OFF THE WIRE
That’s largely a myth. There are many reasons to be concerned about
the constitutional impact of the NDAA, PATRIOT Act, and the War on
Terror in general. But as far as the powers of your local sheriff or
state highway patrol are concerned, they have had zero impact.
That being said, be mindful that some police officers may use the
threat of terrorism to trick citizen’s into believing they have enhanced
search and interrogation powers. For example, police may justify a
routine traffic search request by claiming “I’m just searching for guns
and explosives”. This is simply a cynical way to trick citizens into
compliance.
Don’t fall for it. You have the right to refuse search requests by asking ”Officer, am I free to go.” Repeat if necessary.