Do Not Speak To Cops

[sandnsea]

And if you speak to cops, never lie.

That is what you teach your kids when cops come to the door and you are not home. Period.

Don't let them in, don't answer any questions, don't say anything. Words can be twisted into oblivion. Do you not know that by now? Do not put your kids in a position of having said something that gets twisted into something they didn't mean. Do Not Talk To Cops.

Ack.

[datasuspect]

1. three things you should say to cops

1. yes

2. no

3. i do not give consent.

[RB TexLa]

3. You do not even have to say that. You can just not utter a single word.

Same with all people, not just police officers.

[datasuspect]

6. from a public safety standpoint

if they ask you if you have weapons, drugs, or large amounts of currency (which i've been asked in the few traffic stops i've been involved in) it's easy enough to say "no."

one time i told an illinois state trooper, "i wish."

[Truth2Tell]

40. I spent three hours at the Canadian border

having my car torn apart after I was asked that exact question and my smartass passenger leaned over and said, "Why, whataya need?"

[Flaneur]

27. 4. Am I free to go?

[Taverner]

2. EXACTLY

If you are arrested, you should ONLY say "I would like to speak to my lawyer"

Don't comment on anything, especially when they start with trigger words (words meant to get you agitated.)

[Old Codger]

12. Most of the time

Even if you haven't been arrested say that, they will try to tell you that if you have not done anything wrong you have nothing to worry about, believe me in most cases if they are talking to you, you have worries, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with refusing to talk without your attorney present, the police are allowed to lie to you but you are not allowed to lie to them.... Get your attorney involved ASAP.

[sandnsea]

14. Damn skippy

That is exactly what I'm talking about. And even if you aren't the one who did anything wrong, if somebody else got to the cops first, they will always take their story over yours. It's nutso.

[Taverner]

16. +3!

[HubertHeaver]

21. In the inimitable words of Ma Barker, "You say nothing, you lose

nothing."

In case you don't know Ma Barker was the mother of the 1930's era Barker Gang. Gave J. Edgar fits.


Edit to remove extra word.

[geckosfeet]

43. Oh what a scamp she must have been.

[conscious evolution]

41. Examples of triggers please

Seems like a good thing for everyone to know.

[geckosfeet]

4. A cop you don't know is a stranger with a gun.

[sandnsea]

5. Well, I wouldn't go that far

Because sometimes a cop is a stranger with a gun who is chasing a murderer. But doing much more than saying "he went thataway", can end up with you being an accessory in this day and age.

[geckosfeet]

42. Yes of course. I did not mean to imply a dangerous stranger. Many

people who have given up their lives and their own safety, who I will never meet have helped to improve my life and insure my safety. In general I respect the police and the job they do.

But when I see a person with gun who I don't know at all, even when they are wearing a badge, I become very concerned.

[BlooInBloo]

45. ... whom the state has given the authority to kill you.

[Auggie]

7. Is it okay to wave?

I do so on occasion when they drive by and I'm working in the yard

[sandnsea]

9. We do too

I do teach my children and grandchildren that cops are good guys. It's not until they're about 10-12 that I give them the rest of the story.

[GoesTo11]

8. How about this?

Yes, Officer.

No, Officer.

Excuse me, Officer. etc.

[sandnsea]

10. "My parents aren't home"

I'm not allowed to talk to anybody, not even people who might be pretending to be police officers. Sorry.

And shut the door.

That's all.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

22. That's not exactly, "Do Not Speak To Cops"

[dysfunctional press]

11. the first thing my lawyer told me- "you don't talk to cops...you talk to ME."

two weeks after i paid him his retainer, he was killed by a sniper who was actually trying to kill his partner.

[sandnsea]

13. Yikes!

Did it have to do with your case or a case, or just some random nutball?

[dysfunctional press]

20. it had to do with a case his partner was handling...

a bitter divorce situation, iirc.

[sandnsea]

25. That's so sad

We really need some kind of national study on the kind of men who think they own women. I know there are lots of abuse cycle studies, etc. But I don't think we've gotten to the core of it, or we're not implementing the right kinds of solutions or something.

[dysfunctional press]

44. it wasn't anything about the guy thinking he 'owned' his ex-wife...

he was just REALLY pissed at how badly her lawyer took him to the cleaners.

[SteelPenguin]

15. Two things I say to police

1) I'm sorry officer, on previous advice of council, I've been instructed not to speak with police about any matter without a lawyer present. Will you be detaining me, or am I free to go?

2) I do not consent to any searches. Will you be detaining me, or am I free to go?

[rrneck]

17. That police officer may be a jerk or a nice guy

but that badge makes him or her an instrument of power for the state, no matter who s/he is. You are not dealing with a person, you are dealing with the state. It's a damn shame to dehumanize people like that, but that's part of the job. They should be paid more to have to put up with that shit.

[Ian David]

18. Invite them in and offer them cake...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6141745&mesg_id=6141745

[TheCowsCameHome]

28. Like they saying goes - "Call 911 and make a cop come"

[rollingrock]

19. Cops like getting people riled up and angry

by flinging insults and accusations at you, even if you did nothing to justify it.
don't give them any reason to use force on you, because they're always looking for any excuse to tase you and/or use deadly force on you. these cops are on a power trip and I guess that's how they get their kicks.

[wuvuj]

34. Well...

...they are saving us from terrorists...and you are one of those...the 1% doctrine says there is a good chance? You should be proud to do your part. Rollover for the man.

[backscatter712]

23. Never trust a cop. They are professional liars. n/t

[sandnsea]

24. Their job is to gather evidence for prosecution

And they are allowed to lie to do it.

Prosecutors build cases, and make "arguments" and aren't always accurate when they do that.

And people say *I'm* the Pollyanna. :crazy:

[nini]

26. oh bullshit

Kids should not be taught to FEAR the police because they may surely need their assistance one day when you're not around.

Kids should be taught to recognize adults who are out to harm them and that may include police. However, if they are too young to understand the difference they shouldn't be alone to make that judgment call in the first place - which is the real issue with kids reacting to the police.

This is NOT a black/white scenario.

[sandnsea]

29. If they're old enough to be home alone

They're old enough to be told not to talk to the cops and tell them to come back when you're home. If it's an emergency, the cops will tell them and if a kid is home alone, then they're old enough to discern the difference.

I said above, when kids are little I don't teach them that. I teach them cops are good guys. But when they're getting to the point where they might be home alone for a few minutes, 10-12 years old, then it's time for them to be told the other part of a cop's job. And it isn't to be their friend.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

30. "May I look in the glove compartment?"

If that's where my registration is when I get stopped on the road, I always warn them ahead of time that I'm going to reach in there. I've had police draw their guns on me a couple of time for no reason that I can determine. I always warn them ahead of time that I'm going to make a gesture or move my hands.

[Pavulon]

31. Are we in a crack house or a beach house..

the crack mindset is the police are your enemy. And they may be. However most normal people have no reason to fear the police. So if my hypothetical kid answers the door and the police are there they should follow instruction. Like, you need to leave, the house is on fire, or we are taking you to the hospital your parents have been in a serious accident.

Never live your life in fear. Never teach fear.

[sandnsea]

35. I don't live in fear, I live in wisdom

You are setting your kids up to be victims. They should not blindly follow authority. That is what living in fear is.

You don't have to live in a crack house to know the world turns differently for those who live in a beach house.

[Pavulon]

36. To each his own. Police are just guys and gals..

who have a job interacting with the public. Unless I have a reason to have a problem (drunk, have drugs, etc) I have no reason to stonewall the police. I can not see a good reason a 12 year old kid should be taught to stonewall police.

Different cultures interact with police different because of historical problems. I have no reason to worry about interacting with police because any problems that arise from that interaction can be dismissed in court.

[sandnsea]

38. Court??

If you have the money to hire a lawyer and go to court, you have absolutely no way of understanding the problem.

And the first thing the lawyer would tell you is, why the hell did you talk to the cops?

[izquierdista]

37. The unfortunate thing

is that cops can see any house as a crack house.

[aikoaiko]

32. There is something about this guy in the video that I like....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6uw7506xMw&feature=channel_page


I haven' seen all the videos, but he really pushes back at leo with civil liberty when there is no issue of probable cause.

[mulsh]

33. over the last couple of years all my interactions with cops have been bad

I'm a large middle aged man who for the past year has had to use a cane while walking. I'm not exactly in shape enough to physically challenge anyone. I look like John Q Middle Class American. But every single cop I've encountered has been an asshole to me or people around me.

I've seen young SF cops pull their billy clubs and threaten an elderly man who was crossing with the light. I've been told to fuck off when I've asked beat cops simple questions. Over in Oakland, my town, I've seen OPD hassling young kids in my neighborhood for no good reason. OPD is fairly unresponsive to home and business owners and aggressively hostile to most citizens. They had a brief moment there when people were sympathetic but the general attitude is sliding back to where it was before those 4 guys were murdered.

I've had lots of other bad experiences with big city cops. maybe suburban cops are different. I don't know. but at this point I'd take the above advice and not speak to cops. I certainly won't let them in my house. My attitude these days is the less I have to do with our police the better off I am.

[corpseratemedia]

39. Do you remember the very early SNL skit "California: Police State?"

I've seen difference where I've now lived for decades and CA. In CA, they were often brutal. They had that reputation for a long time.

I had a personal experience when I was in my early teens in CA, and one officer was really nasty, while the other, Hispanic officer seemed to have a clue and took me to the hospital and saved my life. And was kind to my parents.

A kid in their early teens...so I can relate a little.