Unusual Things You Might Notice If You’re Pulled Over By Oklahoma Police

Earlier this week, a local Lawtonian asked the community what the normal protocol for being pulled over looks like for Oklahomans, since they were from a different state.

While most traffic stops here follow a pretty standard routine - officer asks for your license and proof of insurance, they run your records and make sure things are in order, and they return with their citation and/or your information - some instances are not like others.

In this person's case, and in future cases, some traffic stops will look different than what we normally see now.

Is it normal for an officer to take a photo of you and your license during a traffic stop?

Usually when you're being pulled over, the only time phones typically come out are when they're being used to provide virtual insurance cards for police. Yet, in a recent traffic stop, a driver here in Lawton posed the question to the Lawton Grapevine: "Has anyone received a traffic ticket here and have had their picture taken by the officer giving you the ticket?"

According to the driver, they've never experienced it before anywhere else and they were troubled by the action.

Some commenters had, in fact, experienced something like this before. One person said that the officer who took their picture at the time did so "for the prosecutor."

READ MORE: One Child Found, But More Oklahoma Children Are Missing

Another commenter also had their picture taken when they were pulled over and they found out that their insurance had lapsed. "I got a ticket in the mail with the pic on it," they said.

While some people have had this done, the original poster was very unfamiliar with the procedure, as were most commenters. And it's not unreasonable to for people to be concerned by something that doesn't seem to be part of typical protocol.

In the past five years alone, Oklahoma has had at least five major instances of criminals posing as police officers, including a deadly incident earlier this week.

But, it is legal and actually more common than you might think.

So, what does a typical traffic stop in Oklahoma look like?

According to oklahomalawyer.com, a typical traffic stop starts with the officer pulling you over by turning on their lights. Drivers are expected to pull over safely to the right side of the road. If you find that there is not a safe place to stop, you are supposed to put your hazards on to show the officer that you're attempting to stop.

Once you're pulled over, they'll approach and ask for your proof of insurance and drivers license. It is important that you wait for them to ask for this information so they can see what you're grabbing and where.

@ildefenselawyer :rotating_light: Late-night traffic stop tips from your Chicago defense expert! :crescent_moon: Know where to pull over safely – your actions speak volumes to law enforcement. Stay calm, use your signals, and remember: right side = right choice. #StaySafe #FiscellaLawLLC #CriminalDefenseLawyer #DUI #Chicago #TrafficStops #SafeDriving #lawyertips ♬ original sound - IL-Defense-Lawyer

Usually, traffic stops are quick and relatively painless, but understandably nerveracking for some folks. And believe it or not, officers know that some struggle with communicating under this kind of pressure. That's partially why some police are doing something a little different, starting with a blue envelope.

Oklahoma City Police introducing a new Blue Envelope Program

In an effort to make traffic stops less difficult for people who struggle with autism and other communication challenges, the OKC Police Department has implemented the Blue Envelope Program.

In the event that an officer stops someone, they'll hand the driver a blue envelope with basic information about the traffic stop. The driver can then put their drivers license, proof of insurance, registration and other necessary paperwork in the envelope to show that they're trying to cooperate.

Other areas that have started to use the Blue Envelope Program include:

• Moore
• Choctaw
• Edmond
• Midwest City
• Norman
• The Village

While there are some changes to the routine, not all of them are bad. Have you had a different kind of experience during a traffic stop? Share with us your story through the app.

Get our free mobile app