Just read each and every post, I'll give you my perspective. I spent 25 years in law enforcement, 20 with the Kentucky State Police, 5 of them with a Sheriffs Office after I retired from KSP. I've stopped thousands of vehicles in my career, to include, "rear license not illuminated" which is the violation here in KY. Most traffic charges are violations, not misdemeanors or felonies, although they can turn into those if certain criteria is met. Example, speeding 26 MPH or over can then escalate to reckless driving, or even wanton endangerment if certain elements are met.
I did not wake up every day to violate peoples rights, harass them, inconvenience them, or play "tough guy." I knew I wanted to be in LE from the time I was 16 and took the necessary steps to achieve my goal. I had spent 7 years in the Army (Military Police) before I joined KSP. When I came out of the KSP Academy in 1996, I had plenty of "life experience" from my Army days, which also included a deployment to the first Gulf War.
I never felt the "need" to manufacture, or lie, about a traffic stop to the person I was stopping. There are far too many moving violations out there to lie about why I was stopping you. If it was for a "rear license not illuminated", I would check you DL, registration, and insurance, make some small talk, then send you on your way with a verbal or written warning if it went smoothly. But, I will tell you without a doubt, I was always on the lookout for other indicators which would lead me beyond the initial stop. People talk, "I pay your salary" , so I would respond with yes sir or yes maam, I wouldn't want you to think I'm not earning my pay, so I'm doing what you pay me to do. Some thought was hilarious, some understood, and some just, well, you know........ The biggest load of drugs I took off a traffic stop was for excessive window tinting. I can say this with absolute clarity, the people committing crimes, which often involves a vehicle, aren't blatantly committing traffic violations, they are trying to "blend in" or be normal drivers like everyone else.
Agreed, with the OP that he has a right to be upset and angry if his license plates lights do indeed work. I will not defend that. I will also agree that todays LE officers seem to be a "different" breed. I started to notice that change around the mid 2000's or so.
We could talk about "tactics" all day long when it comes to traffic stops, but as long as I could see "hands", I didn't get too wound up. If I could not, and you argued with me about please putting them on the steering wheel, or continued to ignore my request to see them, then we would have an issue. I think any "reasonable" person would/could understand that. Every situation is different and it can change in milliseconds....
