Things Cops Do That Are Illegal: What a Police Officer Can & Can’t Do

Today we are reviewing the classic things cops do that are illegal to help the public know what a police officer can and can’t do within the rules of the law.  Between 2005 and 2013, police officers in the United States faced forcible rape charges over 400 times, and forcible fondling charges 636 times, according to CNN. “What cops can and can’t do” researchers at Bowling Green University say that police misconduct is not as rare as the average citizen might think, and that it happens at all stages and ranks of law enforcement careers.

It’s important for citizens and civilians to know the things cops do that are illegal, and what a police officer can and can’t do. Keep reading. Informing yourself is protecting yourself. A graduate study by an associate professor of criminology at Bowling Green University found that between 2005 and 2012, there were 8,006 arrest incidents and 13,623 charges against police officers.

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What Cops Can & Can’t Do?

So what exactly are the primary things cops do that are illegal? Let’s examine what a police officer can and can’t do to members of the public in everyday life. The research team concluded that “nearly half” of the charges faced by cops were charges on violent allegations and what cops can’t do to you.

Worse, Mapping.com reports that 852 people were allegedly killed by police in 2018 so far. They also report that in 2017 there were only 14 days when a civilian was not killed by police.

Police misconduct and police brutality are words in everyday vernacular today, with good cause what cops can and can’t do that are illegal.

There are a number of things that cops do that are illegal

Generic police misconduct can range anywhere from bribes to search and seizure without a warrant.  If you are driving your car, cops can’t even stop your car without probable cause or reasonable suspicion a crime has occurred.

This is because the 4th Amendment treats traffic stops as a “seizure.” If there is no probable cause, any evidence collected for a DUI or crime can be tossed out by the court and are part of the list of things that cops do that are illegal.

Things Cops Do That Are Illegal

Allegations of illegal actions by law enforcement can range from police misconduct to police brutality, to actions such as rape or even murder. These actions, when true, can result in a miscarriage of justice such as obstruction of justice. Discrimination is a factor that is gaining more publicity in recent years.

As smartphones become more prevalent in mainstream society, the recording of police misconduct and police brutality has also become more prevalent. Police misconduct refers to actions taken by law enforcement that is in contradiction with their official duties. Sometimes police misconduct is illegal, and sometimes it is not.

Police misconduct refers to actions such as intentionally obtaining a false confession, using intimidation, corruption, racial profiling, surveillance abuse, drug use, stealing, bribery, false arrests, false imprisonment, ticket fixing, search and seizure without a warrant, unlawful killing of dogs, coercing false testimony, and sexual abuse.

Even a simple question such as, “Do you know why I pulled you over today” can be viewed as intimidation if the stop goes bad for the driver in question of what cops can’t do to you that are illegal and one of the things cops can’t do.

In New York City in 2011, 16 officers were charged after facing a grand jury on widespread ticket-fixing. The ticket-fixing investigation began in 2008 and included two alleged false arrests with one related to alleged drug dealing.

The grand jury heard over 80 witnesses testifying over a course of six months. In addition of what cops can and can’t do that are illegal to ticket fixing, charges included grand larceny, tampering with public records, conspiracy, and official police misconduct.  This is one of the classic things that cops do that are illegal.  If you can, get your phone out and start video taping immediately.

While the definition of police misconduct can sound lenient, it can also find itself in the heat of a grand jury inquiry. In many cases, police misconduct leads to the use of the exclusionary rule by defendants at trial.

What Is the Exclusionary Rule?

In the United States, the exclusionary rule precludes evidence that is gained in a way that infringes on the Constitutional rights of the accused in question. The exclusionary rule does not apply to civil matters, including immigration matters.

It is this rule that generally governs over police misconduct matters in the rule of law with what cops can’t do to you.

Police brutality is a form of police misconduct that occurs when unnecessary and excessive force is used by law enforcement handling citizens. This includes but is not limited to the use of nerve gas, batons, any form of physical abuse, and pepper spray.  This is one of the main things cops do that are illegal, one of the things a police officer can’t do.

Illegal Use of a Firearm is also Considered Police Brutality.

Law enforcement is permitted to apply force when necessary to make arrests, and we want them to be able to do so in order to keep us safe. They are also permitted to use their firearms for self-defense of what cops can and can’t do.

The issue of proportionality comes into play when it comes to the use of deadly force. Cops are always required to use the least amount of force in any situation. Whether the use of force was proportional to the problem at hand will be the question when determining whether or not misconduct or brutality came into play, if a cop is questioned on his or her use of a firearm.

For example, a police officer making an arrest that is being resisted, and has a knife pulled on him, can use deadly force if necessary and part of the list of things cops can’t do to you that are illegal. It would be misconduct if the knife was not pulled on him.

Five Police Officers Convicted After Hurricane Katrina

The New Orleans Police Department serves as an example of police misconduct that involved unlawful use of firearms leading to death. Police corruption was also a problem after Hurricane Katrina. Five police officers were convicted by a federal jury six years after the hurricane.

The officers were convicted in relation to the infamous Danziger Bridge shootings about what cops can’t do to you.

Those were police shootings that resulted in four injuries and two fatalities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. There were four convictions of unlawful shootings, and those four officers were also convicted of cover-ups.  This is why we need the public to document the things cops do that are illegal and be sure to help other citizens know what a police officer can and can’t do.

One of The Officers Convicted:

Arthur Kaufman, who was investigating the police shootings. He was found guilty of a cover-up, as well as a number of other charges related to the shootings.  This is definitely one of the things that cops do that are illegal and something you should be aware of as part of the things a police officer can and can’t do to the public.

He was accused, and found guilty of, planting a firearm at the scene of the crime to make it appear as if the victims were armed at the time of the shooting. He also lied to federal agents.

Cases such as this make citizens facing a false arrest or illegal search more convinced of the existence of the “blue code of silence.” The blue code of silence is the notion that there is a brotherhood among police officers, and they will protect each other at all costs.

When police officers are covering up for their own in regards to illegal activity, the blue code of silence in itself would be just another thing on the list of what cops can’t do to you.  This is why many private citizens have decided to record police officers to discourage things cops do that are illegal.  This makes the list of what a police officer can and can’t do to normal US citizens yet it happens every day in America.

Is the Blue Code of Silence Real?

It is well known that many crooked cops never cross that blue line and testify against other cops in court.  But now with the many legitimate police officers testifying against Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd this practice might be on the verge of changing.  The good apples might actually find the courage to stand up against corrupt cops.  Anyone that is facing false arrests or things cops do that are illegal searches, or any of the other things that cops do that could be considered illegal, may tell you that the blue code of silence is real.

A study in the Journal of Policing and Society asked some members of law enforcement to dish the dirt. Survey says the blue code of silence is a thing.

The study was examining police corruption and asked law enforcement what they thought of it. Some officers viewed corruption such as money or drug stealing as worse than police brutality. They also viewed that as worse than bending the rules to protect their fellow officers from criminal prosecution.

The study also found that officers were not so willing to report police misconduct or brutality unless there was something in it for them about what cops can’t do to you.

The study found that the findings from police officers themselves supported the notion of the “blue code of silence.”  This means you must guard against things cops do that are illegal and get familiar with what police officers can and can’t do to us citizens.

What Police Officers Can and Cannot Do

There is a long list of things police officers can and can not do, but many on that list pertain to those moments that happen at a point of contact with law enforcement. Illegal searches or seizures are a hot subject that can easily lead to a situation of police brutality or police misconduct for any action done by a police officer that is illegal, inappropriate, or against police policies.

Be sure to videotape a record anything you think that is happening and protect your family and yourself from things cops do that are illegal. Be familiar with what a police officer can and can’t do to us as Americans.

Things Cops Do That Are Illegal and Police officers Activity:

Here’s a comprehensive list of things cops do that are illegal.  Be sure to get your phone out and record what they are doing and know your rights by getting to know what police officers can and can’t do to private civilians.

1. When it comes to searches, legal searches occur with a warrant. Coming it at #1 on the list of things cops do that are illegal. This is your Fourth Amendment constitutional right. Without a warrant, a search of any property or person is illegal and unconstitutional. That is unless an individual is already under arrest. Before the arrest, a police officer must have consent for a search, or a warrant produced.
2. If evidence is produced without a warrant or consent, it will fall under the exclusionary rule, and would likely be ruled inadmissible in court about what cops can and can’t do that are illegal.  This is the second on the list of things cops do that are illegal.
3. Police officers must have reasonable belief or suspicion that a vehicle or home contains evidence or what cops can and can’t do that are illegal items in order to get that warrant or consent.
4. If evidence is in plain sight, the police officer has reasonable suspicion and is not required to get a warrant. In other words, if a gun a police suspect is things cops do that are illegal, or a bag of drugs is on the passenger seat of a car they stop, they can search the vehicle without consent or warrant.
5. A police officer may not “stop and frisk” unless there is reasonable suspicion you are involved in a crime. Your rights here are protected by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

After hearing so many stories of corrupt cops and police brutality be aware of the things cops do that are illegal and protect your self and your children against police corruption.

Your Rights If You Are Arrested

The most frequently violated rights of the accused are sometimes easily ignored by police officers working with an accused individual that is not clear on their rights.

If you have been arrested, you must have your Miranda rights read. You are informed of your right to an attorney. You are also advised of your right to remain silent.

Most criminal defense attorneys would advise you that you exercise both of those rights. Even one-word answers to police can create a snowball of a problem for the accused if the officer in question engaged in police misconduct.

If you are arrested, and you do want to speak to your lawyer (as you should), the police are not allowed to listen in. It is your right to have a private conversation with your counsel.

This is a privileged conversation. If the police listen to the conversation, have your attorney speak directly with them, and not what cops can’t do to you.

The most important constitutional rights are your Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and your rights of the presumption of innocence.

If you’re worried about how to protect your freedom, always consult a lawyer. You can find lawyers that specialize in police brutality with services from world renowned US Attorneys. Be sure to know the things cops do that are illegal what a police officer can and can’t do to us citizens.

It Could Happen to You

There is no one size fits all formula that will determine whether or not a cop stop will result in your false arrest or any form of police misconduct or brutality. It doesn’t depend on your race, age, or sex.  Protect yourself and your family from the things cops do that are illegal by getting to know what a police officer can and can’t do to us citizens.

Dealing with law enforcement can be frightening especially when there are things cops do that are illegal. It’s always good to know your rights. To learn more about any legal issue or to find the right legal advice for any situation check out our Laws blog today.  It is likely true that the majority of police officers are inherently good, but after George Floyds murder and with all of the stories of police brutality to know the things cops do that are illegal and protect yourselves against corrupt cops.