What to do if you’re stopped by the police
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What to do if you’re stopped by the police
1–10 of 194 posts
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#2I really appreciate something more like this, with more countries included other than USA, like: India / China / Russia
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#3"Don't Talk to the Police", the video by James Duane linked in the article, is essential viewing. It's so succinct and cogent, I end up rewatching it usually on a yearly basis because I have it saved locally.
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#4TL;DR:
* Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter.
* Don't allow police in your home without a warrant.
* Affirmatively deny consent for searches. This includes your home, car, and personal belongings.
* Assert your right to remain silent.
Unless you're reporting a crime where you're the victim (and, sometimes, even then), you should only talk to police with a lawyer representing you present.
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#5TL;DR: * Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter. * Don't allow police in your home without a warrant. * Affirmatively deny consent for searches. This includes your home, car, and personal belongings. * Assert your right to remain silent. Unless you're reporting a crime where you're the victim (and, sometimes, even then), you should only…
How much of that is it reasonable to do as an immigrant?
Aren't police allowed too search all sorts of things with easy excuse? My refusal is a form of escalation especially since they can arrest me on whatever, then let me go, and that alone could jeopardize my immigration status (all those visa questionnaires starting with "have you ever been arrested").
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#6TL;DR: * Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter. * Don't allow police in your home without a warrant. * Affirmatively deny consent for searches. This includes your home, car, and personal belongings. * Assert your right to remain silent. Unless you're reporting a crime where you're the victim (and, sometimes, even then), you should only…
> Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter.
The problem is asserting your rights and not acting like a docile thankful citizen can get treated as escalation in and of itself.
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#7According to lawyers I’ve spoken to in the U.K., your refusal to talk to the police is admissible as ... it’s somehow admissible in court. The prosecutor is allowed to tell a jury that it’s suspect you didn’t want to talk to the cops without a lawyer. Or something.
Can someone with know how elaborate on what exactly this means, in practical terms? What should someone do in the U.K.? Still remain silent?
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#8TL;DR: * Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter. * Don't allow police in your home without a warrant. * Affirmatively deny consent for searches. This includes your home, car, and personal belongings. * Assert your right to remain silent. Unless you're reporting a crime where you're the victim (and, sometimes, even then), you should only…
I may have erred in commiserating with the young officer attempting to extricate one neighbor's cat from another neighbor's tree? (The neighbor with the tree is a lawyer, but he's not my lawyer and he wasn't home at the time.)
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#9TL;DR: * Act like a normal, sensible person. Don't try to provoke them, and don't give them any reason to escalate the encounter. * Don't allow police in your home without a warrant. * Affirmatively deny consent for searches. This includes your home, car, and personal belongings. * Assert your right to remain silent. Unless you're reporting a crime where you're the victim (and, sometimes, even then), you should only…
How much of that is it reasonable to do as an immigrant? Aren't police allowed too search all sorts of things with easy excuse? My refusal is a form of escalation especially since they can arrest me on whatever, then let me go, and that alone could jeopardize my immigration status (all those visa questionnaires starting with "have you ever been arrested").
If you consent to the search, what's to say they don't hose you anyway?
Re: What to do if you’re stopped by the police
#10Every time something like this comes up I'm reminded of one time I was stopped by a police officer walking down the street. I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned around and was greeted by an officer in uniform, I wracked my brain trying to remember what I'd read on the internet about talking to the police and was just about to blurt out "Am I under arrest or am I free to go officer?" When he told me: "You dropped your wallet a ways back son, here you go" and handed it to me. "Thank you officer." I said sheepishly, and went on my way.
Not to say that this isn't great advice that people should follow in general.