After
having enough cases involving African Americans killed at the hands of law
enforcement, a veil of fear has been cast over this nation. Millions of people worry that they too will
not survive a police encounter or someone they love may be shot dead by a
cop. Michael Brown was shot multiple
times over robbing a store. Eric Gardner
was strangled for selling cigarettes without a license. Walter Scott was shot in the back for a broken
tail light. Freddie Gray was brutalized
by the cops, which fatally injured his spine – all because he ran from them.
Police
officers spend thirty weeks training in an academy. They learn to handle a variety of
situations. Schools should give lessons
on how to behave when a police officer is present. Why?
The way you act can influence the outcome of the encounter. The officers who killed Brown, Gardner, Gray,
Scott, and others were wrong. Scott’s
killer, Officer Michael Slager, was arrested and charged, but the other
officers in the three other cases were not.
It is wrong that the justice system lets them keep their badges. BUT – media induced rage will not help with
your next encounter with law enforcement.
Those bad cops were wrong, but this is a guide to help you prevent a bad
experience.
The
reason why I am writing this is to help people understand how to communicate
and handle situations involving law enforcement. I hope that these tips will be beneficial and
reduce tension for all people involved.
The goal is to get through it and be on your way. DISCLAIMER: I can not guarantee that these tips will save
your life or even get you out of a ticket.
Do not blame me if you get arrested for committing a crime even though
you may have used these guidelines. A
crime is still a crime. Also, I understand that there are bad cops who are reckless, and these tips might not work. This guide is for dealing with a regular, mentally healthy police officer. If the officer is calm, you can keep him/her calm.
Mindset
I’m not
one of these people who tells you “Change your attitude.” You can have whatever opinion you want. Though, when you interact with a cop, you
need to put your negative opinions or emotions aside. In cop encounters, there are three major
vices: Wrath, Pride, and Fear. The first one deals with anger toward law
enforcement, the second is about ego, and the third is in the nerves. If you have any of these traits, you need to
clear your mind of them at the time of meeting an officer.
Wrath. You may have had bad memories involving a cop,
or you are incensed by the media and your peers. You may have known someone close who was a
victim of police brutality. You may have
lost a friend to a police officer’s bullet.
You could have dealt with an unnecessarily rude officer, or one who gave
you a hefty fine for something silly.
Maybe you are just tired of reading about abusive cops or seeing videos
of bigoted cops. The statistics of
racial profiling may be weighing down on your nerves. The result is a strong resentment for law
enforcement.
How to calm this wrath: You want to get through this encounter,
right? You don’t want to die? You need to put your bad memories aside. Think about the situation at hand – in the
present. Forget about the media for a
minute or two. The media sells more ads
with emotionally charging stories. Here
are some things to keep in mind about police.
1.
Not all cops are the same.
2.
The cop is a human being like yourself.
3.
We need law enforcement because of murderers,
rapists, burglars, child molesters, muggers, etc.
Some officers are good, and some
are bad. Not every cop is like the one
that hurt you or anyone close to you.
They are all Homo sapiens. They
just want to eat, sleep, do their jobs, and come home. They have families just like you. They have hopes and dreams just like
you. They have hobbies and
interests. We need law enforcement or
else there would be pure chaos. It is
chaotic that some police agencies are corrupt and allow bad cop behavior. That is true, but we need laws. Laws mean nothing if they are not enforced.
Pride. Some people don’t like to be told what to do,
or be bossed around. When I speak of
pride, I mean it in the egotistical, arrogant sense of the term. Youths want to believe they are tough and can
be unmovable in tense situations. To be
submissive sounds weak. To obey is
subverting to another person’s will.
Letting someone else be dominant is like letting yourself be
humiliated. Pride in oneself is lowered
to modesty, a modesty that the authority figure seems not to have. If everyone is equal, then why should one
person have more power than another person?
Do you think along the same lines?
How
to keep the pride inside: You are
free to be yourself, express yourself in infinite ways, but there are
situations where we have to alter our behavior.
The way you talk to your friends is not the same way you talk to your
parents, teachers, or cops. In police
scenarios, you need to put your pride aside.
You may think you are cool, but are you too cool to continue
living? Don’t think you can win an
argument with a cop. Taking an order is
not a bad thing. You don’t have to prove
to yourself that you are strong. You
will not lose your individuality from being submissive for ten minutes. All your character and your attributes are
still in you. Here are some things to
consider.
1. Not
obeying a cop is defiance.
It will only lead
to argument and possibly a citation.
2. Don’t think you have to be the dominant,
“strong” one.
If you don’t want to be dominated
with handcuffs, then don’t try to dominate them.
3. As
human beings we are equal, but as citizens there is a distribution of power.
Fear. With all the police related deaths in
media, it is easy to feel afraid of cops.
It’s not unusual to think, “Am I going to be shot and killed too?” Parents fear for their children becoming the
next victims. When a fearful person interacts
with police, the breathing becomes heavier, and the voice becomes shaky. When someone is afraid during police
situations, it seems like probable cause that the person is hiding
something. It is construed as an
emotional admission of guilt. Though,
that is not necessarily the case.
How
to communicate fear: If you feel
afraid, tell the officer why you are afraid.
You can admit that you fear cops because of the media. You can express that you don’t want to be
killed or harmed by cops. A compelling
statement would be, “I don’t want to end up dead like Michael Brown or Eric
Gardner.” If you had a traumatic
childhood experience involving a police officer, feel free to inform the
cop. You don’t have to divulge any of
the details, but letting an officer know that you had a bad experience would be
helpful. These ideas make an officer
stop and think; prevent him/herself from becoming the next bad cop to make
national news. Communicating our
emotions helps both parties. Here are
three points to remember.
1. Tell
the officer why you feel afraid.
2. Tell
the officer that you don’t want to shot or hurt.
3. Fear
is an emotion, and emotions are a part of being human. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Police Interaction
Here is
a list of things to apply to a variety of situations whether it is a traffic
stop or a police officer approaches you.
Some of these are obvious, but I can’t leave them out. I hope that this list helps people of any age,
race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.
Do
-When a cop pulls you over, keep your hands at your side
until the officer approaches your car.
Any movement can be interpreted
that you are hiding something or finding a weapon.
(I learned this in graduate
school.)
-Calmly greet the cop with, Good morning, Good afternoon, or
Good evening.
-Address the cop as “Officer.” (Not, hey you, hey Man, Mister, Look lady, dude,
etc.)
-Let the cop ask for your license, registration, and proof
of auto insurance. THEN, retrieve it.
-Ask in a calm, polite tone, “Is there a problem officer?”
-Listen more than speak.
The
officer may have important information that you need to hear.
-When you need to tell an officer your situation, be
thorough, accurate, and articulate.
-If you have a difference in opinion of whatever happened,
argue calmly. State your view, but this
does not mean they will waive a citation.
-Listen and answer the officer’s questions.
You can refuse to answer a question
that is too personal, and state that in a calm tone. Generally the questions should be noninvasive. Not answering a crime related question could
lead an officer to believing you are hiding something.
-Follow the officer’s instructions.
There are exceptions because bad
cops do exist, but for the most part, instructions are safe and legally sound. For example, if they tell you to put your
hands up, do so.
-Let the officer decide when the encounter is over. They will tell you, “Okay, you can leave
now.”
Don’t
-Do not use imperative statements toward an officer. Don’t tell them what to do.
-Do not tell the officer to arrest someone. That is their decision.
-Do not raise your voice.
-Do not interrupt the officer.
-Do not touch the officer in any way.
-Do not retort, or be argumentative.
-Do not make any derogatory statements.
-Do not point at the officer when talking.
-Do not make any hand motions if you engage in an
argument. It looks aggressive.
-Do not curse or make obscene gestures. In some states, you could be arrested for
that.
-Do not run away from law enforcement.
They
will see this as probable cause and want to question you.
-Do not drive away before a cop finishes a traffic stop, and
do not drive away because the cop is taking too long.
-Do not attempt to physically fight a cop.
-Do not grab any of their weapons or the belt containing them.
The officer will see this as life threatening,
and this could ultimately lead to death of anyone involved in the incident.
-Do not say hostile things after being arrested.
“You have the right to remain
silent,” does not mean, “You have the right to shut up.” It means that you don’t have to
self-incriminate. It is your Fifth
Amendment right. Anything you say can be
held against you later in a court room.
-Do not try to compensate and plea your innocence after
being arrested.
You might accidentally make
yourself look like a guilty party, whereas an attorney may have a better
understanding of your situation and better prove your innocence. The Fifth Amendment applies, and the Sixth
Amendment is your right to counsel with an attorney.
© 2015 Caroline Friehs
Originally posted on: June 9, 2015
References
Calamur, K (2015 Apr. 9).
S.C. Dashcam Video: A Broken Tail
Light, A Routine Traffic Stop, A Fleeing Man. NPR.com. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/04/09/398615265/s-c-dash-cam-video-a-broken-tail-light-a-routine-traffic-stop-a-fleeing-man
Hermann, P & Woodrow Cox, J (2015 Apr. 28). A Freddie Gray Primer: Who was he, how did he
die, and why is there so much anger? Washington Post.
Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/28/a-freddie-gray-primer-who-was-he-how-did-he-why-is-there-so-much-anger/
Philadelphia Police Department (2015). Hiring Process. [Police website]. Retrieved from: https://www.phillypolice.com/careers/hiring-process/index.html
