An educational opportunity: DNR "train a rookie day" at Cunningham Falls

[boss66tcode]

Dear DNR police:

Thank you for the recent opportunity to educate my children regarding constitutional issues of police stops at your park. As I provided educational information regarding Maryland's DNR laws to your FTO and officer in training (no badge, no weapons yet), I also took time out on the drive home to instruct my 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son why you violated the U.S. constitution today.

To reiterate - you now know both know that a boat with no mechanical means of propulsion does not require a boat registration. This means that when you stopped me today that you had no legal reason to do so since there were no other violations occurring. My kids now learned what "reasonable suspicion" means, they know what the supreme court decision Terry v. Ohio (1968) means to them, and they know to make sure they know what violations are, because they may be put in a similar situation as I was, and that they may need to instruct you. They also now know that the phrase "ignorance of the law is no excuse" applies to citizens as well as the DNR police at Cunningham Falls State Park. Again, thank you for the opportunity to educate my children around their constitutional rights. I closed the lesson to my children by telling them that they can learn something from everyone they meet; Sometimes you learn what you should do, and sometimes you learn what you SHOULD NOT do. Today they learned that if they go into law enforcement, they need to be able to articulate why they stopped someone, otherwise they shouldn't do so.

 

[iSHOOT]

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall there...

 

[jr88]

I feel your anger in this. I have been through the same situations in different locations. The DNR is indeed in trouble with massive budget cuts and under staffing. That being said nothing irritates a law abiding tax payer more than to have unwarranted stops placed on us when we are out with kids trying to open their eyes to outdoors and nature.

I also found it necessary to inform the youngsters this shouldn't lessen their respect for LEOs. While teaching them to know their rights I had to remember to let them know the officers can make mistakes too, and the mistakes need to pointed out respectfully.

After All, it is Memorial Day weekend which is like the first day of school for the crab cops.

 

[boss66tcode]

I feel your anger in this. I have been through the same situations in different locations. The DNR is indeed in trouble with massive budget cuts and under staffing. That being said nothing irritates a law abiding tax payer more than to have unwarranted stops placed on us when we are out with kids trying to open their eyes to outdoors and nature.

I also found it necessary to inform the youngsters this shouldn't lessen their respect for LEOs. While teaching them to know their rights I had to remember to let them know the officers can make mistakes too, and the mistakes need to pointed out respectfully.

After All, it is Memorial Day weekend which is like the first day of school for the crab cops.

Agreed, however I've conveyed that on a continual basis, and they are aware of the occupational choices I have made in the past. I might have taken a different approach if this wasn't done by an FTO training an academy rookie. They need to be held to a higher standard.

 

[MdMedic]

I'm sorry you had an unpleasant and (by your account) unwarranted interaction with DNR. It's been my experience that most officers are polite, respectful and above all else, well-versed in the laws they enforce. Hopefully any subsequent meetings will be better.

 

[itsslow98]

Dear DNR police:

Thank you for the recent opportunity to educate my children regarding constitutional issues of police stops at your park. As I provided educational information regarding Maryland's DNR laws to your FTO and officer in training (no badge, no weapons yet), I also took time out on the drive home to instruct my 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son why you violated the U.S. constitution today.

To reiterate - you now know both know that a boat with no mechanical means of propulsion does not require a boat registration. This means that when you stopped me today that you had no legal reason to do so since there were no other violations occurring. My kids now learned what "reasonable suspicion" means, they know what the supreme court decision Terry v. Ohio (1968) means to them, and they know to make sure they know what violations are, because they may be put in a similar situation as I was, and that they may need to instruct you. They also now know that the phrase "ignorance of the law is no excuse" applies to citizens as well as the DNR police at Cunningham Falls State Park. Again, thank you for the opportunity to educate my children around their constitutional rights. I closed the lesson to my children by telling them that they can learn something from everyone they meet; Sometimes you learn what you should do, and sometimes you learn what you SHOULD NOT do. Today they learned that if they go into law enforcement, they need to be able to articulate why they stopped someone, otherwise they shouldn't do so.

From my understanding of the law while on the water you can be stopped at any time for a safety check.

http://www.boater101.com/Course/documents/MD/MDstatelaws.pdf

 

[hvymax]

As far as I am concerned the police have no right to disturb you unless you are disturbing the peacable citizenry. They have no interest in actual crime just victimizing decent people trying to peacably get through their daily lives.

 

[boss66tcode]

From my understanding of the law while on the water you can be stopped at any time for a safety check.

http://www.boater101.com/Course/documents/MD/MDstatelaws.pdf

Agreed, but it wasn't on water.

 

[CrabbyMcNab]

Agreed, but it wasn't on water.

D'OH, guess I shouldn't drive around with my canoe anymore. It's "unregistered".

Sorry about the interaction. A few bad apples sometimes pop up. I hope the rookie takes the lesson and runs with it and knows how to interpret the law from now on.

Thank you for being polite about the situation.

 

[ffemtreed]

As far as I am concerned the police have no right to disturb you unless you are disturbing the peacable citizenry. They have no interest in actual crime just victimizing decent people trying to peacably get through their daily lives.

I agree. I think boating laws should follow the same principles as cars. Unless you are doing something wrong, the authorities should not be allowed to stop you.

As much as I hate DUI drivers, I still don't think those dui checkpoints should be allowed either.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

Don't think it happened here, but sounds like the story when the guy rowed a John boat out in a freezing pond to save a stuck deer then got ticket for not wearing a life vest LOL

 

[boss66tcode]

I agree. I think boating laws should follow the same principles as cars. Unless you are doing something wrong, the authorities should not be allowed to stop you.

As much as I hate DUI drivers, I still don't think those dui checkpoints should be allowed either.

Even if they had a right for the stop, they were still wrong for enforcing a law that didn't exist ( registration for a rowboat?). Maybe I should have told them not to worry, I bought it on a form 77R and waited a week. The most troublesome part is that this was a field training officer training a new recruit incorrectly.