5 Things You Can do to Avoid Confrontations with Police

5 Things You Can do to Avoid Confrontations with Police
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Recently there have been new incidents where police officers are accused of brutality and excessive use of force against African Americans; the videos from the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota are very disturbing. There are nearly 780 thousand sworn officers in the United States protecting and serving 319 million Americans. Police officers have difficult and stressful jobs, but that is no excuse to use excessive force. However we must take into account what these officers go through and understand all police officers aren’t dishonest.

My first ride in the back of a police car happened when I was eleven years old, but times were very different then. As an adult I have been in situations where I could have easily gotten into confrontations with police officers. During my time in the military I worked with local and state police officers in major cities throughout the United States. I can tell you first hand that some police officers are prejudice, egotistical, and some have agendas. I remember arriving in Texas to meet and work with local police there. When I reached out to shake one of the officer’s hands he refused! Later during that same trip I was almost arrested because the same officer who wouldn’t shake my hand, failed to tell a group of his fellow officers who I was as I approached them.

On another trip to California a police officer stood two feet in front of me and stared me down while I waited to meet with the Deputy Police Chief. I had never met this officer before, nor did I do anything to him to warrant the stare he was giving me. In both Texas and California I was the only African American in the group; my co-workers were not subjected to the same treatment. In both cases I had no choice but to work through whatever issues those police officers had with me. I did not respond to their behavior towards me, and worked more closely with the officers who did reach out to me. In the end we successfully finished our work in both cities, and I made some new friends in law enforcement.

My experiences with the police were not all bad; in fact there were more positive experiences with them than negative ones. I realize some of my circumstances and encounters with the police were of a different nature than being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, but the two situations I mentioned above were intense and could have easily become confrontational. I have been pulled over by the police numerous times over the years. They have verbally abused me, and I am pretty sure I have been profiled, but I have never been beaten or assaulted by a police officer. The following tips helped me during encounters with police officers in the past. Hopefully they can help you avoid a violent confrontation too.

  1. Obey the law: If you are breaking the law in any way; it’s only a matter of time before you have to deal with the police. Turn on your flashers, drive slowly and pull over to a well-lit busy area if you are pulled over. Cooperate if you are being questioned or arrested to avoid any physical confrontation.
  2. Be polite and show respect: Greeting and treating a police officer with respect immediately de-escalates the situation. Regardless of how you feel about being pulled over or questioned; police officers are authorized to stop and question you. Mouthing off and becoming aggressive towards the police will make the situation much worse.
  3. Obey police officer orders: When a policeman asks you to do something; do it immediately. Remember these men and women are trying to do a job, and sometimes needs to gather facts to do their job. Many of them are scared when they make a stop. Disobeying the police’s orders will only make the situation worse.
  4. Make lifestyle changes: Try to avoid interactions with the police if possible. Most of the things that happen to us are a result of our decisions. Alcohol, outdated license plates, erratic driving are a few contributors to police stops. If you are hanging out late at night, or in places where there is a high probability of a crime, there will likely be a heavy police presence there. You can expect to be stopped by police.
  5. Educate your children: Teach them at an early age about police brutality, what to expect, and how to act if the Police stops them. Explain current events to them in an impartial way, and make them aware of the dangers they face if they break the law, and what can happen to them at the hands of some police officers. Also make sure they understand all police officers are not bad, and out to harm them.

It’s not my intent to downplay police brutality incidents or to be insensitive to anyone who has suffered or died at the hands of the police. The purpose of this article is to offer solutions, and help African Americans understand that engaging law enforcement properly can de-escalate situations, and possibly avoid deadly altercations. I am a middle aged African American male who regrettably has had too many encounters with the police throughout my life. I have never been arrested or beaten by a police officer, nor have I ever been disrespectful or mouthed off to one.

I realize some may feel the solutions offered in this article are pointless, but something has to be done to help save African American lives. Police killed more than 100 African Americans in 2015. I truly believe we can reduce our odds of being shot by a police officer by being polite and compliant. Try these tips the next time you have an encounter with the police, it cannot hurt, and it may just save your life. The tragedies we witnessed on video this week should not have happened. We cannot control police officer’s behavior, but we can control our own.

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