Probable Cause?
I had an unusual thing happen to me today and wanted to know if anyone has any thoughts.
Some background, I am the purchasing manager for a small culinary school, as such I often need to pick-up items for the school so I park behind the school where I also receive trucks (this gives me direct access to the kitchens), this area could be though of as a covered alley or tunnel. I have been parking in the area for the entire time we have been in the building which is almost two years, I have permission from the school’s dean and controller, our security company is aware of this, I do not block traffic and there are not any “No Parking” signs in the area, in fact no parking regulations at all other than do not block the alley and I am not the only tenant who parks behind the building. The area is considered private property owned by the landlord for use by the tenants.
Today as I was leaving the school a police office was passing through the alley/tunnel, he passed me without any clue he was questioning my “right” to be in the alley, but once I left the alley and was on a public road he pulled me over. When I questioned why I was being pulled over (I honestly had no clue, I knew I wasn’t speeding, I didn’t run a light or stop sign and my tag wasn’t expired), he answered “I wanted to make sure you had a reason to be in the alley”. I replied I am the Purchasing Manager for the school, I park there everyday. He replied back “How do I know that?” I then said “Here is my I.D.” and handed it to him. The I.D. is an electronic key card which has my name, position, picture and the school logo, not something easily faked. He then asked for my drivers license, which I gave him. He then told me I could go and added “I had Probable Cause”. I guess he knew he really pissed me off, but adding that statement made me move from pissed off to boiling mad.
The officer was not polite at all, all of his questions were in the tone of a demand and never addressed me as sir or mister, even after he learned my name.
My questions are;
Was that really probable cause? It seems to me if a middle aged, white man, driving a Smart Car with Democratic bumper stickers (and one Richard Dawkins), with a vanity tag, parking at the most lighted part of a alley/tunnel on private property is probable cause, those who are of a different color or nationality hasn’t a chance. Let’s face it my car stands out in a crowd, no the car to commit a crime in.
Why not ask me while I was parked in the alley? There I would have understood, and most likely would have thanked him. In fact if I thought he had any question as to why I was parked there I would have waited for him to reach my car prepared to explain, it was just that after almost two years without question it never crossed my mind an officer would think anything was wrong. And, I will admit pulling me over on a public road in front of the school was embarrassing.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I am familiar with the case you are referring to in San Clemente. The shooting certainly is questionable and you are correct there are bad cops. There are also good cops, but too many in the past have tolerated illegal behavior by their fellow officers.
