Serious LEO question for those in or familiar with law enforcement.

[PredFan]

Settle a debate please.

If say, a murder has occurred and the police have no leads, is it common practice to question everyone in the area with a history of felony offenses?

 

[ClosedCaption]

No

 

[Iceweasel]

I'm not a LEO but belonged to a forum for over 10 years, the answer I'm sure is it depends. Felonies for what? Any? You're talking about detectives, not just LEOs. Most of them have answered similar questions by saying don't say shit without a lawyer.

 

[toobfreak]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway! It was a murder! Did you SEE anything?! Did you HEAR anything!? Do you KNOW anything?! It isn't until after that they can decide if they have no leads.

If a person in the area has something suspicious on him, behavior, previous murder pattern or history, familiarity with the deceased, previous problems with the person dead like fights, etc., some stand-out connection, then sure, he is a logical person of interest to be followed up with possible further questions. Felony offense alone is not grounds, but if you are convicted felon AND have some untoward connection to the deceased, they might very well decide to ask you further questions.

They don't assumed the guilty party is going to volunteer to step forward, usually they have to dig a little bit, look for leads.

 

[ClosedCaption]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway!

That is a very different answer than the question that was asked. He's not saying people standing around...he's saying specifically to find people in the area who have felonies then target them for questioning for no other reason than they've committed a crime sometime ever.

You cant do that

 

[toobfreak]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway!

That is a very different answer than the question that was asked. He's not saying people standing around...he's saying specifically to find people in the area who have felonies then target them for questioning for no other reason than they've committed a crime sometime ever.

You cant do that

Think again. If there is a child molestation and you live in the area and have a previous history of child sex crimes, they WILL know about you and you will be questioned. If a murder occurs and you live in the area or are known to be in the area and have a previous record of felonious behavior AND there is a connection between you two, some pattern, some history, some coincidence, that needs to be resolved to either RULE YOU OUT for further suspicion or to resolve some avenue of investigation, you will be sought out, not just to see if you are connected to the crime, but also to ABSOLVE you of any connection to it.

So, yes and no, my answer is conditional------ they can't seek you out just because you have a felony but they WILL seek you out if your history makes you stand out above others, and a felony is a definite attention getting for having a look at you. They won't question you just because of the previous felony, but the felony will lead them to looking closer at you than others with no backgrounds and if they find something that demands investigation or ruling out, THEN they will question you. Why, does the OP have a felony?

 

[ClosedCaption]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway!

That is a very different answer than the question that was asked. He's not saying people standing around...he's saying specifically to find people in the area who have felonies then target them for questioning for no other reason than they've committed a crime sometime ever.

You cant do that

Think again. If there is a child molestation and you live in the area and have a previous history of child sex crimes, they WILL know about you and you will be questioned. If a murder occurs and you live in the area or are known to be in the area and have a previous record of felonious behavior AND there is a connection between you two, some pattern, some history, some coincidence, that needs to be resolved to either RULE YOU OUT for further suspicion or to resolve some avenue of investigation, you will be sought out, not just to see if you are connected to the crime, but also to ABSOLVE you of any connection to it.

So, yes and no, my answer is conditional------ they can't seek you out just because you have a felony but they WILL seek you out if your history makes you stand out above others, and a felony is a definite attention getting for having a look at you. They won't question you just because of the previous felony, but the felony will lead them to looking closer at you than others with no backgrounds and if they find something that demands investigation or ruling out, THEN they will question you. Why, does the OP have a felony?

Again, those situations are very different than what the OP is asking.

 

[toobfreak]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway!

That is a very different answer than the question that was asked. He's not saying people standing around...he's saying specifically to find people in the area who have felonies then target them for questioning for no other reason than they've committed a crime sometime ever.

You cant do that

Think again. If there is a child molestation and you live in the area and have a previous history of child sex crimes, they WILL know about you and you will be questioned. If a murder occurs and you live in the area or are known to be in the area and have a previous record of felonious behavior AND there is a connection between you two, some pattern, some history, some coincidence, that needs to be resolved to either RULE YOU OUT for further suspicion or to resolve some avenue of investigation, you will be sought out, not just to see if you are connected to the crime, but also to ABSOLVE you of any connection to it.

So, yes and no, my answer is conditional------ they can't seek you out just because you have a felony but they WILL seek you out if your history makes you stand out above others, and a felony is a definite attention getting for having a look at you. They won't question you just because of the previous felony, but the felony will lead them to looking closer at you than others with no backgrounds and if they find something that demands investigation or ruling out, THEN they will question you. Why, does the OP have a felony?

Again, those situations are very different than what the OP is asking.

Yes, because the OP's question cannot be answered strictly as it is! It is CONDITIONAL. It depends on this or that. I am trying to give him the this or that.

 

[PredFan]

Well, they will question everyone in the area anyway!

That is a very different answer than the question that was asked. He's not saying people standing around...he's saying specifically to find people in the area who have felonies then target them for questioning for no other reason than they've committed a crime sometime ever.

You cant do that

Think again. If there is a child molestation and you live in the area and have a previous history of child sex crimes, they WILL know about you and you will be questioned. If a murder occurs and you live in the area or are known to be in the area and have a previous record of felonious behavior AND there is a connection between you two, some pattern, some history, some coincidence, that needs to be resolved to either RULE YOU OUT for further suspicion or to resolve some avenue of investigation, you will be sought out, not just to see if you are connected to the crime, but also to ABSOLVE you of any connection to it.

So, yes and no, my answer is conditional------ they can't seek you out just because you have a felony but they WILL seek you out if your history makes you stand out above others, and a felony is a definite attention getting for having a look at you. They won't question you just because of the previous felony, but the felony will lead them to looking closer at you than others with no backgrounds and if they find something that demands investigation or ruling out, THEN they will question you. Why, does the OP have a felony?

Again, those situations are very different than what the OP is asking.

It isn't that far off, maybe I didn't word the OP precisely in the way I meant. I think for the purposes of the debate, "no" is the correct answer. For the reason the debate stated in the first place, the conditions that toobfreak mentioned would have made the debate moot.

Thanks everyone.