Some Common Reasons People are Stopped

• You may have committed a traffic offense
• The vehicle you are driving may have an equipment violation
• You may fit the description of someone the police are seeking
• The officer may think you are in trouble and in need of assistance
• You may have witnessed a crime and police may seek your assistance in identifying a person involved

If you are stopped by police, you should make every effort to be cooperative and you can expect the officer to be courteous in return. Keep in mind that even seemingly routine traffic stops can be dangerous situations for police and officers are trained to approach the stops with extreme caution.

• Stop your vehicle as far out of the lane of traffic and off the road if possible, not only for your safety, but also for the safety of the officer.
• Stay in your vehicle unless directed to do otherwise. Keep your hands visible and on the steering wheel. Staying in your vehicle reduces dangers of oncoming traffic.
• Remain calm; getting agitated with the officer or with others will not help the situation. Avoid sudden movements.
• Provide a valid drivers license, valid vehicle registration and proof of insurance
• If the stop occurs at night, put on your interior dome lights so the officer can see that all is in order.
• If the officer issues a ticket for reasons that are unclear to you, ask the officer for information, but don't become argumentative or antagonistic. Accepting the ticket is not an admission of guilt. You can contest the ticket in court.
• Patrol vehicles are almost always staffed by a single officer, however, given inherent dangers of traffic stops, officers almost always have backups near by.
• Traffic stops often result in the identification of criminals suspected in other crimes.
• Remember that you are required to cooperate with all reasonable requests. Treat the officer how you would want to be treated.

You can obtain copies of a Vehicle Crash Report or Incident Report by visiting our department between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. We are located at 418 N. Main St., Middlebury, IN 467540. There is a $5.00 charge for copies of Incident Reports and Vehicle Crash Reports