# Two Cops Just Knocked on My Door... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375 "2006-11-07T00:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/41 "2006-11-12T16:59:36Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Cops are promoted and awarded based on making arrests. They have all the motivation in the world to find something to arrest you for. [/QUOTE] Pardon, but unless you have some kind of non-anecdotal cite, I’m going to have to call bullshit. Cops are promoted based on tests given by (usually) independent agencies. Those tests are scored, and those taking the tests are placed on a list according to their scores, those positions are filled based on need. Officers are often encouraged, usually by their commanders, to challenge the testing process based on their number of successful CONVICTIONS, definately NOT their number of arrests. Arrests have to stand up in court, they face all kinds of challenges before they reach conviction, not the least of which is how the search was conducted, and depending on the charge, are pled down anyway. Fact is, exigency can, depending on location, be enough for a warrantless search, and as **robertligouri** points out, if the cops are corrupt enough to plant evidence on some random person, they’re corrupt enough to trump up exigency. Luckily, the majority of cops aren’t those kind of cops. All that said. They should have a warrant, or a REALLY good reason. Smelling ether ain’t a good enough reason. If you’re all that worried, get one of [these](http://www.forcounsel.com/productDetails_c.asp?productid=8220) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/42 "2006-11-12T18:48:58Z")
[QUOTE=LucyInDisguise] The issue is the _preservation_ vs. erosion of our rights as Citizens of the United States. [/QUOTE] Please, _please_ explain to me how my right to allow the police to search my home without a warrant has _any_ effect on your right to refuse to do the same. > [@](#): > > We have a Constitution that guarantees us certain Rights. If you consent to an unwarranted search, you are giving up your one of your Rights and a portion of the protection from governmental abuse that is your birthright under the Constitution. Don’t I also have the right to waive my rights as I see fit? > [@](#): > > I served in one of this nation’s armed forces to help to preserve and protect those guarantees of freedom given to us by our Founding Fathers. What part of that equals dictating what I can and cannot allow regarding myself and/or my personal property? The right to demand a search warrant is sacred, no doubt about it, and that’s absolutely one of the things our military members fight to defend. But right != requirement. Having the right to demand something means that I also have the right _not_ to. You can’t pick and choose which forms of freedom to defend – it’s all or nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/43 "2006-11-12T19:11:31Z")
My front doormat says “come back with a warrant” and I’ve never had any cops knock on my door. See, it works! ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/44 "2006-11-12T22:12:13Z")
[QUOTE=myskepticsight] Now I feel bad. I am sorry. I guess it just shows you regional differences. And now I know not to say that to people, so that’s good. [/QUOTE] Thank you so much… your apology means a lot! Like I said, I know you truly meant no offense; you’re right - it is a regional difference. Having said all that, we have fought a small, but good fight. Yes! Cheers to you, **myskepticsight** … and I hope that all goes well in regards to what may be happening in your neighborhood. Take care of yourself! ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/45 "2006-11-13T00:17:59Z")
[QUOTE=Emilio Lizardo] My front doormat says “come back with a warrant” and I’ve never had any cops knock on my door. See, it works! [/QUOTE] Lisa, I’d like to buy your rock. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/46 "2006-11-13T00:26:48Z")
One practical reason not to consent: They can practically tear your house apart looking for whatever it is they are looking for. They may end up breaking some of your stuff (even accidently). It may take hours to do a thorough search. I personally wouldn’t want to spend the rest of the evening watching strangers paw through my stuff (especially my porno collection). ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/47 "2006-11-13T00:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] One practical reason not to consent: They can practically tear your house apart looking for whatever it is they are looking for. They may end up breaking some of your stuff (even accidently). It may take hours to do a thorough search. I personally wouldn’t want to spend the rest of the evening watching strangers paw through my stuff (especially my porno collection). [/QUOTE] I would certainly refuse a search if I thought they were going to do that - but if they just say “Can we let our dog come in and sniff around a bit?”, I have no problem with that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/48 "2006-11-13T03:24:26Z")
[QUOTE=buttonjockey308] Pardon, but unless you have some kind of non-anecdotal cite, I’m going to have to call bullshit. Cops are promoted based on tests given by (usually) independent agencies. Those tests are scored, and those taking the tests are placed on a list according to their scores, those positions are filled based on need. Officers are often encouraged, usually by their commanders, to challenge the testing process based on their number of successful CONVICTIONS, definately NOT their number of arrests. Arrests have to stand up in court, they face all kinds of challenges before they reach conviction, not the least of which is how the search was conducted, and depending on the charge, are pled down anyway. [/QUOTE] Thanks I was about to call bullshit on this but you did it better. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/49 "2006-11-20T16:24:02Z")
[QUOTE=Absolute] I would certainly refuse a search if I thought they were going to do that - but if they just say “Can we let our dog come in and sniff around a bit?”, I have no problem with that. [/QUOTE] Well I hope for your sake that you can keep 100%, and I do mean 100%, track of everything that goes on in your house. You don’t have any roommates or children right? Because how can you be absolutely certain that none of them smoke pot? I look at it this way: If I’m innocent, then they won’t find anything, so they don’t need to search. If I’m guilty, then it’s not in my interests to allow a search. Either way, agreeing to a search can only harm me and not help me in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/50 "2006-11-20T16:45:05Z")
[QUOTE=KidScruffy] I’ve never gotten the “why not consent if you have nothing to hide” speech before, but I always imagine my reply would be: “But I DO have something to hide. My unmade bed. Dirty dishes in the sink. An unmopped floor. Issues of ‘F\*ck the Cops’ magazine on my coffee table.” The point being there are things _other_ than evidence of a crime that you might want to “hide” from random strangers who want to search your home. –KidScruffy [/QUOTE] If they had a meaningful suspicion that you were doing something wrong, they’d already have a warrant. There’s no way I’d let them in. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/51 "2006-11-20T16:45:13Z")
[QUOTE=robertliguori] Dumb question: if you’re working of the assumption that the police might plant false evidence and arrest you for it, then what’s stopping them from lying and saying that you consented to the search? I mean, it’s quite understandable to avoid consenting to a search to avoid getting arrested on some unrelated BS violation (like keeping multiple types of painkillers in one bottle or some such), but once you’re willing to accept that the policemen are willing to flagrantly violate the law to arrest you, does whether or not you consent to a search really matter? [/QUOTE] That’s why most keep a chain-lock on the door, and talk to the police through it. Police couldlie and say you consented, but if they break down your door, it’s going to look pretty bad. Just about every one here has something to hide- maybe when you were searching online for legit porn you got redirected to a teeny porn site, maybe you have prescription drugs outside the date or the bottle, perhaps a ripped or burned copy of music or a movie outside copyright, who knows? I have had drugs planted on me by the LAPD. Never consent to a search. Never keep talking after they read you your rights- say only “am I free to go?” and “I want to speak to my/an attorney”. You should cooperate with the police as a witness- you stop being a witness once they ask to search or they read you your rights. If you are unsure of what your status is, ask “Am I free to go”. Generally, you can decline “invitations” to go down to the police dept also, unless they have a warrant. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375/52 "2006-11-20T17:10:52Z")
What I don’t understand here is how it’s not a public safety issue if they do smell ether or natural gas. I know they could be lying, but if we assume that they’re not, then what rights would they have to enter a building without permission? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-cops-just-knocked-on-my-door/379375.md?page=2)