# cops just did a warrant check on me.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239 "2003-01-13T04:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/1 "2003-01-13T04:14:41Z")
He was “fishing”… Its a small town and J. Bacon knows everyone it seems. I carry a portable police scanner in my car and hear them fishing _all_ the time. They did do an NCIC(National Crime Information Center) check also, and _thats_ unusual, He also did a license status. I was driving in the opposite direction when I saw him look directly at me,so I clicked on the scanner. I get the feeling this particular cop does not like me in the least,and would take great pleasure in slapping the cuffs on me, but oh-well… I dont have a thing to worry about,but it was just strange to hear your name across the air-waves like that… ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/2 "2003-01-13T04:26:48Z")
I was recently in a car accident, which was not my fault. While I was giving my statement in the police car, the officer ran a check on me. I was telling him what had happened when I caught what the dispatcher was saying over the radio “. . . bench warrant issued in Madison County . . .” I froze, eyes as wide as saucers. He chucked, and said, “Don’t worry, that’s not you. On the other hand, do you have anything you want to tell me?” I was red as a beet, stammering that I’d never had any brushes with the law, and he cut me off with a laugh and said he hadn’t meant to scare me. I’m sure I looked as guilty as sin. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/3 "2003-01-13T05:15:03Z")
Maybe this is one for the “Ask the cop” - “What, exactly do you think of folks who have police-band scanners on their cars?”. My guess would be that some cops would regard it as a challenge. Best not to rile folks with guns - especially if the courts will agree with them, no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/4 "2003-01-13T05:49:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by happyheathen \* > My guess would be that some cops would regard it as a challenge. IIRC most departments have a tactical channel Joe six-pac can’t pick up on. > [@](#): > > Best not to rile folks with guns - especially if the courts will agree with them, no matter what. Not [always](http://www.ketchikandailynews.com/cgi-shl/news/search.pl?category=1&keyword=waldren),this cop lost control and ruined his career(here at least). ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/5 "2003-01-13T06:19:45Z")
Had something like that happen to me once. I have a Ham band VHF-UHF transceiver in my car that also receives the police bands. On the way to work several years ago I was stopped by Tomball TX. police for having a burned out tail light bulb. When the officer came up to my car he was equipted with a handheld radio holstered on his belt and a extension microphone clipped to his collar. As he started to radio my drivers license info in I had to ask him to backup a couple of feet before keying up his radio so that it would not create audio feedback on his/his dispatchers/my radio, and that I had been listening to him and his dispatcher when he pulled me over. He did so and a couple of minutes later when my info came back clear he warned me to get the lightbulb fixed and sent me on my way. Peace LIONsob ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/6 "2003-01-13T15:10:24Z")
I don’t think most cops care if people have scanners. Here, we operate under the assumption that at least half of the people in town are listening to what we say. Because of that, we do have scramblers so we can have conversations that cannot (at least easily) be monitored. However, if I find someone driving around with a portable scanner in their car, and they are not in some way involved in public safety or something similar, I will have some strong suspicions. I have to wonder why they want to monitor what we’re doing while their out and about. I’ll do some digging to see if they may be involved in something criminal. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/7 "2003-01-13T15:21:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badge \* > \*\*I have to wonder why they want to monitor what we’re doing while their out and about. \*\* Hmm, interesting, that’s the same thing we honest law-abiding citizens wonder about cops. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/8 "2003-01-13T15:35:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phnord Prephect \* > \*\*Hmm, interesting, that’s the same thing we honest law-abiding citizens wonder about cops. \*\* Simple. We can’t tell the honest law-abiding citizens from the criminals unless we watch them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/9 "2003-01-13T15:36:03Z")
Some places have laws against having a police scanner in your car. I would check into that, we wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-just-did-a-warrant-check-on-me/148239/10 "2003-01-13T16:05:23Z")
**NurseCarmen** , I did,its not… **Badge** , It’s not at all uncommon to have a scanner in your car _here_…Oh and the cops had the dispatcher make note of it some 2-3 yrs ago…(short story,no time tho, off to class)