Why do police officers touch your car?

If the police officer believes they are in a dangerous situation as they pull you over, they may touch the backend of your vehicle on the way to your window to make sure the trunk is latched. It might sound bizarre, but this tactic ensures that no one is hiding in the trunk and could pop out.

What do unmarked police cars do?

Unmarked police vehicles, should have a well-endowed hidden light package to avoid confusion from the public and to provide safety for the officer. The idea is to catch people when they think they aren’t being watched. When people see a marked police vehicle, they drive better. This is called the halo effect.

What happens if a police officer touches the trunk of a car?

An officer is trained to touch the trunk area of the car to put his finger prints on the vehicle. If (and has happened) the officer is shot and killed during that stop and the vehicle is stopped miles away, the driver will “claim they were not anywhere near there” (the crime scene).

What happens when a police officer pulls you over for traffic?

The officer does not know what is going on in the vehicle until he is placed in a danger area and he can observe the activity. An officer pulls a vehicle over for traffic violation (if the vehicle is one already being looked for, the officer will not casually walk up to the car.

Why do cops tap the back of your car?

First, cops do this to check if the trunk is closed, for obvious reason; no police will do a checkpoint with an open trunk bugging them. Moreover, they also do this for security. There are instances that a person jumps out from the trunk then start shooting the police. Therefore, tapping the back of the car is an extra safety pre-caution.

Do police officers touch your taillight during traffic stops?

Asking a driver for their license and registration is common procedure from police officers during traffic stops. There’s another practice that was once standard across the force but is more of a mystery to the people being pulled over: While approaching a driver’s window, officers will sometimes touch a car’s taillight.