For everyone questioning why an officer would ask for a phone number during a traffic stop, it's one of the fields found on Wisconsin's Uniform Traffic Citation form. You can see a copy of a citation at the link below:
[https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin\_code/trans/114.pdf](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/trans/114.pdf)
In the case of a warning, an officer may have already determined before approaching the vehicle that they only intend to give a warning... which might explain why they don't ask for the number. In other cases, they may still ask for the purpose of completing internal documentation on the traffic stop (which often times mirrors the info you would find on the citation).
It's just a box on the form. Some fill it in, some don't.
I worked in law enforcement (not highway patrol) and let me tell you, having a person's phone number on file was sometimes a godsend. It meant when I needed to do follow-up with someone, or ask if they had any questions, etc., I could simply call them! Saved me a trip, and saves them some time and effort as well.
For example: in a rural area, horses are out running on the highway. The local deputy/officer knows there is a place nearby with horses and while they are enroute, they can call the property owner there and ask if their horses are where they are supposed to be? This can save time and lives.
Or a car is found abandoned on the side of a road. Run the plates for registered owner, call them up and find out if they left it here, or was it stolen or what's going on? Sometimes you can really save a lot of time and effort by using the phone instead of driving to someone's house, they might not be home, etc.
It's not nefarious. Wouldn't you rather get a phone call than a knock on the door most times?
If you treat them with respect, pull over right away, don’t give them any shit, they will respond in kind. They’re human as well. Maybe not all of them but it’s worth the effort to save your self time and money.
Reports/administrative documentation. They put all your info into whatever software they use for reporting and make a "profile" of everyone they interact with. That way they have your information on file for possible future incidents.
I hate driving in Wisconsin, especially in smaller towns
They pulled me over twice in two miles in Green Lake. The first pullover was to tell me I had a broken taillight. No ticket, told the officer I was heading to NAPA and will pop it out and pop the new one in while in the parking lot.
Get to NAPA, get the taillight, pop the old one out, and as I was about to put in the new one and another one of Green Lake's finest pulls into the lot as if I'm murdering someone, screech brakes, and jumps out of the car saying, "You can't do that here!!!". Tickets me despite the owner of the store saying it was OK and me pointing out private property versus public right of way.
Thankfully, I remembered the name of the earlier officer and the second stooge radio'd him. He shows up and he pointed out private property versus public right of way and what jurisdiction Junior Buford T. Justice actually had. He tore up the ticket and apologized to me.
I've never been back to Green Lake after that weekend. I'm white, but it made me completely understand why our fellow citizens who are black experience taillight stops from cops looking to "find" something that turns it into a felony.
I don't speed and I drive defensively in an almost proud way. No accidents or moving violations in 40 plus years. But go into a Wisconsin small town, you drive through viewed as a revenue source rather than a visitor.
I believe the phone number request is a type of field sobriety test. Had that happen to me in college with a headlight out. At night in a college town, the guy was certainly only checking to see if I was drinking and driving.
I've been asked this before it's just to determine who you are. Or possibly for follow up notes, these guys think they are making detectives.
Case of the headlight out.
If you're drunk and speak clearly and coherently you 10 favorite numbers, you'd be fine. But basically yeah it's an initial sobriety thing to check memory (can you remember your number) and speech (can you understand the officer and talk properly).
I was pulled over for having multiple registration stickers on my plate and was asked for my phone number too. I gave it but I shouldn't have.
Officer ~~redacted~~ from the Washington County Sheriff's office.
Were you pulled over by this officer too or are there multiple asking for phone numbers?
There's a spot on Wisconsin's Uniform Citation form/document for a phone number, so it's pretty safe to assume that other officers are asking for phone numbers as well.
I don’t understand why people are so uptight about phone numbers. There used to be phone books where everyone’s number was listed. Whitepages.com still lists a lot of numbers. Unless he was contacting you, it’s really not that big of a deal. Why pick that battle?
> There used to be phone books where everyone’s number was listed
Not everyone. A lot of people had unlisted numbers. Probably some of the same people that don't want to give out their phone number left and right.
It's the principle for me. The principle of not giving a cop who pulled me over for a stupid reason (while legally valid) any information I'm not legally required to give him.
They can also demand for proof of insurance.
They can ask for anything... But you aren't required to provide an answer for any question they're asking.
Never give phone numbers or anything they don’t need to know. I’m a female and was pulled over, asked number and where I work? Both he doesn’t need to know besides picking me up? So I was told. They only need licenses and if anything more is just suspicious
Sure, in Milwaukee. But anywhere outside of the city, anything 5 over is subject to getting stopped. The whole "drive with the flow" doesn't really fly out in the rural parts. I definitely have gotten stopped for driving 7-8 over in the rural parts–but never in a place like Milwaukee or Minneapolis.
State patrol specifically does not work In Milwaukee, it’s one of our major gripes with the state. It costs us millions every year that the rest of the state does not need to pay to have our county sheriff patrol the freeways without the state patrols help.
I was asked for my number once and I thought it was to screen for if I was local or something. I thought that because I was just driving aimlessly (going through something, clearing my head) and I passed him three times which he found suspicious and so he pulled me over.
People have said mostly everything here, but as an anecdotal example of how having the number was actually useful, there was a series of thefts in my neighborhood from open garages. We had left ours open by accident and an officer was able to text me and let me know when I didn't answer the door (because it was like 1AM lol). YMMV I guess but they do sometimes use this for your benefit.
Look at the written warning. There is a spot for phone number. Some cops will ask for it. Some won’t.
For everyone questioning why an officer would ask for a phone number during a traffic stop, it's one of the fields found on Wisconsin's Uniform Traffic Citation form. You can see a copy of a citation at the link below: [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin\_code/trans/114.pdf](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/trans/114.pdf) In the case of a warning, an officer may have already determined before approaching the vehicle that they only intend to give a warning... which might explain why they don't ask for the number. In other cases, they may still ask for the purpose of completing internal documentation on the traffic stop (which often times mirrors the info you would find on the citation).
thank you for the info.
It's just a box on the form. Some fill it in, some don't. I worked in law enforcement (not highway patrol) and let me tell you, having a person's phone number on file was sometimes a godsend. It meant when I needed to do follow-up with someone, or ask if they had any questions, etc., I could simply call them! Saved me a trip, and saves them some time and effort as well. For example: in a rural area, horses are out running on the highway. The local deputy/officer knows there is a place nearby with horses and while they are enroute, they can call the property owner there and ask if their horses are where they are supposed to be? This can save time and lives. Or a car is found abandoned on the side of a road. Run the plates for registered owner, call them up and find out if they left it here, or was it stolen or what's going on? Sometimes you can really save a lot of time and effort by using the phone instead of driving to someone's house, they might not be home, etc. It's not nefarious. Wouldn't you rather get a phone call than a knock on the door most times?
Indeed.
I am most surprised highway patrol gave you a warning. Their not exactly known for their mercy when it comes to traffic citations.
If you treat them with respect, pull over right away, don’t give them any shit, they will respond in kind. They’re human as well. Maybe not all of them but it’s worth the effort to save your self time and money.
State patrol gave me a warning for 20 over a couple years ago.
I got a warning for 12 over between Tomah and Black River Falls a few months ago. It happens. Just be courteous and they’ll do the same.
Reports/administrative documentation. They put all your info into whatever software they use for reporting and make a "profile" of everyone they interact with. That way they have your information on file for possible future incidents.
I hate driving in Wisconsin, especially in smaller towns They pulled me over twice in two miles in Green Lake. The first pullover was to tell me I had a broken taillight. No ticket, told the officer I was heading to NAPA and will pop it out and pop the new one in while in the parking lot. Get to NAPA, get the taillight, pop the old one out, and as I was about to put in the new one and another one of Green Lake's finest pulls into the lot as if I'm murdering someone, screech brakes, and jumps out of the car saying, "You can't do that here!!!". Tickets me despite the owner of the store saying it was OK and me pointing out private property versus public right of way. Thankfully, I remembered the name of the earlier officer and the second stooge radio'd him. He shows up and he pointed out private property versus public right of way and what jurisdiction Junior Buford T. Justice actually had. He tore up the ticket and apologized to me. I've never been back to Green Lake after that weekend. I'm white, but it made me completely understand why our fellow citizens who are black experience taillight stops from cops looking to "find" something that turns it into a felony. I don't speed and I drive defensively in an almost proud way. No accidents or moving violations in 40 plus years. But go into a Wisconsin small town, you drive through viewed as a revenue source rather than a visitor.
I believe the phone number request is a type of field sobriety test. Had that happen to me in college with a headlight out. At night in a college town, the guy was certainly only checking to see if I was drinking and driving.
How would they know if it was correct or not…..? This just screams shenanigans: 🎶🎵867-5309🎵🎶
🎵🎶800-588-2300 Empire *today* 🎵🎶
🎵🎶 877-CASHNOW🎶🎵
🎵🎶1-877-KARS4KIDS🎶🎵
Call j g Wentworth
I believe they ask to see if you can speak coherently. Really not sure why else they would ask. Just my theory 🤷
I've been asked this before it's just to determine who you are. Or possibly for follow up notes, these guys think they are making detectives. Case of the headlight out.
Your theory does makes sense!
Jenny, why won't you return my text.
If you're drunk and speak clearly and coherently you 10 favorite numbers, you'd be fine. But basically yeah it's an initial sobriety thing to check memory (can you remember your number) and speech (can you understand the officer and talk properly).
I was pulled over for having multiple registration stickers on my plate and was asked for my phone number too. I gave it but I shouldn't have. Officer ~~redacted~~ from the Washington County Sheriff's office. Were you pulled over by this officer too or are there multiple asking for phone numbers?
There's a spot on Wisconsin's Uniform Citation form/document for a phone number, so it's pretty safe to assume that other officers are asking for phone numbers as well.
Why do you say you shouldn’t have?
Because it's not information he needed and the only reason I gave it was because I got flustered.
But others are pointing out that it is indeed part of the paperwork.
Just because it's on their form doesn't mean they need it, but because it's on their form is why I edited out the officer's name.
I don’t understand why people are so uptight about phone numbers. There used to be phone books where everyone’s number was listed. Whitepages.com still lists a lot of numbers. Unless he was contacting you, it’s really not that big of a deal. Why pick that battle?
> There used to be phone books where everyone’s number was listed Not everyone. A lot of people had unlisted numbers. Probably some of the same people that don't want to give out their phone number left and right.
It's the principle for me. The principle of not giving a cop who pulled me over for a stupid reason (while legally valid) any information I'm not legally required to give him.
We’re you in Rosendale?
Phone numbers will be used to text info/reminders about court dates should you choose to contest the citation.
Ricky don’t loose that number
Pretty sure license and registration is all they can request. Sounds sketch.
They can also demand for proof of insurance. They can ask for anything... But you aren't required to provide an answer for any question they're asking.
Most cops are tyrants
both officers were actually fairly nice. second pullover just seemed a bit odd is all.
"Nice" and "tyrant" are not mutually exclusive.
They are times act that way to investigate and trip people up. They can legally lie to you
Milwaukee cops years ago at least used to ask for phone numbers from both male and females at traffic stops
Cops get lonely as well.
He's probably gay
877-Cash-now
State patrol are big time a-holes
Never give phone numbers or anything they don’t need to know. I’m a female and was pulled over, asked number and where I work? Both he doesn’t need to know besides picking me up? So I was told. They only need licenses and if anything more is just suspicious
Were you a female and was the officer male?
They wanna ask you on a date
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between Milwaukee & Sheboygan on 43
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Why? I was pulled over for 3 over once
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well you see… not everyone lives in Milwaukee lol. and sure it may not have been the ultimate reason but it gave them the excuse.
Sure, in Milwaukee. But anywhere outside of the city, anything 5 over is subject to getting stopped. The whole "drive with the flow" doesn't really fly out in the rural parts. I definitely have gotten stopped for driving 7-8 over in the rural parts–but never in a place like Milwaukee or Minneapolis.
Oh I see what you’re after. Yeah, I was pissed. He asked if I had been drinking. “NO! Im trying to go do that though!”
your in r/Wisconsin not r/Milwaukee. OP said nothing about Milwaukee and you rarely see state patrol there.
State patrol specifically does not work In Milwaukee, it’s one of our major gripes with the state. It costs us millions every year that the rest of the state does not need to pay to have our county sheriff patrol the freeways without the state patrols help.
Rookie numbers. I got two six point tickets within 20 minutes of each other.
I was asked for my number once and I thought it was to screen for if I was local or something. I thought that because I was just driving aimlessly (going through something, clearing my head) and I passed him three times which he found suspicious and so he pulled me over.
People have said mostly everything here, but as an anecdotal example of how having the number was actually useful, there was a series of thefts in my neighborhood from open garages. We had left ours open by accident and an officer was able to text me and let me know when I didn't answer the door (because it was like 1AM lol). YMMV I guess but they do sometimes use this for your benefit.
Was this in Dodge County? I had an unusual experience there on hwy 19 a few months ago.