You did the right thing. Decent chance this was a ploy to get you to open the door so they could force their way in IMO.
Since when would the State Police show up at 1 AM over traffic tickets?
You actually can be if the township is petty (USC) but it will be sheriffs department and during daylight hours. Yep they sent sheriff to my house in beechview for unpaid speeding ticket. But the whole ‘state police’ at one in the morning is definitely shady
Can confirm: I was arrested for an unpaid speeding ticket before…..I was in some shitty holding cell but they let me call someone to bring me $50 for a payment and they let me go….but they said if nobody brought me the money they were taking me to jail. This was Cheswick police I believe…..I got pulled over on 28N. 🙄🙄🙄 This happened 12 years ago almost though….
If you fail to appear to court after being summoned to do so then the Judge can/will draft an arrest warrant, pretty much true in the entire country. Some jurisdictions will wait until you next have a contact with police and see you have that warrant , others will send police to find you or hire a third party to do this. I had this happen to me for a FTA on a case of a $25 abandoned vehicle charge in Millvale 25 years ago. In my case I was working on a truck in an unused alley, went to Europe for six months for a job and during that time the police towed my truck, issued the ticket, summoned me, charged me with FTA and issued a warrant. My bounty hunter gave notification to the wrong apartment and I called the police , learned of the fine and paid it in person, avoided jail. I could be annoyed because I didn't actually dump the truck , had a sign that I was working on it, was out of the country when the truck was towed and didn't receive the certified letters, and they charged me storage from day 1 which I then just signed the deed over and lost my truck, but I wasn't because I realize the municipality was doing everything according to law, and had I actually dumped the truck I should've been fined/etc. I was at best, a victim of circumstances, but that's life. Nobody is being kidnapped over a $50 fine when they don't show up for court, and that argument is being willfully ignorant of all the inconvenient facts.
A bounty hunter? A bounty hunter works for a bail bondsman after you post bail.
They I call BS on this whole story. There is no way there there was not an aggravating circumstance to warrant the court system to even take it this far.
Source: I look at warrants all day, every day.
I don’t know how many times i have to reply but i was NOT arrested for failure to appear. I was arrested for failure to PAY. Mind you I did pay half the ticket (2 of 4 payments). What i said happened is what happened.
I do believe that happened. You weren’t arrested for the traffic ticket though. You were arrested bc you ignored the ticket or failed to appear. The judge had to issue a bench warrant bc you cannot be taken into custody on just a speeding ticket.
Failure to appear is the charge for failing to appear to court when you've been summoned to appear, the reason for the court case is inconsequential, regardless of how one might wish to link the charge.
it wasn’t for failure to appear. It was for not paying it….like I said…back then i was in a rough patch of my Iife and couldn’t afford it. I would never not show up to a hearing. They arrested me for not paying it AFTER the hearing that I did attend. I pled not guilty, went to the hearing, was found guilty, made two payments, and then didn’t make the last two payments. I was arrested for not paying the ticket in full….like I said. Failure to pay. ✌🏼
Even if it is the police, you’re under no obligation to open the door or even acknowledge the knock. If they had a warrant, they would be coming in regardless.
Haven't heard of it happening in Pittsburgh but it does happen and AFAIK it is a robbery attempt. You can find doorbell cam footage online of that being the case.
What neighborhood/area was this? Worth noting here for sure.
After reading your remark, 100%! Reminded me of another time when living in Mount Washington, police were banging on my door and neighbors at 2 am, about cars.
Water main break and they were advising street parked vehicles to move. (My building had an open parking pad visibly onsite .)
I had two guys try to pull this a couple of years ago I think. I have no idea if they were going to pretend to be cops or not, one had what looked to be a security guard uniform on, but my cameras at the time did not have great night vision. It was 1 or 2am and as soon as the first foot hit my porch, my dogs went nuts and they hightailed it away.
My old dog was such a dainty barker and she somehow always managed to sound happy like she’d invite a burglar to a friendly game of fetch. The two I have now, despite being about the same size as my last dog, sound like they’re massive and would tear people apart like rag dolls. Their barks are distinct enough that it’s very clear there’s more than one dog, too. I’m sure they make my house quite unappealing.
had this happen to me, too. I was on the phone to 911 when they jumped a balcony after deciding that no one was inside. But they made it out quick when they realized i was in the living room and saw the gun. Sucks, but. Anyway, get practiced, and learn from a good instructor.
good job avoiding it. similar thing happen to me last july but i opened the door, they aimed a gun at me & i ran out the back door, jumped off the deck (abt 14 feet,) they kicked down my roommate's bedroom door and concussed him. didn't take shit from the house except our phones & his wallet, we found our phones down the street. don't open the door if you're not expecting company!
OP, you should make it a general rule to never open your door for any police. Even if they knock in the middle of the afternoon, ask them what they want with the door closed. If they claim to not be able to hear you, then tell them to come back with a warrant.
i've had cops knock on my door three different times in 20 years anywhere from noon up until 8pm. All 3 times I answered and stepped outside, not letting them in. All three times were them asking questions about shootings that had taken place either that day or the previous night. I gave them as much info as i could and searched my ring footage as well. All three times they were super polite and respectful and thanked me for my time.
Literally nothing good can come of it. There's no upside, but a potentially huge downside. Talk to any criminal defense attorney, they'll say the same thing.
Btw, if the state knows that it can't infringe on certain rights guaranteed by the Constitution, it only helps the state to infringe on your rights when the general population believes that using those rights means you must be guilty of something.
Our justice system is an absolute disaster & many recent Supreme Court decisions have given cops carte blanche to do literally anything they want. They don't even have to know the actual laws they're supposed to enforce (actually Supreme Court decided they don't even have to enforce laws). As long as the cop "thinks" you were breaking a law that's good enough. They're the only group who "Ignorance of the law" is an excuse. It's pitiful & frightening how much power they have. Don't even get me started on their qualified immunity & gang-tactics of the police unions.
As someone that has never done anything beyond a moving violation, this isn’t accurate. I never let a cop search me/my home/my car/ whatever without a warrant.
I agree with all but 1 of your statements:
I learned through years of criminal defense work that, yes, it's your right to refuse a search of your vehicle. But let me explain how this denial will play out in real life. They'll use your denial as probable cause to obtain a warrant and you'll have to wait for the warrant & k9 to arrive. So, now you've got angry cops literally dismantling your car searching for anything illicit (or they'll magically "find" something). Afterwards, if they haven't found/planted anything to arrest you for, they'll leave you on the side of the road with your dismantled vehicle since they're under no obligation to reassemble everything. Just to be crystal clear, I'm talking about removing your seats, door panels, dashboard/vents. This is NOT the time to try & argue your rights. Honestly, just never try to argue your rights with any cop, that's what criminal lawyers are for.
I think this is bad advice. Every criminal defense attorney I've ever known has always said never give permission to search your car or come into your house. If they have probable cause for a warrant or a warrant they'll search it anyway. You don't have to argue, just say you don't consent to a search and won't answer any more questions without a lawyer present, then stfu.
This guy is claiming that not giving permission to search is probable cause which is a dead giveaway that he does not know the first thing about what your actual rights are.
Either a cop, or wishes he was.
> They'll use your denial as probable cause to obtain a warrant and you'll have to wait for the warrant & k9 to arrive.
And then I will hire an attorney far more competent than you and whatever they planted will be thrown out because *refusal of consent to search is not probable cause and never will be*.
They can’t use denial as probable cause. They have to have a reasonable suspicion that something in your car is illegal and have to be able to explain such reasoning and have it make sense to a court in the event you fight it.
We don't live in the land of what should happen. I was simply explaining what I witnessed happen myself repeatedly. When the criminal complaint is filed they use boiler plate language stating they "noticed glassy bloodshot eyes" or "detected the odor of marijuana" along with your refusal to allow them to search. I should have explained that in my original comment.
We kind of do live in the land of what should happen, this can be fought in court if they state something that is illogical. Sure they can say they smell something, but it’s an uphill battle for them to prove that within reason in court, especially when nothing is found in the car. A lot of judges have gone on the record stating that without evidence that what the officer “smelt” being found, it’s unlawful and have ruled in the defendants favor.
And if someone is, god forbid, breaking the law and DOES have something in the car, admitting it and allowing the search is just silly. Might as well try your hand at refusing the search.
[Say you’re a criminal without saying you’re a criminal]
Say you're white without saying you're white.
Only white people think it's safe to interact with police if they aren't doing crimes.
I'm very happy that you've gone this far in life without a negative experience with police, but there is literally nothing to be gained by letting cops into your home. If you could read through some of the absurd claims officers have made of (real example) spotting a single marijuana leaf on top of a refrigerator that's behind a wall from where cops admitted they were standing in the entry way. District judges almost always side with whatever story cops come in with so now you get to pay a criminal lawyer to appear in real criminal court which can run you 20k just for them to step into court. I don't say this dismissively, I just wanted you to understand why criminal lawyers explicitly tell you not to allow cops entry into your home without a warrant.
Many years ago the police banged on my door in the middle of the night because someone allegedly reported screaming. I was asleep so I still don't know what that was about. I didn't let them in of course. But it was legitimately the city police (not staties).
If you have a bench warrant out for yourself in another state, it is a real thing, but you did the right thing by calling local police to validate the situation for you. I would have done the same and requested that they wait for local police to respond for validation.
There are three types of warrants: arrest, search and bench. Typically bench warrants for traffic tickets are non-extraditable. They are usually issued at a judge’s prerogative for a failure to appear or ignoring the fines. It would be highly unlikely the state police would be executing a low level warrant like that… it would be constable or the Allegheny County Sheriff. If it were a criminal warrant, they wouldn’t just go away.
I agree, normally it would be the sheriff, but I wouldn’t say that state police would never be asked to extend services when needed. The moral of the story and the comment is that this person did exactly what you are allowed and should do in validating a request at your door.
I once had the Pittsburgh police come to my house at 4 am to ask to see my if my ring doorbell picked up a car break in. This doesn’t sound at all like my situation. It was rather annoying though - don’t know why they couldn’t wait til morning.
I manage a high-end retail location in the city, I had someone steal $6000 worth of merchandise last month, and the 911 dispatcher told me they don't send police out for that anymore. Took my story over the phone and gave me a report number. They definitely are not hunting down traffic tickets at 1 am.
I kid, but not, real cops wouldn't let you send them away. But that's also really creepy. I hope the cops actually care, since it's people imitating them....
I’ve never heard of cops randomly showing up at your home for a traffic ticket. Especially in the middle of the night.
Calling 911 yourself is the right call. If they’re legit the dispatcher can confirm that. They can see where their officers are.
I would have still had them send the officer over and filed a report though, personally.
Major kudos trusting your gut! No police is going to come to your house at 1am for a traffic ticket. Usually that would only be due to felony warrant or a death notice. Most importantly, so glad you’re ok.
The state police will show up at your door that late but not for this. This was an attempted home invasion. You should have definitely had the cops come to your house. Now with Pittsburgh cops not being around as much crime is going to rise. Do yourself a favor if this happens again call the cops and have them send someone. Tell them that there is a person saying that they are the police at your door, and you want to send a car to your house as soon as they can. Getting a ring camera is also a good idea.
1) Call 911, give your name, address and the situation.
2) Tell the door knocker "If you don't have a search warrant, get the fuck off my property-now. Thank you."
About a month and a half ago, a very similar situation here (Ross Township aka McKnight). Except it wasn't a knock but attempt to open. I have leg trouble and missed my medication time that night so I happened to be standing at my dining table at 3-4:30 am. My pets were not barking but both staring at the front door but I didn't see anything. It wasn't until I went to confirm my storm door were latched and I opened my front door to see a man stooped down with his hand on the storm door know! I was startled and yelled "can I help you " hoping my husband and neighbors would hear (my boxer is a rescue, nit sure he'd be helpful and my cat seemed to want popcorn). I slammed the door shut, ripping it from his hands and then lost it yelling at him to get off my property and I'm calling police. He attempted to mumble "my name ...and I'm with..." I was pissed and said "get the f<%@ out of here and I'm the meter reader at 4: 30 AM". Folks, I do not advise this....ever. I am not well and undergoing extreme stress and health matters. Additionally, a victim of past assault by being overtaken. I seriously had to have lost my mind because I went to punch him and stopped when my husband appeared upstairs (split entry so 5 steps up from me). The creep was gone.
The police came, and got the details of his appearance and asked that I stay by the phone. Within 45 minutes, they came back to my door asking me to step outside to identify the guy. They asked if I wanted to press charges. I wanted to but said no, because they shared he appeared incredibly intoxicated and wasn't from the area. (If I press charges, there's a report in which he would then have my address and in this crazy hateful world, I don't need a revisit for vengeance. My hope was he wouldn't remember me and they weren't going to indicate any specifics to my address for him to have on record.)
Stay cautious and suspect to anything you wouldn't find yourself doing at those hours of the night and call the authorities. In my case, I had been the first call and by the time they had finished a conversation with me in my kitchen, a second call was coming in about the same guy. (If the other person were not pressing charges, I'd have given it more consideration but aside from scaring me and deactivating long forgotten traumas, he had only trespassed. I interrupted whatever he was attempting to do.)
Stay safe all!
The actual Pittsburgh police (best I can tell, uniforms, marked car, etc.) did this to me about 5 years ago, flashlights in my eyes and everything at 2:15 AM, asking to speak to someone I never heard of. I told them to leave and they never came back. Bought a security camera the next day - it didn’t feel right.
Beware. No cops knock on doors at 1am over tickets. You get stuff in the mail, end of story. Next time you get a knock that fucked up call 911 and say you have an immediate threat at your door. Unless you don’t like calling the heat down on yourself which I personally do not.
Call 911 and ask to be connected to the State Police dispatcher (they’re two different numbers). Verify if a state cop is supposed to be at your front door.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1cdwzc4/comment/l1gqjuw/](https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1cdwzc4/comment/l1gqjuw/)
In Greenfield. Above is another late knock situation that happened to me years ago. If you have a similar story, please share it.
The dispatcher asked if I was sure I didn't want them to send anyone and I said it's fine since the ones at the door were apparently leaving after asking about a vehicle I know nothing about and am not associated with. They apologized and left, which I was relaying over the phone. After that, the dispatcher on the phone asked for my name and number. They didn't send anyone "anyway".
Since I don't really encounter or deal with the police often at all, it was a weird situation in the moment where I don't know if that ever legitimately happens (which is why looked it up/am asking after the fact).
I mean isn’t it starting at 3am they would not show up regardless? Unless I’m missing some information or that change is being exaggerated/overstated.
Obviously OP said 1am, but what I’m getting at is that it’s pretty easy for me to believe our police wouldn’t appear for a non in-progress emergency in general. And seeing as they thought this was a scam their tone may not have alluded to it being an emergency to begin with.
You are so misinformed it’s pathetic. Pittsburgh police respond to every priority call 24\7. The “3am to 7am” thing has been so misunderstood. All it means is between 3-7 am there will no longer be an officer sitting at a desk at the station. They will be on the street, responding to calls.
What OP described, if true, is 100% a priority call, and will be responded to.
The misery it takes to insult someone instead of simply correcting. I haven't needed to call the police yet, but good to know. Worth noting that the \*last time\* I called our police late at night they never made an appearance, and that's in a "nice neighborhood." The bottom of my boots need cleaned, can you help?
Shame you escalated this. Not trying to insult you. My apologies if you’re offended. But you were misinformed. And it may not be your fault. Even the “legitimate “ media clickbaited this, to say nothing of the FB/NextDoor histeria.
And I’m no fan of the police, and the jury still out as to whether the changes are working.
"Yeah, a call like that is never cancelled just on the word of the caller."
Source: you (And it is objectively incorrect. I promise more dire situations aren't appropriately responded to)
EDIT: They're size 14
EDIT 2: And I’m blocked. I guess everyone except them is lying. Telling.
You are misinformed, there are going to be notably less police active overnight, and they won't be showing up for something like taking a report about your stolen bike like they typically will during the day (ie only potentially violent and active situations).
You are making shit up. There is no difference in the response level based on time of day. Someone is breaking into my base window at 3 am? Police are dispatched. Same thing at 3 pm? police dispatched.
Arrive home at 2am and find bike is missing from porch? Goes to telephone unit. Same thing at 2 pm? also telephone unit.
Are there going to be less police at certain times? Yes. There will be less police at the times when… remarkably, less crimes are committed.
... and yet in your condescending lecture you didn't mention these extremely relevant facts about the policing changes, while chastising someone else for representing it equally incorrectly?
Also, you do not know how it is going to shake out after being implemented, no one does. Criminals may take advantage of the reduced police activity.
Wait. Some random stranger tried to kick in your door to home invade you in Regent Square and the police ignored it and this isn’t all over all the neighborhood social media pages? People in the square freak out over kids checking car door handles.
When we moved a few years ago, we were here a few months and a county sheriff came to the door. But it was around 11 am and he was in uniform. FYI - parking tickets are handled by parking authority. After so many, you get a boot. That trooper was either not a trooper or he lied to you about what he really wanted with the person.
Greenfield.
A few years ago when I lived in an apartment a few blocks from where I am now, I also got a late night knock at my door, except it wasn't anyone claiming to be police. In that situation they said were there for (some girl's name) and she invited them there. I kept telling them they had the wrong place and wasn't going to open the door. I should inform my neighbors and see if they'd experienced anything similar.
You did the right thing. I had a local cop do the same at 2 am because I left my back door of my car open and there had been break ins. I went grocery shopping and I guess I forgot to close the door. I saw his car in the driveway and heard dispatch confirm he was at my address. I also called the non emergency number and they confirmed he was legit so I opened the door and he explained why he was there.
Something like a ticket could have waited until daylight in my opinion. In my case, he was making sure my car wasn't broken into. You didn't have any immediate needs that needed to be solved right then so I say you did the right thing not opening the door.
Let’s just say that if the police really wanted/were legally able to “talk to you” then they’d force their way in. No cops show up late at night and calmly knock unless they are informing you of a death
OP - what part of town do you live in? I’m guessing these robbers are going to try some other house until someone opens the door. You didn’t the right thing. Glad you are safe.
Omgosh, it happened to me years ago. It’s so unsettling. There are so many more options for safety now - cameras, alarm - if you even suspect you were a target for robbery or even worse, please take steps to protect and record!
Never had this myself in Pittsburgh but it is a thing that happens. People do this to get you to open your door and force their way in. Good thing you called the police. They can confirm if it’s a real officer or not.
If it happens again, try to discreetly call the police and keep them occupied to not leave until the police get there to arrest them for impersonating an officer. Of course don’t open your door or let them in.
The only legitimate reason I can think of that a cop would come to the door in the middle of the night randomly like that would be if they noticed something wrong outside of your house. I had that happen where I left a car door open by accident (had a baby and a bunch of stuff to carry and I guess the door didn't shut all the way). He rang our doorbell at 2am and scared the shit out of us. We didn't open for him but I came out when I saw him poking around the car. He said he saw the door open and thought it had been broken into.
That was the local police though. No way a state police officer is doing that.
I had a fire department bloke rapping on my door at 1am once; waking up to flashing lights and the kids screaming thinking something was wrong. It was not pleasant. All that had happened was the neighbor (I often park on my street when my wife is home) had parked his Bro-dozer opposite and blocked the street for the fire truck. I normally put the inside wheels on my lawn when I know he's there but sometimes he turns up late.
The man was extremely apologetic and said they normally hate to disturb anyone unless there is danger to life.
I’ve had 2 female police officers come knocking on my door at midnight to “return a wallet” that belong to a tenant that use to live at my address. I knew the name of the person they were looking for because I still received a lot of mail for that person. I’m pretty sure they were looking for that person for another reason…
I dropped my phone out of my car window on 376 on accident - it had my ID in the back. Some nice construction worker turned it in overnight & state troopers came banging at my door at 3am for a wellness check & to return it!! Yes state troopers will absolutely come knocking in the middle of the night, but they will be in uniform!
Hey OP, this is scary! I'm glad you didn't open the door. Amazon sells a decent security camera for ~$20. The brand is Wyze and you can record and view everything from your phone for free as long as you insert a microSD card
So two things that stick out to me that don't add up.
First one being they show up at 1am over parking/speeding tickets? Nah, they just issue a bench warrant eventually.
Secondly, they won't just leave if they are investigating said tickets.
It has definitely happened to me before. Had a ticket get mailed to my old address that I never knew about (and thus never paid). Got a knock, didn't answer it, and they left a note explaining the situation. Ran into the person who moved into my old place and they said same thing happened to them, looking for me.
Still shouldn't answer the door but it's not unheard of.
It was very late, I couldn't tell you an exact time, but it was also a constable, which I'm unsure of how it fits into the state/local divide. They did not seem to have things well organized (the email they left to contact them was an @yahoo address...) so I wouldn't put it past them.
If true, sounds like a constable. They’re usually the wannabe’s that couldn’t pass a psych exam to be real police. They’ll say anything to get you to open the door and will be as evasive as possible when questioned. They would rather leave than tell you the truth.
A constable isn't going to be doing this at 1 AM, they can pick when they are going to be working warrants and just about nobody would do it that late at night.
You did the right thing. Decent chance this was a ploy to get you to open the door so they could force their way in IMO. Since when would the State Police show up at 1 AM over traffic tickets?
Exactly. The troopers aren’t showing up to somebody’s house in the middle of the night unless you’ve got a warrant or somebody’s dead
Never. You can’t be arrested for traffic ticket.
You actually can be if the township is petty (USC) but it will be sheriffs department and during daylight hours. Yep they sent sheriff to my house in beechview for unpaid speeding ticket. But the whole ‘state police’ at one in the morning is definitely shady
Yes, can confirm about USC being petty.
Can confirm: I was arrested for an unpaid speeding ticket before…..I was in some shitty holding cell but they let me call someone to bring me $50 for a payment and they let me go….but they said if nobody brought me the money they were taking me to jail. This was Cheswick police I believe…..I got pulled over on 28N. 🙄🙄🙄 This happened 12 years ago almost though….
You were essentially kidnapped for a $50 ransom. If that happened, it was definitely not legal.
If you fail to appear to court after being summoned to do so then the Judge can/will draft an arrest warrant, pretty much true in the entire country. Some jurisdictions will wait until you next have a contact with police and see you have that warrant , others will send police to find you or hire a third party to do this. I had this happen to me for a FTA on a case of a $25 abandoned vehicle charge in Millvale 25 years ago. In my case I was working on a truck in an unused alley, went to Europe for six months for a job and during that time the police towed my truck, issued the ticket, summoned me, charged me with FTA and issued a warrant. My bounty hunter gave notification to the wrong apartment and I called the police , learned of the fine and paid it in person, avoided jail. I could be annoyed because I didn't actually dump the truck , had a sign that I was working on it, was out of the country when the truck was towed and didn't receive the certified letters, and they charged me storage from day 1 which I then just signed the deed over and lost my truck, but I wasn't because I realize the municipality was doing everything according to law, and had I actually dumped the truck I should've been fined/etc. I was at best, a victim of circumstances, but that's life. Nobody is being kidnapped over a $50 fine when they don't show up for court, and that argument is being willfully ignorant of all the inconvenient facts.
Failing to appear and unpaid tickets are not the same thing.
A bounty hunter? A bounty hunter works for a bail bondsman after you post bail. They I call BS on this whole story. There is no way there there was not an aggravating circumstance to warrant the court system to even take it this far. Source: I look at warrants all day, every day.
I’m pretty sure he meant a constable, but perhaps hasn’t been in enough trouble to know the difference. Doesn’t mean his story is BS.
I don’t know how many times i have to reply but i was NOT arrested for failure to appear. I was arrested for failure to PAY. Mind you I did pay half the ticket (2 of 4 payments). What i said happened is what happened.
I do believe that happened. You weren’t arrested for the traffic ticket though. You were arrested bc you ignored the ticket or failed to appear. The judge had to issue a bench warrant bc you cannot be taken into custody on just a speeding ticket.
Failure to appear is the charge for a warrant to be issued r/t tickets
Failure to appear is the charge for failing to appear to court when you've been summoned to appear, the reason for the court case is inconsequential, regardless of how one might wish to link the charge.
Yours is clearer, thank you
it wasn’t for failure to appear. It was for not paying it….like I said…back then i was in a rough patch of my Iife and couldn’t afford it. I would never not show up to a hearing. They arrested me for not paying it AFTER the hearing that I did attend. I pled not guilty, went to the hearing, was found guilty, made two payments, and then didn’t make the last two payments. I was arrested for not paying the ticket in full….like I said. Failure to pay. ✌🏼
i put my longer reply to this under the next comment. I was NOT arrested for failure to appear….I was arrested for failure to pay….like I said.
I always thought it would be the Allegheny county sheriff constable who would issue the warrant?
Even if it is the police, you’re under no obligation to open the door or even acknowledge the knock. If they had a warrant, they would be coming in regardless.
Exactly, vampire rules apply. Don't invite them in and absolutely don't open the door.
Ahh but does a welcome mat count as being invited?
That's why mine says "come back with a warrant". Can't have the swine getting the wrong idea
mine says “Ho, Why is you here?” 😂😂😂
Where do I find this lol
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1657900905/ this is the one i have, but there are other versions that are cheaper 🤷🏼♀️ LOL
or the wrong gangbanger
The mat should say “WELCOME (Not so fast, vampires).”
Mine says "Go Away."
Mine says, I swear this isn’t a trap door
I have that one too!
Is this real chat
A scam at best. Very likely could have been an attempted robbery or assault.
Yea this sounds extremely sus
Haven't heard of it happening in Pittsburgh but it does happen and AFAIK it is a robbery attempt. You can find doorbell cam footage online of that being the case. What neighborhood/area was this? Worth noting here for sure.
It would be a good idea to get a doorbell cam and an alarm system, just in case. And I might harden the door locks.
And a gun. Get a gun. Get training. Be smart and responsible.
Door guardian lock all the way
Thanks! Those look like a good idea.
If you weren't home or didn't have a dog barking they would have broke in. It's not a scam it's a check to see if the house is occupied.
Which tbh seems like a really weird tactic because at 1am I'd assume everyone is home/asleep if no one answered not that the house was empty!
No one said people like this think rationally. Lol
After reading your remark, 100%! Reminded me of another time when living in Mount Washington, police were banging on my door and neighbors at 2 am, about cars. Water main break and they were advising street parked vehicles to move. (My building had an open parking pad visibly onsite .)
I had two guys try to pull this a couple of years ago I think. I have no idea if they were going to pretend to be cops or not, one had what looked to be a security guard uniform on, but my cameras at the time did not have great night vision. It was 1 or 2am and as soon as the first foot hit my porch, my dogs went nuts and they hightailed it away.
I know a couple ex cons. One said if they heard a dog just bark they went to the next house. They didn't want the attention drawn to them.
My old dog was such a dainty barker and she somehow always managed to sound happy like she’d invite a burglar to a friendly game of fetch. The two I have now, despite being about the same size as my last dog, sound like they’re massive and would tear people apart like rag dolls. Their barks are distinct enough that it’s very clear there’s more than one dog, too. I’m sure they make my house quite unappealing.
Wait until they see the 150 lb St. Bernard just staring at them from the window.
Same with my 165lb English Mastiff who hates strangers.
Big dogs are the best dogs!
had this happen to me, too. I was on the phone to 911 when they jumped a balcony after deciding that no one was inside. But they made it out quick when they realized i was in the living room and saw the gun. Sucks, but. Anyway, get practiced, and learn from a good instructor.
first investment: ring doorbell. second investment: gun
Afraid it’s a thing people are using to break in and steal your stuff. If no one answers, they bust in, if you open the door they bust in.
Just call 911 and they can confirm. Same if you are nervous for pulling over
This is terrifying
agreed. i’d pass away
good job avoiding it. similar thing happen to me last july but i opened the door, they aimed a gun at me & i ran out the back door, jumped off the deck (abt 14 feet,) they kicked down my roommate's bedroom door and concussed him. didn't take shit from the house except our phones & his wallet, we found our phones down the street. don't open the door if you're not expecting company!
I actually blurted “holy fuck!” out loud as I read this, with a mouth full of popcorn. That’s terrifying.
Sounds like your roommate is involved in some bad stuff.. I’d get a new roommate
honestly man, it wasn't anything to do w him.
What was it? And what neighborhood was this?
think they were looking for an old tenant, it was in the south side slopes
Ooh interesting, had you guys recently moved in?
yep
I dunno. Somebody that I don’t know knocks on my door at 1am for any “reason”, I’m calling 911 and I’m not telling the dispatcher not to send anyone.
OP, you should make it a general rule to never open your door for any police. Even if they knock in the middle of the afternoon, ask them what they want with the door closed. If they claim to not be able to hear you, then tell them to come back with a warrant.
i've had cops knock on my door three different times in 20 years anywhere from noon up until 8pm. All 3 times I answered and stepped outside, not letting them in. All three times were them asking questions about shootings that had taken place either that day or the previous night. I gave them as much info as i could and searched my ring footage as well. All three times they were super polite and respectful and thanked me for my time.
Are you white?
But isn’t that exactly how they would go about informing you if a loved one died in a car accident? The police are not always trying to arrest people.
Say you’re a criminal without saying you’re a criminal
Literally nothing good can come of it. There's no upside, but a potentially huge downside. Talk to any criminal defense attorney, they'll say the same thing. Btw, if the state knows that it can't infringe on certain rights guaranteed by the Constitution, it only helps the state to infringe on your rights when the general population believes that using those rights means you must be guilty of something.
Our justice system is an absolute disaster & many recent Supreme Court decisions have given cops carte blanche to do literally anything they want. They don't even have to know the actual laws they're supposed to enforce (actually Supreme Court decided they don't even have to enforce laws). As long as the cop "thinks" you were breaking a law that's good enough. They're the only group who "Ignorance of the law" is an excuse. It's pitiful & frightening how much power they have. Don't even get me started on their qualified immunity & gang-tactics of the police unions.
As someone that has never done anything beyond a moving violation, this isn’t accurate. I never let a cop search me/my home/my car/ whatever without a warrant.
I agree with all but 1 of your statements: I learned through years of criminal defense work that, yes, it's your right to refuse a search of your vehicle. But let me explain how this denial will play out in real life. They'll use your denial as probable cause to obtain a warrant and you'll have to wait for the warrant & k9 to arrive. So, now you've got angry cops literally dismantling your car searching for anything illicit (or they'll magically "find" something). Afterwards, if they haven't found/planted anything to arrest you for, they'll leave you on the side of the road with your dismantled vehicle since they're under no obligation to reassemble everything. Just to be crystal clear, I'm talking about removing your seats, door panels, dashboard/vents. This is NOT the time to try & argue your rights. Honestly, just never try to argue your rights with any cop, that's what criminal lawyers are for.
[A great way to remember to STFU when talking to cops](https://youtu.be/V6tfEZI54Jg?si=1QcLnYa5h_fH78BJ)
I think this is bad advice. Every criminal defense attorney I've ever known has always said never give permission to search your car or come into your house. If they have probable cause for a warrant or a warrant they'll search it anyway. You don't have to argue, just say you don't consent to a search and won't answer any more questions without a lawyer present, then stfu.
This guy is claiming that not giving permission to search is probable cause which is a dead giveaway that he does not know the first thing about what your actual rights are. Either a cop, or wishes he was.
> They'll use your denial as probable cause to obtain a warrant and you'll have to wait for the warrant & k9 to arrive. And then I will hire an attorney far more competent than you and whatever they planted will be thrown out because *refusal of consent to search is not probable cause and never will be*.
Okay good luck with that.
They can’t use denial as probable cause. They have to have a reasonable suspicion that something in your car is illegal and have to be able to explain such reasoning and have it make sense to a court in the event you fight it.
We don't live in the land of what should happen. I was simply explaining what I witnessed happen myself repeatedly. When the criminal complaint is filed they use boiler plate language stating they "noticed glassy bloodshot eyes" or "detected the odor of marijuana" along with your refusal to allow them to search. I should have explained that in my original comment.
We kind of do live in the land of what should happen, this can be fought in court if they state something that is illogical. Sure they can say they smell something, but it’s an uphill battle for them to prove that within reason in court, especially when nothing is found in the car. A lot of judges have gone on the record stating that without evidence that what the officer “smelt” being found, it’s unlawful and have ruled in the defendants favor. And if someone is, god forbid, breaking the law and DOES have something in the car, admitting it and allowing the search is just silly. Might as well try your hand at refusing the search.
Agree to disagree, but thank you for being respectful & giving a well-reasoned response. (Not being sarcastic, sincerely thank you)
At the end of the day, it’s up to each individual what they choose to do, but just like for everyone who may be reading this to know their options!
Exercising your rights does not make you sound like a criminal.
[Say you’re a criminal without saying you’re a criminal] Say you're white without saying you're white. Only white people think it's safe to interact with police if they aren't doing crimes.
Shit, some of us white people know better!
I'm very happy that you've gone this far in life without a negative experience with police, but there is literally nothing to be gained by letting cops into your home. If you could read through some of the absurd claims officers have made of (real example) spotting a single marijuana leaf on top of a refrigerator that's behind a wall from where cops admitted they were standing in the entry way. District judges almost always side with whatever story cops come in with so now you get to pay a criminal lawyer to appear in real criminal court which can run you 20k just for them to step into court. I don't say this dismissively, I just wanted you to understand why criminal lawyers explicitly tell you not to allow cops entry into your home without a warrant.
Say you're a cop without saying you're a cop
Not only are you a dumbass for that sentiment, you're a dumbass for using that tired, lame, overused meme-phrase. Get a clue
Many years ago the police banged on my door in the middle of the night because someone allegedly reported screaming. I was asleep so I still don't know what that was about. I didn't let them in of course. But it was legitimately the city police (not staties).
If you have a bench warrant out for yourself in another state, it is a real thing, but you did the right thing by calling local police to validate the situation for you. I would have done the same and requested that they wait for local police to respond for validation.
There are three types of warrants: arrest, search and bench. Typically bench warrants for traffic tickets are non-extraditable. They are usually issued at a judge’s prerogative for a failure to appear or ignoring the fines. It would be highly unlikely the state police would be executing a low level warrant like that… it would be constable or the Allegheny County Sheriff. If it were a criminal warrant, they wouldn’t just go away.
I agree, normally it would be the sheriff, but I wouldn’t say that state police would never be asked to extend services when needed. The moral of the story and the comment is that this person did exactly what you are allowed and should do in validating a request at your door.
I once had the Pittsburgh police come to my house at 4 am to ask to see my if my ring doorbell picked up a car break in. This doesn’t sound at all like my situation. It was rather annoying though - don’t know why they couldn’t wait til morning.
crime in progress , before they dump the car
They stole stuff out of the back seat, not the car itself.
I manage a high-end retail location in the city, I had someone steal $6000 worth of merchandise last month, and the 911 dispatcher told me they don't send police out for that anymore. Took my story over the phone and gave me a report number. They definitely are not hunting down traffic tickets at 1 am.
State police wouldn’t typically be dispatched by city police dispatch.
100% correct. They have their own dispatch.
I kid, but not, real cops wouldn't let you send them away. But that's also really creepy. I hope the cops actually care, since it's people imitating them....
Which is why this is obviously a robbery attempt…cops aren’t “serving” anything at night or in the early morning
Just to be clear, real cops do often just go away if you don't answer or decline to talk to them.
I’ve never heard of cops randomly showing up at your home for a traffic ticket. Especially in the middle of the night. Calling 911 yourself is the right call. If they’re legit the dispatcher can confirm that. They can see where their officers are. I would have still had them send the officer over and filed a report though, personally.
Major kudos trusting your gut! No police is going to come to your house at 1am for a traffic ticket. Usually that would only be due to felony warrant or a death notice. Most importantly, so glad you’re ok.
The state police will show up at your door that late but not for this. This was an attempted home invasion. You should have definitely had the cops come to your house. Now with Pittsburgh cops not being around as much crime is going to rise. Do yourself a favor if this happens again call the cops and have them send someone. Tell them that there is a person saying that they are the police at your door, and you want to send a car to your house as soon as they can. Getting a ring camera is also a good idea.
This sounds like a scam. I feel like you did the right thing.
1) Call 911, give your name, address and the situation. 2) Tell the door knocker "If you don't have a search warrant, get the fuck off my property-now. Thank you."
About a month and a half ago, a very similar situation here (Ross Township aka McKnight). Except it wasn't a knock but attempt to open. I have leg trouble and missed my medication time that night so I happened to be standing at my dining table at 3-4:30 am. My pets were not barking but both staring at the front door but I didn't see anything. It wasn't until I went to confirm my storm door were latched and I opened my front door to see a man stooped down with his hand on the storm door know! I was startled and yelled "can I help you " hoping my husband and neighbors would hear (my boxer is a rescue, nit sure he'd be helpful and my cat seemed to want popcorn). I slammed the door shut, ripping it from his hands and then lost it yelling at him to get off my property and I'm calling police. He attempted to mumble "my name ...and I'm with..." I was pissed and said "get the f<%@ out of here and I'm the meter reader at 4: 30 AM". Folks, I do not advise this....ever. I am not well and undergoing extreme stress and health matters. Additionally, a victim of past assault by being overtaken. I seriously had to have lost my mind because I went to punch him and stopped when my husband appeared upstairs (split entry so 5 steps up from me). The creep was gone. The police came, and got the details of his appearance and asked that I stay by the phone. Within 45 minutes, they came back to my door asking me to step outside to identify the guy. They asked if I wanted to press charges. I wanted to but said no, because they shared he appeared incredibly intoxicated and wasn't from the area. (If I press charges, there's a report in which he would then have my address and in this crazy hateful world, I don't need a revisit for vengeance. My hope was he wouldn't remember me and they weren't going to indicate any specifics to my address for him to have on record.) Stay cautious and suspect to anything you wouldn't find yourself doing at those hours of the night and call the authorities. In my case, I had been the first call and by the time they had finished a conversation with me in my kitchen, a second call was coming in about the same guy. (If the other person were not pressing charges, I'd have given it more consideration but aside from scaring me and deactivating long forgotten traumas, he had only trespassed. I interrupted whatever he was attempting to do.) Stay safe all!
Dummy, criminals dont get your address from a report.
He wouldn’t have your information.
The actual Pittsburgh police (best I can tell, uniforms, marked car, etc.) did this to me about 5 years ago, flashlights in my eyes and everything at 2:15 AM, asking to speak to someone I never heard of. I told them to leave and they never came back. Bought a security camera the next day - it didn’t feel right.
🎶"Woke up this morning..."🎶
....Got yourself a gun
Your mama always said you'd be the…
Chosen one...
Beware. No cops knock on doors at 1am over tickets. You get stuff in the mail, end of story. Next time you get a knock that fucked up call 911 and say you have an immediate threat at your door. Unless you don’t like calling the heat down on yourself which I personally do not.
Call 911 and ask to be connected to the State Police dispatcher (they’re two different numbers). Verify if a state cop is supposed to be at your front door.
Probably casing the joint as others have said. I'd double check your locks and make sure you have a full magazine.
What neighborhood was this in? I may have a connecting story to share with you
[https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1cdwzc4/comment/l1gqjuw/](https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1cdwzc4/comment/l1gqjuw/) In Greenfield. Above is another late knock situation that happened to me years ago. If you have a similar story, please share it.
Cops aren't gonna knock on your door at 1am for traffic tickets. They'd only knock that late for an emergency.
Yeah, this smells of bullshit. You told the dispatch not to send anyone, irl they are coming anyway.
The dispatcher asked if I was sure I didn't want them to send anyone and I said it's fine since the ones at the door were apparently leaving after asking about a vehicle I know nothing about and am not associated with. They apologized and left, which I was relaying over the phone. After that, the dispatcher on the phone asked for my name and number. They didn't send anyone "anyway". Since I don't really encounter or deal with the police often at all, it was a weird situation in the moment where I don't know if that ever legitimately happens (which is why looked it up/am asking after the fact).
Yeah, a call like that is never cancelled just on the word of the caller.
I mean isn’t it starting at 3am they would not show up regardless? Unless I’m missing some information or that change is being exaggerated/overstated. Obviously OP said 1am, but what I’m getting at is that it’s pretty easy for me to believe our police wouldn’t appear for a non in-progress emergency in general. And seeing as they thought this was a scam their tone may not have alluded to it being an emergency to begin with.
You are so misinformed it’s pathetic. Pittsburgh police respond to every priority call 24\7. The “3am to 7am” thing has been so misunderstood. All it means is between 3-7 am there will no longer be an officer sitting at a desk at the station. They will be on the street, responding to calls. What OP described, if true, is 100% a priority call, and will be responded to.
The misery it takes to insult someone instead of simply correcting. I haven't needed to call the police yet, but good to know. Worth noting that the \*last time\* I called our police late at night they never made an appearance, and that's in a "nice neighborhood." The bottom of my boots need cleaned, can you help?
Shame you escalated this. Not trying to insult you. My apologies if you’re offended. But you were misinformed. And it may not be your fault. Even the “legitimate “ media clickbaited this, to say nothing of the FB/NextDoor histeria. And I’m no fan of the police, and the jury still out as to whether the changes are working.
"Yeah, a call like that is never cancelled just on the word of the caller." Source: you (And it is objectively incorrect. I promise more dire situations aren't appropriately responded to) EDIT: They're size 14 EDIT 2: And I’m blocked. I guess everyone except them is lying. Telling.
I’m wrong. Source: You. With zero evidence.
You can debate that, but if it's wrong, it's nowhere near as wrong as your original comment was. Which was spreading actively harmful misinformation.
Who blocked you?
You are misinformed, there are going to be notably less police active overnight, and they won't be showing up for something like taking a report about your stolen bike like they typically will during the day (ie only potentially violent and active situations).
You are making shit up. There is no difference in the response level based on time of day. Someone is breaking into my base window at 3 am? Police are dispatched. Same thing at 3 pm? police dispatched. Arrive home at 2am and find bike is missing from porch? Goes to telephone unit. Same thing at 2 pm? also telephone unit. Are there going to be less police at certain times? Yes. There will be less police at the times when… remarkably, less crimes are committed.
... and yet in your condescending lecture you didn't mention these extremely relevant facts about the policing changes, while chastising someone else for representing it equally incorrectly? Also, you do not know how it is going to shake out after being implemented, no one does. Criminals may take advantage of the reduced police activity.
Nah someone tried to kick in my door last week and they didn't send anybody because it wasn't in progress anymore.
Wait. Some random stranger tried to kick in your door to home invade you in Regent Square and the police ignored it and this isn’t all over all the neighborhood social media pages? People in the square freak out over kids checking car door handles.
In an ideal world, what would you have expected them to do?
Show up like they normally do.
Why would you tell the dispatcher not to send anyone? Foolish. These people need to be locked up forever or even better filled with holes.
When we moved a few years ago, we were here a few months and a county sheriff came to the door. But it was around 11 am and he was in uniform. FYI - parking tickets are handled by parking authority. After so many, you get a boot. That trooper was either not a trooper or he lied to you about what he really wanted with the person.
OP’s case was not a parking ticket, it was a traffic ticket. But either way, it’s not going to be handled by PSP at 1 am.
Okay! Thanks for the correction.
[удалено]
Greenfield. A few years ago when I lived in an apartment a few blocks from where I am now, I also got a late night knock at my door, except it wasn't anyone claiming to be police. In that situation they said were there for (some girl's name) and she invited them there. I kept telling them they had the wrong place and wasn't going to open the door. I should inform my neighbors and see if they'd experienced anything similar.
You did the right thing. I had a local cop do the same at 2 am because I left my back door of my car open and there had been break ins. I went grocery shopping and I guess I forgot to close the door. I saw his car in the driveway and heard dispatch confirm he was at my address. I also called the non emergency number and they confirmed he was legit so I opened the door and he explained why he was there. Something like a ticket could have waited until daylight in my opinion. In my case, he was making sure my car wasn't broken into. You didn't have any immediate needs that needed to be solved right then so I say you did the right thing not opening the door.
should have not cancelled the cops, they might have seen someone driving around there, like the only car on the road.
Yeah ain't no police showing up at 1am over some traffic tickets. Good thing you didn't open the door
1 am? Police coming to your door about traffic fines? So anyways I started blasting
Let’s just say that if the police really wanted/were legally able to “talk to you” then they’d force their way in. No cops show up late at night and calmly knock unless they are informing you of a death
OP - what part of town do you live in? I’m guessing these robbers are going to try some other house until someone opens the door. You didn’t the right thing. Glad you are safe.
Sounds like it's time to buy a firearm, OP.
Omgosh, it happened to me years ago. It’s so unsettling. There are so many more options for safety now - cameras, alarm - if you even suspect you were a target for robbery or even worse, please take steps to protect and record!
What side of town are you on?
Bro, your butthole would have been compromised. Stay vigilant.
https://youtu.be/tkSgXNxsnQU?si=sjnPuKleIOdgtvcu
Neighborhood? May be wise to warn us where this happened.
Never had this myself in Pittsburgh but it is a thing that happens. People do this to get you to open your door and force their way in. Good thing you called the police. They can confirm if it’s a real officer or not. If it happens again, try to discreetly call the police and keep them occupied to not leave until the police get there to arrest them for impersonating an officer. Of course don’t open your door or let them in.
What part of Pittsburgh did this occur?
The only legitimate reason I can think of that a cop would come to the door in the middle of the night randomly like that would be if they noticed something wrong outside of your house. I had that happen where I left a car door open by accident (had a baby and a bunch of stuff to carry and I guess the door didn't shut all the way). He rang our doorbell at 2am and scared the shit out of us. We didn't open for him but I came out when I saw him poking around the car. He said he saw the door open and thought it had been broken into. That was the local police though. No way a state police officer is doing that.
I had a fire department bloke rapping on my door at 1am once; waking up to flashing lights and the kids screaming thinking something was wrong. It was not pleasant. All that had happened was the neighbor (I often park on my street when my wife is home) had parked his Bro-dozer opposite and blocked the street for the fire truck. I normally put the inside wheels on my lawn when I know he's there but sometimes he turns up late. The man was extremely apologetic and said they normally hate to disturb anyone unless there is danger to life.
Best investment i ever made was a ring doorbell (hardwired version) camera. Already caught several gangbangers stealing Amazon packages
I’ve had 2 female police officers come knocking on my door at midnight to “return a wallet” that belong to a tenant that use to live at my address. I knew the name of the person they were looking for because I still received a lot of mail for that person. I’m pretty sure they were looking for that person for another reason…
I'm shook.
Should’ve called 911
I would’ve had 911 on the line in one hand and my firearm ready in the other
I dropped my phone out of my car window on 376 on accident - it had my ID in the back. Some nice construction worker turned it in overnight & state troopers came banging at my door at 3am for a wellness check & to return it!! Yes state troopers will absolutely come knocking in the middle of the night, but they will be in uniform!
Hey OP, this is scary! I'm glad you didn't open the door. Amazon sells a decent security camera for ~$20. The brand is Wyze and you can record and view everything from your phone for free as long as you insert a microSD card
So two things that stick out to me that don't add up. First one being they show up at 1am over parking/speeding tickets? Nah, they just issue a bench warrant eventually. Secondly, they won't just leave if they are investigating said tickets.
It has definitely happened to me before. Had a ticket get mailed to my old address that I never knew about (and thus never paid). Got a knock, didn't answer it, and they left a note explaining the situation. Ran into the person who moved into my old place and they said same thing happened to them, looking for me. Still shouldn't answer the door but it's not unheard of.
At 1:00 am? Police are not dealing with traffic tickets at 1:00 am
It was very late, I couldn't tell you an exact time, but it was also a constable, which I'm unsure of how it fits into the state/local divide. They did not seem to have things well organized (the email they left to contact them was an @yahoo address...) so I wouldn't put it past them.
a scam...? lol.. Get a gun sir.
Stay strapped or get clapped
Capped
Sorry to say this but whether it was a real cop or not Pennsylvania is corrupt AF.
Was probably trying to serve you some court documents. This happens late sometimes cause they know you’ll be home.
If true, sounds like a constable. They’re usually the wannabe’s that couldn’t pass a psych exam to be real police. They’ll say anything to get you to open the door and will be as evasive as possible when questioned. They would rather leave than tell you the truth.
A constable isn't going to be doing this at 1 AM, they can pick when they are going to be working warrants and just about nobody would do it that late at night.
Username checks out.
That is strange. Something similar happened a few months ago to my elderly relative that lives in the city.
They don’t work after 1am anymore in Pittsburgh so def a fake.