So I was thinking if you put your goods in a small heavy duty fireproof handgun safe in your car, and the police pull you over and claim to smell weed so they decide to search your car, do you have to let them into the safe?

What happens if you don't give them the combo?

Do they have the legal right to confiscate or break into it?

I'm thinking the cops may not have though of this possibility yet as far as legality is concerned which would certainly help a lot of people.

dunno, i'd have thought they'd need a warrant to demand the opening of someones safe. regardless where it is.

in the same way (someone correct me on this if i got this wrong :P) the police cannot go into the internals of your car on a suspision and it must be impounded first, hence dealers use of things like the insides of the gearbox etc, not to mention it's a bit more sly than a gun safe cops find a safe in the car and they smell weed, they'll know what's what, whether they've seen it before or not, it's about as subtle and unobvious as a big doobie hangin outta yer mouth

but as you say, if they don't have the power to demand it opened immediately, then you're pretty safe.maybe

theres many things that fall into that. the only thing they can do and get away is a frisk "searching for weapons ect." u dont admit to anything at all. ask if your being detained. if he states no then say ok im free to go thats your right.

smell gives them probable cause to search.. although a locked truck or safe would require

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"The Healing Of The Nation"

a warrant or the owners consent to open. sry about the multi posts

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"The Healing Of The Nation"

If you give cops consent to search your car then everything is searchable (backpacks, safes, compartments, ect...) If you're holding a lot of weight it's best to never give consent. If you have only a few grams hidden really well then I'd just consent. Most likely than not most cops will just pop the trunk look around a bit in your car and then your on your way home.

Now if you don't know/forgot the safe's code (that's what I'd say) then I guess they could just take the safe or have a locksmith come in and break it open (which I wouldn't refuse to, it just makes your story more believable that you don't know and are willing to help the cops in their investigation). Don't refuse to give up the code (that's if you've already given consent) that would be interfering with a police investigation/ lying to a cop. Always try to be as honest as possible without putting yourself in harms way. Remember you also have a right to remain silent. You are in no way doing anything wrong by being silent.

yeah. when our car get;s searched, it's generally a cursory look around in bags, glove compartment, doors etc, body searches, and that's it.

and even if you give them permission, they are not allowed to start dismantiling the car, they can only look in accessible places. in the same way if a cop knocks on your door and you let him in, he can look at what's onyour table, and maybe he'll take a look in your fridge, but if he wants to take a look in a closet, your bedside draws etc, that's a whole other issue, he needs some paperwork to do that!

Personally I think you are totally wrong (then again the law is only shades of gray their is NO black or white). What you said contradicts 90% of what I've learned in All my law classes (granted these were just college level law classes 200 and 300 level), but the people teaching me were well respected lawyers and states attorneys. One of my teachers was cool enough to show us how to deal with the cops so I'm basing my knowledge on that.

Once a cop has permission to search or has probable cause your pretty much at their whims. Most cops cops aren't going to rip your shit up or search you crazy style, but if they really want to find out whats in this guys safe they will. Especially if permission was given to them or if they have probable cause to search the car (like finding a joint, or smell). Bottom line though to the OP I've read safes in a car or tool caddies in a truck bed are dead ringers for people storing drugs. So you might want to consider that.

i most probably am wrong i'm very very high. what i mean was that if a cop drives up and starts asking questions, until he impounds your car, he can't start taking it to pieces, that is to say start removing panels and such. i'm in the uk, could be different here, and i could still be very wrong. but that's how i've been led to understand it so yay for my ignorance?

Or, you consent at a time when you really didn't have anything to hide, and they proceed spread your shit all over the highway and trash your pickup only to literally leave you on the side of the highway by yourself as they drive off, and you are stuck along side the intersate putting all your shit back where it belongs as traffic rushes by you.


I could of beat someone to death that day, I swear.