A Black Man’s Guide To Dealing With Cops

Current Events –

A Black Man’s Guide To Dealing With Cops

It’s unfortunate that modern life has come to this, but facts are facts: the rules for a white man dealing with cops are different from a black man dealing with cops. For decades, African-American mothers and fathers have been schooling their sons on what NOT to say and how NOT to act when encountered by police.  Here is a list of those rules, as told by the child of a current police officer:

A BLACK MAN’S GUIDE TO DEALING WITH COPS

1.)  Limit your contact. Whether you were stopped because you were at fault or not, get in and get out. The more contact a police officer has with you, the more time they have to find something.

2.)  Watch what you say. “First and foremost, you cannot let it become confrontational,” notes my father. Why argue? Cops also write down what you say. “Oh yeah, I have used the ignorant things people have said to me in court.”

3.)  Be respectful. “Yes sir, no ma’am” – home training and respect can get you far. Try to make the situation as comfortable as possible. “You start off nice, you don’t start off ignorant.”

4.)  SHUT UP! If you are driving with others in the car, tell them to shut up as their mouth can get everyone in trouble. “Now you allow me access to everybody,” my dad notes.

5.)  Don’t make it personal. Simply put, let the cop do his/her job and be cooperative. In the words of Denzel in Training Day, “you wanna go to jail or you wanna go home?”

6.)  Police officers are human. “If you hit me with ‘what the f#$k you stopping me for,’ I’m not gonna be so nice,” says my dad. Don’t yell or scream because it doesn’t help – cops are people too and can get their feathers ruffled. No one likes being cussed out.

7.)  They can search your car. If you think that popping off at the mouth to a cop about not having a warrant will make the situation better, think again. “A police officer can do searches if they have reasonable suspicion,” reveals my dad. Forget what you saw on television folks as the threshold for a warrant-less search is less on a car than a home. Probable cause is determined by the officer so why piss them off?

8.)  Trying to YouTube the situation might not be best. “If you’re gonna do it, don’t be so obvious or act in a way that antagonizes the cop,” recommends my father. Having your own evidence of what transpired can definitely help down the road, but please practice some tact.

9.)  You can ask for back up. Don’t be afraid to ask for another police officer present as it can at times work in your favor. “Not all cops lie for each other,” my dad says and even adds that many are not willing to take the fall for an officer who is not acting professional.

10.)  Deal with the ramifications later. “If it was a bullsh*t stop where you cooperated and were still arrested, now you have recourse like contacting IAD (Internal Affairs Department)” notes my father. “You will never win a battle with police on the side of the road so get out of the situation safely and deal with the ramifications later.” Tip: Jot down the squad car number as some cops don’t always wear their badge. Gather up as much information that you can use later.

I’LL ADD:
– Keep your hands on the steering wheel and in PLAIN VIEW
– Already have license and registration out so police don’t believe you’re reaching for a weapon when you’re only reaching for your wallet.
– Be polite and don’t antagonize a cop. It will only make things worse.
– SHUT UP! The less said, the better you will be.
– And one more thing: SHUT UP!! Yes, it deserves an extra mention!

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