Local Law Enforcement Strategies

I have heard different things about this, maybe some of you could chime in and share any experiences you have had with this.

As a local cop trying to catch college kids selling mj around campus, is it possible to use police software to search txt message records of anyone? Do cops have access to that? do they need a warrant?

why i ask this is because a friend of mine living in a freshmen dorm saw something on his floor. his buddy down the hall had a cop show up to his dorm room with a list of txt message records of his phone. some of them were from [the dealer] asking about bud and what not. the cops asked if the kid knew the full name of the sender. he gave it to them and they left.

i guess my question is, if the cops have someone's name that they think is a potential dealer, can they find out if that person has a cell phone, and delve into his messaging records?

I hope they are not aloud to do that, what area are you from?

i know it is possible and since the patriot act has been subverted from it's original goal of tracking terrorists and being used more widely as a method of tracking "narco-terrorists" aka us, it is well within the realm of possibility, however it seems like a seriously implausible method of tracking a small time dealer... after all cops cost money, equipment costs money, task forces cost money, and how much cash are they going to net by going after small fish??? it is much much more likely that someone got pinched, rolled to save their own skin, and *GAVE* the police their cell phone with all the texts on it in order to go "free" for the price of being a snitch...

freedom isn't free and if you are an asset now to the police, you've signed away any freedoms you had by cooperating with them...
cops have super long memories and they will continually come back to you regardless as to what you do now, or how clean you've been...
i've also heard of snitches getting to go free in exchange for one bit of info, and if they don't know anything else, getting busted by the same cops they had cooperated with...
you're only worth something to them if you've got something they want...
better to stfu (shut the f--- up) and get a lawyer than being a "cooperating witness" for the police...
remember, it is their job to put you in jail for being you, liking what you do, living as you choose...
if you let them compromise your right to privacy, unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to remain silent; it isn't their fault, its *YOURS*...
protect yourself and don't let them coerce you into selling out someone else... make them work for it!!!

short answer is: NO

they need a subpoena to look at your phone records.

if a cop comes asking questions just keep quiet. he cannot arrest you for not talking.

that's all.

^ agreed .
and snitches get stitches lol .

they can lie though.. so they could have talked to the dorm buddy and lied, said they had this info, and they know hes connected (prolly cause they lied to some other sap, that gave up that kids name) cops use lies to move up the chain more often and with more sucess than anyother method. good police work is working sources; getting people to talk at any cost..

they do not need warrants to lie.

cerberus said:

they can lie though.. <SNIP>
they do not need warrants to lie.

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No smell, No tell, No talk....

kinda like Lawyers and Politicians, you know they are lying when they open their mouths.

do not ever send anything incriminating over a text message. these are kept on record for who knows how long by your service provider. if you have a blackberry, messages sent through BB messenger are encrypted and currently are not able to be seen by anyone, but this could be changing in the near future. to be safe, dont write anything in a text that you would not want a police officer to see they do subpoena these records and you dont know how long the phone company may keep them.

I heard they send police updates on who changes cell numbers more frequent than others...SMH

I think it falls into the whole "Patriot Act" that was set in place after 9/11.

the government pretty much has the "right" to spy on whomever they want.

It's all part of the whole "preventing terror" in America. Which, don't get me wrong.. I'm Italian/American and I'm all for "keeping terror" away from this beautiful country... but I don't agree with them being able to "spy" on whomever they want to spy on. We as American citizens should have some degree of privacy. But again.. its all because of those ignorant brainless terrorists from 9/11 (and even terror events before 9/11) that has brought forth the governments "rights" to spy on anyone they feel the need to spy on.

Once again though!! I don't agree with that part of the "Patriot Act".. but then again I don't have anything to worry about because I don't use text messages.. nor do I do anything illegal.. sooooo yeah.

peace..

t's all part of the whole "preventing terror" in America. Which, don't get me wrong.. I'm Italian/American and I'm all for "keeping terror" away from this beautiful country... but I don't agree with them being able to "spy" on whomever they want to spy on. We as American citizens should have some degree of privacy. But again.. its all because of those ignorant brainless terrorists from 9/11 (and even terror events before 9/11) that has brought forth the governments "rights" to spy on anyone they feel the need to spy on.

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Might sound foolish on a forum where illicit activity is freely spoken about and is the norm (myself included, I'm no better than you), but...my philosophy when it comes to the Patriot Act is don't have shit to hide and you don't have shit to worry about. By shit to hide I'm not referring to some plants, but referring to terrorist conspiracy plots. What I dislike about it is this new concept of "narco-terror" which they use the Patriot Act to combat. Law enforcement caught a huge break now that they don't have to do things the old fashion way.

Fazz said:

^ agreed .
and snitches get stitches lol .

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AGREED!!!

2 to the head, 1 to the chest.

I'll agree in principle, but I don't, nor do I think many people will in reality. When was the last time you heard of some pussy that couldn't take his charge like a man turn around and set someone up who got a county bullet or less getting killed? Outside of upper deck drug rings, that kind of shit doesn't happen often, and talking hard on the internet doesn't do you any good. For the most part it works kinda like this:

1. you are a supplier
2. you supply to someone that isn't careful
3. they get caught
4. they give you up as their supplier
5. you go to court and deal with the politics and bullshit
6. you have signed affidavits from the person that snitched on you
7. you get the word out
8. like a viral video, the word gets around
9. snitches credibility is ruined, and nobody will associate with him again
10. you do your time like a man
11. typically they move out of town before you get out, if they don't...then you just have no contact with them


I'd be surprised if anyone that posts here was big time enough to turn a drug charge into a murder charge, probably not even an assault charge.

says the guy with the pedo bear avatar

lol, i agree with pedo bear and cerberus... good times

You get spied on because you do not know your rights. Under the Constitution ( Which some of you probably don't even know what that is) your rights are INALIENABLE. Look that word up because I think 90% of the populace is clueless. You have to Stand up for yourself and stop letting them rape you by consent.

cerberus said:

says the guy with the pedo bear avatar

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You forgot to connect the relevancy.

So, some idiot gets caught and gives up a name, phone number, location etc what can the police do after that? do they need him to sign an affadavit to use that evidence against the supplier? would they start watching the house and build a case by watching kids come in and out all day?

basically once the cops have a supplier's txt message records they know where he is exactly when he's making deals at his house. so could they obtain a search warrant from that information?

i live near philadelphia btw

Yes he will have to sign a affidavit, whoever the snitch is WILL BE REVEALED to the Defendant. That whole constitutional thing about facing your accuser and all. Once thay have someones sworn testimony they will then try to get more evidence so that it will be a good bust when the judge grants them a warrant. Just a statement is usually not enough to get a judge to sign a warrant, usually they need some other incriminating evidence too. They will go through the trash, if they find ANYTHING MJ related it will be a bust. They will watch the house if they aren't able to easily find anything, they will bust those people who leave the dealers house and attempt to roll them over, if they roll, then for sure 2 sworn affidavits are as good as a wonka golden ticket to getting busted.

NoDrama said:

Yes he will have to sign a affidavit, whoever the snitch is WILL BE REVEALED to the Defendant. That whole constitutional thing about facing your accuser and all. Once thay have someones sworn testimony they will then try to get more evidence so that it will be a good bust when the judge grants them a warrant. Just a statement is usually not enough to get a judge to sign a warrant, usually they need some other incriminating evidence too. They will go through the trash, if they find ANYTHING MJ related it will be a bust. They will watch the house if they aren't able to easily find anything, they will bust those people who leave the dealers house and attempt to roll them over, if they roll, then for sure 2 sworn affidavits are as good as a wonka golden ticket to getting busted.

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I've seen them search people after they left a dealers house needless to say he skipped town lol