force situation very quickly. I’m sure most of you could tell your own stories like these. Keep in mind that there is nothing routine about a traffic stop. You don’t know who, or what, is in the car.

Stay vigilant and stay safe!