Felony Car Stops: A Comparison of Two Widely Used Methodologies

• NCJ Number: 192505
• Journal: Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 49-52
• Author(s): Andrew Borrello
• Date Published: December 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents methods used to conduct felony traffic stops.

Abstract

The issue of methods used to conduct felony traffic stops has eluded the police training trend toward the integration of philosophies and the standardization of physical procedures. This is based on the diversity of personnel in law enforcement organizations. Many departments empower their officers and supervisors to use vast discretion toward this important safety issue. There are two widely used felony stop methodologies--the traditional felony stop and the felony prone method. In the traditional felony vehicle stop, once a suspect vehicle has been stopped and the patrol units are properly positioned, the officers use their engines for cover and their doors for concealment, and officers establish line-of-sight communications with each other. If there are no pedestrians nearby and traffic is properly controlled, the officers are ready to remove the suspects from their vehicle. It is at this point that the two primary stop methods begin to differ. The suspect is positioned with his back to the officers and ordered to walk backward toward the officer’s voice. The suspect will most likely be ordered to his knees and told to place his knees and ankles together. A tactical deficiency to this method is that at any time while the suspect is moving toward the officer he could drop his arms to the front of his body and his hands would be concealed from the officer’s view. Losing sight of a potentially armed suspect’s hands is extremely risky, especially considering the suspect’s close distance. When the felony prone method is used, the suspect is directed toward the end of his car and ordered into the prone position. The key points are control, safety, and advantage. It is easier to maintain control of a suspect who is in the prone position than in a kneeling position. A concern with this method involves suspects without shirts or wearing shorts who are ordered to lie down on asphalt that may be unbearably hot. The key is to be flexible and prepared with another option that was developed and practiced through prior training.