Prince George’s County Gun Investigations
While the easiest step a person could take to ensure that they do not face a gun charge is not to possess or own one, legal gun owners are given certain rights when facing Prince George’s County gun investigations. Individuals that believe or know that they are under investigation are recommended to contact an aggressive criminal attorney for advice. A lawyer could answer any question you have and could build a defense case on your behalf.
Investigative Measures Used by Law Enforcement
There are two approaches that law enforcement officers could take to determine whether a person’s possession of a firearm is illegal. If the police discover a firearm, they will typically seize it and then conduct gun investigations in Prince George’s County. They could look up the records through their databases to see whether it is licensed or reported stolen.
A person may not have a gun but could have a report of one. If they have the report, authorities may get a warrant to search the premises. As part of the process, once the gun is seized, there is typically not an urgency to verify whether the gun is legitimate since it is in their possession and may not pose a danger to anyone. If it is lawfully owned, the police could have it returned to the proper owner. If it is not lawfully owned, it is typically seized and eventually disposed of.
Warning Signs of an Investigation
Law enforcement may attempt to keep a person from knowing they are being investigated to prevent the suspect from destroying or hiding evidence. A person may dispose of certain evidence that could be utilized against them. If someone has already been charged and the investigation is being conducted, they will typically have been served with charging documents.
Searching a Person or Vehicle
PG County police officers could search a vehicle for guns if they have the owner’s consent or if they obtain a warrant. They also may have established probable cause through the smell of marijuana, seeing the handle or butt of a gun peeping out under a seat, or other ways. It could be a search for a completely unrelated manner. Any of those could be the basis for an officer to search a vehicle.
PG County police officers have even greater liberty to inspect a person to see whether they possess a firearm than they have to
Stop-and-Frisk
Officers could conduct a stop-and-frisk, which is typically done only for police safety. They could pat down a person being questioned without probable cause only for guns, weapons, or anything that can be dangerous. If someone has drugs in their pockets, an officer cannot reach their hands in and grab it. If they are patting a person down for safety reasons and feel a hard object consistent with a firearm, they could seize that. Officers typically need more than just a random stop of a person. There typically needs to be some reasonable suspicion that the person was engaged in criminal activity or a crime has occurred.
Overall Climate or Sentiment Regarding Guns in PG County
Gun investigations in Prince George’s County are explored and pursued by police with great enthusiasm and dedication. Very few other things could be said to have such lethality or be more dangerous in nature than guns. While theft crimes happen every day, people do not typically die from theft.
Gun crimes are the most critical. Since PG County is between Baltimore and the District of Columbia, which are major urban areas with gun violence, county officers pursue gun issues vigorously.
When to Call a PG County Attorney
The moment a person believes or learns that they are being investigated, they are recommended to call a lawyer. When police do an investigation, they typically seek evidence to use against a person in a criminal prosecution. The individual may need to protect themselves from the very outset by knowing what to say or not say to the officers, what evidence not to preserve, and whom to speak to.
Memories could fade and security footage may be lost or erased. It could be critical that things be done from the very beginning since it may help them in the long term. Contact an attorney for questions regarding Prince George’s County gun investigations. A lawyer could fight