I'm from NJ and planning on taking a trip to Kensington/ Fairhill to cop dope/ subs. If someone from out of state is stopped by the cops is it better to have ID. or not? *I will be on foot not driving... Am I more likely to get arrested if the cops see I'm from out of state? Will they be more inclined to leave me alone if I don't have ID and claim to be staying with a friend in the City? Just curious, any advise is appreciated.
To Carry ID or Not To Carry ID: Copping in Philly Badlands
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T. Calderone
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I'm not sure what it's like in your state but I've heard stories about people here in Michigan. Say, they don't want to drive into the city so take the bus. The cops set up sting operations to catch them on foot.
I'm going to move this so to NASADD to go into the regional forum. Stay safe!
I'm going to move this so to NASADD to go into the regional forum. Stay safe!
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I don't think it matters. All that matters is if they actually find shit on you. If they shake you down and find drugs, your proverbial goose is cooked, if they shake you down and find nothing then it's all good. It's not illegal to merely be in a neighborhood with a high-profile drug trade...whether you're from out of state or not...it's also not illegal to lack ID...but it is illegal to actually be in possession of illegal drugs.
Although the police (being the police) could probably still arrest you on some bullshit pretense like loitering w/ intent
Although the police (being the police) could probably still arrest you on some bullshit pretense like loitering w/ intent
Assuming you don't have any warrants I think it's better to have ID, that way you can give your ID to the officer which makes his job easier. If you don't have ID he can still look you up by name and arrest you if you give a false name.
Generally it's a good idea to give the police as little help and information as possible, but since you are required to divulge your identity there is no sense in trying to make that difficult if you don't have warrants.
Generally it's a good idea to give the police as little help and information as possible, but since you are required to divulge your identity there is no sense in trying to make that difficult if you don't have warrants.
That is what I was leaning towards since I don't have warrants. If a cop wanted to be a dick , (as lots of philly cops are)... they could say "well since you don't have ID we're going to have to take you back to the station to make sure you don't have any warrants. Form there I assume they could possibly do a more thorough search of my body cavities... no bueno.
subotai
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I'd just carry it if you don't actually have any warrants. Idk if you usually go to Philly for drugs, but a lot of the drug spots are within spitting distance of a major or somewhat major road so there is actually very little time to be in a location that would cause a cop passing by to want to really fuck with you.
as funny as it sounds, looking as disenfranchised as possible is the best way to go. Cops don't bother people who are clearly homeless a whole lot unless they are clearly buying drugs right in front of the cops
the people on the corner (I say that just as a generalization, most of the spots I used to go to weren't even on corners but rather in the middle of a street) are going to know when a cop is coming before you will in all likelihood. It's amazing how well these people adapt to a constantly changing situation at the drop of a hat. If it's not a good time to buy drugs, trust me they will let you know. Most likely in a somewhat rude and terse fashion.
Dont take it personally, it's for both of your best interests. I've learned that most of the time, the drug dealers that act friendly are the ones you want to avoid.
if someone has good shit, they know people will come back whether they're courteous or not, and all i ever cared about was not being ripped off. I don't care if you tell me to circle the block or to hurry the fuck up or to not run so fast (there's seriously no proper speed to do this at, I'm convinced. You go fast and they tell you to slow down and act more casual, you act casual and they tell you to hurry the fuck up, its hilarious). As long as I eventually got the drugs.
as long as you don't walk around with a gun or a warrant it's actually pretty easy to not get in trouble for small drug possession in Philly. I never even got arrested in the actual city, only outside of it
as funny as it sounds, looking as disenfranchised as possible is the best way to go. Cops don't bother people who are clearly homeless a whole lot unless they are clearly buying drugs right in front of the cops
the people on the corner (I say that just as a generalization, most of the spots I used to go to weren't even on corners but rather in the middle of a street) are going to know when a cop is coming before you will in all likelihood. It's amazing how well these people adapt to a constantly changing situation at the drop of a hat. If it's not a good time to buy drugs, trust me they will let you know. Most likely in a somewhat rude and terse fashion.
Dont take it personally, it's for both of your best interests. I've learned that most of the time, the drug dealers that act friendly are the ones you want to avoid.
if someone has good shit, they know people will come back whether they're courteous or not, and all i ever cared about was not being ripped off. I don't care if you tell me to circle the block or to hurry the fuck up or to not run so fast (there's seriously no proper speed to do this at, I'm convinced. You go fast and they tell you to slow down and act more casual, you act casual and they tell you to hurry the fuck up, its hilarious). As long as I eventually got the drugs.
as long as you don't walk around with a gun or a warrant it's actually pretty easy to not get in trouble for small drug possession in Philly. I never even got arrested in the actual city, only outside of it
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IME this isn't true at all...maybe it is in Pennsylvania, I dunno, but definitely not anywhere I've lived
subotai
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Yeah idk what to say because there's exceptions to everything in life but Philly is a very easy place to buy drugs in and not get in trouble for doing so.
the cops are more likely to fuck with the dealers and their cronies then someone who is a drug addict. And it's easy to fuck with the dealers because they literally stand in the same spots for hours upon hours openly selling drugs.
drug dealing sets have guns to protect their source of income and that is the #1 thing the police are after
idk, I shouldn't say that you won't have any problem with cops in philly because they are still around and still can arrest you and ruin your day at any moment, I'm just trying to say that if you go about it the right way the risk can be quite minimal compared to other places where you pretty much get arrested just for being white
the cops are more likely to fuck with the dealers and their cronies then someone who is a drug addict. And it's easy to fuck with the dealers because they literally stand in the same spots for hours upon hours openly selling drugs.
drug dealing sets have guns to protect their source of income and that is the #1 thing the police are after
idk, I shouldn't say that you won't have any problem with cops in philly because they are still around and still can arrest you and ruin your day at any moment, I'm just trying to say that if you go about it the right way the risk can be quite minimal compared to other places where you pretty much get arrested just for being white
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Oh I believe you, it's just that where I've lived often times the homeless are common targets of police harassment...many times for trivial matters and nuisance crimes (possession, trespassing, loitering/vagrancy when state law allows, public intoxication etc.)
HellsBelleTM
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I live right outside of philly (roughly 20min) just moved here from Port Richmond a few months back.
I'd personally take your ID either way just Incase, the 24th/25th district are complete assholes like most inner city cops, depending where in Kensington your going. If close to somorset they rarely ever bother you. But really all depends what block your heading too. If anything were to happen it'd be driving back into 95 where they quarantine exits. That's the only time I got pulled over in philly besides a DUI at a checkpoint on Alleghany. But most the time they'll just take your dope (depending the amount tbh) & tell you to leave.
I'd personally take your ID either way just Incase, the 24th/25th district are complete assholes like most inner city cops, depending where in Kensington your going. If close to somorset they rarely ever bother you. But really all depends what block your heading too. If anything were to happen it'd be driving back into 95 where they quarantine exits. That's the only time I got pulled over in philly besides a DUI at a checkpoint on Alleghany. But most the time they'll just take your dope (depending the amount tbh) & tell you to leave.
Squatter Jones
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I don't have any idea of the legality of the matter, but always have your I'd. So many things have to go wrong/right in some cases but try to only break one law at a time
iLoveYouWithaKnife
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This scenario would 100% of the time never happen.
Besides, if you didn't have your ID, they would ask you your SS#, DOB etc. Then he would input all the information you gave him into the laptop in his patrol car, and verify that you gave him the correct info, plus he'd be able to view your ID and see if it's actually you in the picture. Giving a fake name is useless; and basically not carrying your ID is useless as well. It wouldn't prevent you from getting in further trouble; and really you'd probably just piss him off more because now he has to do more work.
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subotai
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theres so many people on the run in Philly as long as you dont have warrants it is almost hard to get arrested.
Again, its not impossible, you just have to realize how low on the totem pole busting drug addicts is for cops.
Without drugs, thered be less violence. Without large amounts of violence, thered be less need for cops.
Junkies are really just job security for the police if you think about it
and I think a lot of cops genuinely feel some type of compassion towards drug addicts. They know they arent the people who are coming out ahead from the whole drug trade. As long as you arent a problem towards them, they usually arent a problem towards you.
Not to say they wont take your shit and tell you to pound sand, but that is better than being arrested for minor drug possession.
Most people in jail wind up there for probation violations, which is something you cant bail out of or really fight in a court. It kind of is what it is
im telling you dude, dont shave for a month, let your hair get all wild, wear some old clothes. walk around with a slight limp, talk to yourself every now and then, dont whip out a fucking iPhone in front of a cop, act like you spend your entire life down there
and see how often you have to deal with police
when they roll past you or you have to walk past them, dont give them a look like a kid who just got caught with a hand in the cookie jar
you almost have to give them a look of like slight disgust, yet complete indifference. Which is kind of how people in the hood look at everyone tbh. at least black people do. Puerto Ricans are more just indifferent. They may not necessarily enjoy having junkies walk past their house with tunnel vision and needle wrappers everywhere but it also puts food on their table. actually no, food stamps puts food on their table. drug money puts a lowered Honda Civic with subwoofers outside their house. working on a car in the middle of a street is a classic drug lookout move. It gives the person there a legit reason to be in the same spot for long periods of time, and they can still keep an eye on shit. Not that it really matters anyway, standing around is the national sport of the ghetto. its not like they need to get ready for work. their job is standing around.
Its not a crime to walk around Kensington and believe it or not, white people DO live there.
seriously though, growing a beard helps. a lot of people from philly have beards
Again, its not impossible, you just have to realize how low on the totem pole busting drug addicts is for cops.
Without drugs, thered be less violence. Without large amounts of violence, thered be less need for cops.
Junkies are really just job security for the police if you think about it
and I think a lot of cops genuinely feel some type of compassion towards drug addicts. They know they arent the people who are coming out ahead from the whole drug trade. As long as you arent a problem towards them, they usually arent a problem towards you.
Not to say they wont take your shit and tell you to pound sand, but that is better than being arrested for minor drug possession.
Most people in jail wind up there for probation violations, which is something you cant bail out of or really fight in a court. It kind of is what it is
im telling you dude, dont shave for a month, let your hair get all wild, wear some old clothes. walk around with a slight limp, talk to yourself every now and then, dont whip out a fucking iPhone in front of a cop, act like you spend your entire life down there
and see how often you have to deal with police
when they roll past you or you have to walk past them, dont give them a look like a kid who just got caught with a hand in the cookie jar
you almost have to give them a look of like slight disgust, yet complete indifference. Which is kind of how people in the hood look at everyone tbh. at least black people do. Puerto Ricans are more just indifferent. They may not necessarily enjoy having junkies walk past their house with tunnel vision and needle wrappers everywhere but it also puts food on their table. actually no, food stamps puts food on their table. drug money puts a lowered Honda Civic with subwoofers outside their house. working on a car in the middle of a street is a classic drug lookout move. It gives the person there a legit reason to be in the same spot for long periods of time, and they can still keep an eye on shit. Not that it really matters anyway, standing around is the national sport of the ghetto. its not like they need to get ready for work. their job is standing around.
Its not a crime to walk around Kensington and believe it or not, white people DO live there.
seriously though, growing a beard helps. a lot of people from philly have beards
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For the record, "loitering for the purpose of engaging in drug activity" is an enforced law on the books in many jurisdictions. I'm not totally sure how the mens rea is established, but it's not like the American legal system is a well-oiled machine.
I usually go business casual or wear a tie to go to work, so I stand out often when I go to cop. I had a pretty funny experience where I was asking one of the bums where the connect was. As I walked away I shook the guy's hand and said "Please be safe". As I said that a cop and a detective were walking by and they immediately engaged me about what was going on. Well, they started talking to me about how great it is that I talk to and support the less fortunate out on the street.
I ended up just ad-libbing an entire biography about how I take it upon myself to make sure these guys out here are safe and get what they need. I ended up showing them my Department of Refugee Resettlement identification and that sealed the deal. I was a philanthropist.
I usually go business casual or wear a tie to go to work, so I stand out often when I go to cop. I had a pretty funny experience where I was asking one of the bums where the connect was. As I walked away I shook the guy's hand and said "Please be safe". As I said that a cop and a detective were walking by and they immediately engaged me about what was going on. Well, they started talking to me about how great it is that I talk to and support the less fortunate out on the street.
I ended up just ad-libbing an entire biography about how I take it upon myself to make sure these guys out here are safe and get what they need. I ended up showing them my Department of Refugee Resettlement identification and that sealed the deal. I was a philanthropist.
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