I make sure that every one of the MPs here on base know me by name. Not in a bad way, more of in a "he's a pretty cool guy" way.
As far as illegal mods go, everything is illegal, if you dig up the laws. It's just what's enforced or not. Any modification could be considered a modification to the safety equipment, and thus illegal. It's all interpretation, which is where being friendly to your law enforcemnent comes in.