Why are American blacks always having issues with the Police?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to avoid hassle from police of any color as a person of any color when pulled over for any reason (perceived fair or not).

1 lights or siren in rear view mirror first spotted by driver

2 driver: immediately slow vehical - turning on indicator while looking for a safe place to pull off the road.
(Logical perception by cop: this person is responding in a calm, compliant manner; turn indicator suggests clear thinking of safety and respect for others (ruling out alcohol and drugs). If cop is upset, tired, biased, etc., this will help deescalate his/her anxiety.

3 when safely parked:
3a turn on dome light,
3b take out drivers licence
3c take out registration. (Registration should always be on top of pile of items in glove box for easy, quick access.)

4 roll your driver's side window all the way down.

Be mindful where the cop is at all time. You should have time to do all of these things before he/she exits the cruiser. If he/she is nearing or at your vehicle, skip steps 3b and 3c. Move to step 4 immediately. Moving and reaching in your vehicle when cop can see you can be viewed as threatening (cops perception: reaching for weapon, hiding contraband, confusion, impairment, etc.)

5. Holding both ID and registration in your left hand, place both hands in the 10 and 2 o'clock position on the steering wheel.

6. Turn face towards cop using a neutral or open faced friendly expression.

7. Do not speak unless spoken to first. The cop is assessing multiple things. Don't distract him. Your prep work eliminates part of his/her interaction with you because he sees you clearly (because you turnef on your dome light), sees you have your license and registration, sees your hands clearly gripping the wheel )not a threat to him/her). He/she will shine flashlight in and around car interior. Note: keeping your car interior clean and neat vs messy will further deescalate cop because sloppiness can indicate an unstable life (unemployed, on drugs, mental health issues, hidden, dangerous cargo, etc.)

The hardest part is behind you and you haven't opened your mouth yet.

The interrogation process:

Whether the cop asks you a question, makes a statement, or pulls his/her gun on you, your part is the same so it's easy to remember.

1 use a calm clear voice
2 make eye contact
3 respond with "yes/no/I don't know, sir/ma'am/officer"

Regardless of the perceptions and biases you have against the cop or law enforcement, society at-large, justice, race, sex/gender issues, sexuality, religion, etc., your job at this point is to:

1 keep it to yourself
2 be polite
3 be respectful

Your main objective when getting pulled over is not to make a point or a stand, represent a class of underprivileged or disenfranchised people - your job is to:

1 not get murdered
2 not to get injured
3 not to get arrested
4 not to get a ticket

If you have broken the law. Steps one and two should be your primary objective.

If you have not knowingly broken the law, your actions up to this point will go a long way towards avoiding arrest or a ticket

If you think you've been unfairly treated, discriminated against, unfairly profiled, etc., TAKE THAT MATTER UP WITH A LAWYER BEFORE A JUDGE AFTER YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

YOUR WORST ENEMY: PRIDE

Being pulled over is humbling and humiliating experience. If you are prone to narcissism, temper, being a social justice warrior, have a sense of entitlement (you're a celebrity or think you are), this is the time to decide if this moment is a battle you want to fight. You can stand your ground and get tased, humiliated, beaten, handcuffed, searched, shoved in a wagon, finger printed, jailed, etc., - OR - you can take these steps to deescalate the situation, changing a cop's preconceived bias of people he thinks you represent, be inconvenienced for twenty minutes and move on your way.

If you have a target on your back and your good, sensible behavior does not help you fight the system, get a hidden dash cam and press record before you turn the dome light on at the beginning of this article. That way, when you are lying in a pool of your own blood, your story of injustice will be seen - broadcast throughout the news and social media for all time. When the rioting and chaos that ensues dies down and real justice and social change occurs because YOU chose to take the high road - you will win over the hearts and minds of reasonable people and make a good and lasting impression.

If you survive, you'll be a hero, friend and advisor to world leaders, frequent guest on talk shows, the subject of songs, plays, books and movies, an icon of popular culture - and probably very wealthy.

If you die, you'll get a statue, national holiday, streets and high schools bearing your name and a chapter devoted to you in future history books.

Wow!! Excellent points and life savers! Sad that you even have to even give instructions like this. You probably saved someone's life.

[Anonymous]

I had one bad encounter with the police and I do this as a white person. Its good advice. It is like not being a militant pedestrian or cyclist who takes on cars (which will win). Everyone, white or black or other, should follow these steps. And yes, pursue legal recourse after if not satisfied. By the way, I support police in general who do a difficult job and think a lot of the issues today have political remedies (complaining to pols about asset forfeiture for example or asking for more training).

[Anonymous]

The police are afraid, too. Who here remembers that shortly after the Freddie Grey case (sad indeed), a cop was shot and killed because he was "slow" to defend himself when staring at a pointed weapon? The conjecture was that he hesitated to use his gun given the anti-police climate of those days, and he paid with his life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The police are afraid, too. Who here remembers that shortly after the Freddie Grey case (sad indeed), a cop was shot and killed because he was "slow" to defend himself when staring at a pointed weapon? The conjecture was that he hesitated to use his gun given the anti-police climate of those days, and he paid with his life.

That is TOTALLY different from shooting unarmed people. I still don't understand in the Castille case why that cop was standing directly in the driver's window. I've only been stopped a few times in my life but EVERY cop has stood several inches back so I had to turn my head/body to present my credentials. This gave the cop an edge over me and able to see inside the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How to avoid hassle from police of any color as a person of any color when pulled over for any reason (perceived fair or not).

1 lights or siren in rear view mirror first spotted by driver

2 driver: immediately slow vehical - turning on indicator while looking for a safe place to pull off the road.
(Logical perception by cop: this person is responding in a calm, compliant manner; turn indicator suggests clear thinking of safety and respect for others (ruling out alcohol and drugs). If cop is upset, tired, biased, etc., this will help deescalate his/her anxiety.

3 when safely parked:
3a turn on dome light,
3b take out drivers licence
3c take out registration. (Registration should always be on top of pile of items in glove box for easy, quick access.)

4 roll your driver's side window all the way down.

Be mindful where the cop is at all time. You should have time to do all of these things before he/she exits the cruiser. If he/she is nearing or at your vehicle, skip steps 3b and 3c. Move to step 4 immediately. Moving and reaching in your vehicle when cop can see you can be viewed as threatening (cops perception: reaching for weapon, hiding contraband, confusion, impairment, etc.)

5. Holding both ID and registration in your left hand, place both hands in the 10 and 2 o'clock position on the steering wheel.

6. Turn face towards cop using a neutral or open faced friendly expression.

7. Do not speak unless spoken to first. The cop is assessing multiple things. Don't distract him. Your prep work eliminates part of his/her interaction with you because he sees you clearly (because you turnef on your dome light), sees you have your license and registration, sees your hands clearly gripping the wheel )not a threat to him/her). He/she will shine flashlight in and around car interior. Note: keeping your car interior clean and neat vs messy will further deescalate cop because sloppiness can indicate an unstable life (unemployed, on drugs, mental health issues, hidden, dangerous cargo, etc.)

The hardest part is behind you and you haven't opened your mouth yet.

The interrogation process:

Whether the cop asks you a question, makes a statement, or pulls his/her gun on you, your part is the same so it's easy to remember.

1 use a calm clear voice
2 make eye contact
3 respond with "yes/no/I don't know, sir/ma'am/officer"

Regardless of the perceptions and biases you have against the cop or law enforcement, society at-large, justice, race, sex/gender issues, sexuality, religion, etc., your job at this point is to:

1 keep it to yourself
2 be polite
3 be respectful

Your main objective when getting pulled over is not to make a point or a stand, represent a class of underprivileged or disenfranchised people - your job is to:

1 not get murdered
2 not to get injured
3 not to get arrested
4 not to get a ticket

If you have broken the law. Steps one and two should be your primary objective.

If you have not knowingly broken the law, your actions up to this point will go a long way towards avoiding arrest or a ticket

If you think you've been unfairly treated, discriminated against, unfairly profiled, etc., TAKE THAT MATTER UP WITH A LAWYER BEFORE A JUDGE AFTER YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

YOUR WORST ENEMY: PRIDE

Being pulled over is humbling and humiliating experience. If you are prone to narcissism, temper, being a social justice warrior, have a sense of entitlement (you're a celebrity or think you are), this is the time to decide if this moment is a battle you want to fight. You can stand your ground and get tased, humiliated, beaten, handcuffed, searched, shoved in a wagon, finger printed, jailed, etc., - OR - you can take these steps to deescalate the situation, changing a cop's preconceived bias of people he thinks you represent, be inconvenienced for twenty minutes and move on your way.

If you have a target on your back and your good, sensible behavior does not help you fight the system, get a hidden dash cam and press record before you turn the dome light on at the beginning of this article. That way, when you are lying in a pool of your own blood, your story of injustice will be seen - broadcast throughout the news and social media for all time. When the rioting and chaos that ensues dies down and real justice and social change occurs because YOU chose to take the high road - you will win over the hearts and minds of reasonable people and make a good and lasting impression.

If you survive, you'll be a hero, friend and advisor to world leaders, frequent guest on talk shows, the subject of songs, plays, books and movies, an icon of popular culture - and probably very wealthy.

If you die, you'll get a statue, national holiday, streets and high schools bearing your name and a chapter devoted to you in future history books.

Wow!! Excellent points and life savers! Sad that you even have to even give instructions like this. You probably saved someone's life.

Nope. Not the public responsibility to ensure officers treat them with respect and do not abuse their authority. Its the officer's sworn duty to do this as a public

Officers unfortunately do not always follow the same procedures when pulling someone over to a T. My uncle was pulled over and they shouted at him to get out of the car, with their guns drawn. They thought he matched the description of robbery suspect recently called in. He complied and they came over, cuffed him, punched him and broke his wrist. When he was released 6 hours later, there was no apology, no offer to address medical needs. They did not respect his life. He's white.

That's the problem here. Until someone actually hears and responds to this issue, you will continue to have protests, shootings and riots. Since black ppl are mostt impacted, I totally empathize with their anger on this issue.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Not the public responsibility to ensure officers treat them with respect and do not abuse their authority. Its the officer's sworn duty to do this as a public

Officers unfortunately do not always follow the same procedures when pulling someone over to a T. My uncle was pulled over and they shouted at him to get out of the car, with their guns drawn. They thought he matched the description of robbery suspect recently called in. He complied and they came over, cuffed him, punched him and broke his wrist. When he was released 6 hours later, there was no apology, no offer to address medical needs. They did not respect his life. He's white.

That's the problem here. Until someone actually Shears and responds to this issue, you will continue to have protests, shootings and riots. Since black ppl are mostt impacted, I totally empathize with their anger on this issue.

So, you think he would have fared better by behaving differently?

Bottom line: you do what the cop says. My dad had that talk with me when I got my drivers license--and I am now a senior citizen white woman. Of course, my parents had already taught me that you do what a policeman tells you to do. It is not rocket science.

The advice given about how to behave is spot on. You aren't going to win if you think otherwise. As the writer said, if you disagree, take it out in court. NO one is happy to have a policeman stop them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The police are afraid, too. Who here remembers that shortly after the Freddie Grey case (sad indeed), a cop was shot and killed because he was "slow" to defend himself when staring at a pointed weapon? The conjecture was that he hesitated to use his gun given the anti-police climate of those days, and he paid with his life.

That is TOTALLY different from shooting unarmed people. I still don't understand in the Castille case why that cop was standing directly in the driver's window. I've only been stopped a few times in my life but EVERY cop has stood several inches back so I had to turn my head/body to present my credentials. This gave the cop an edge over me and able to see inside the car.

PP here. You bring up a good point, and now that I think about, the one time I've been stopped (I didn't see the no U-turn, honestly!), the cop stood back, forcing me to twist around - and I imagine they were taught to do that. Seems we could go a long way to de-escalating tensions in routine traffic stops with that very simple protocol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Nope. Not the public responsibility to ensure officers treat them with respect and do not abuse their authority. Its the officer's sworn duty to do this as a public

Officers unfortunately do not always follow the same procedures when pulling someone over to a T. My uncle was pulled over and they shouted at him to get out of the car, with their guns drawn. They thought he matched the description of robbery suspect recently called in. He complied and they came over, cuffed him, punched him and broke his wrist. When he was released 6 hours later, there was no apology, no offer to address medical needs. They did not respect his life. He's white.

That's the problem here. Until someone actually Shears and responds to this issue, you will continue to have protests, shootings and riots. Since black ppl are mostt impacted, I totally empathize with their anger on this issue.

So, you think he would have fared better by behaving differently?

Bottom line: you do what the cop says. My dad had that talk with me when I got my drivers license--and I am now a senior citizen white woman. Of course, my parents had already taught me that you do what a policeman tells you to do. It is not rocket science.

The advice given about how to behave is spot on. You aren't going to win if you think otherwise. As the writer said, if you disagree, take it out in court. NO one is happy to have a policeman stop them.

And you are not listening. Doing what the cop says won't stop you from getting assualted, shot or killed. Its unreasonable to expect everyone carry around a video recorder to ensure cops are doing the right thing. They just need to do their fucking job right and respect people's lives. If that's asking to much then we need to bring people in who can do it right.

[Anonymous]

I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

[Anonymous]

And you are not listening. Doing what the cop says won't stop you from getting assualted, shot or killed.

Please cite your source on that. And, remember, we still do not know what happened when Castille was stopped. We only know about the conversation AFTER the event. I agree that it appears the cop was out of line--but remember "hands up, don't shoot" was a false meme. Let's wait and see. Look at all the violence and rioting that occurred in Ferguson as a result of the lie told by Brown's companion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until high crime is dealt with, these issues will never be dealt with. If you talk about what is really going on, you are called racist. Look at the DC police reports and videos and see who the suspects are daily. Also, what about Chicago and the 2,000 African Americans that have been shot there this year alone? Where are the BLM protesters to protect their lives? 500 African Americans have been killed in Chicago this year.

This. It's hypocritical to protest that Black Lives Matter whenever there is a shooting by the police but to ignore black-on-black violence that occurs daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

That is completely false. Why bother posting it? The videos out for all to see show people complying with police -- being told to get their wallet and then being shot while doing so, standing with hands up and then wrestled to the ground by police and choked to death, etc. Even if people don't comply, the police should not KILL them. Shooting a 16 year old BOY in the back as he walks away? In the United States of America? No. No, you don't get to say that's justified because he didn't do what he was told. Not in my country. Go to some other country if you think that should be legal and get the hell out of my country.

I have been stopped many times by the police. Once they realize I am a white woman, they move on. Not surprising. Don't pretend you know how to handle the police t keep yourself safe if you are a white woman, PP -- you are not having the same experience that African Americans are having.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until high crime is dealt with, these issues will never be dealt with. If you talk about what is really going on, you are called racist. Look at the DC police reports and videos and see who the suspects are daily. Also, what about Chicago and the 2,000 African Americans that have been shot there this year alone? Where are the BLM protesters to protect their lives? 500 African Americans have been killed in Chicago this year.

This. It's hypocritical to protest that Black Lives Matter whenever there is a shooting by the police but to ignore black-on-black violence that occurs daily.

So you don't expect the police to be any better than the criminals they are supposed to be policing? Is that it? I do. I expect more from the police.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And you are not listening. Doing what the cop says won't stop you from getting assualted, shot or killed.

Please cite your source on that. And, remember, we still do not know what happened when Castille was stopped. We only know about the conversation AFTER the event. I agree that it appears the cop was out of line--but remember "hands up, don't shoot" was a false meme. Let's wait and see. Look at all the violence and rioting that occurred in Ferguson as a result of the lie told by Brown's companion.

How about this one? Cop asks for his license and when he tries to get his wallet, cop shoots him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.