Oddly enough the two parts of the title are related.
Police are an intrusion upon personal freedom. The state’s prying finger into your life, enforcing the laws and silly taboos decreed by those in power. They are tools. Unfortunately, in today’s society the police are a necessary evil. The general population is not intelligent enough (for a number of reasons), to be independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. However, I cannot stress the importance of each individual’s responsibility to be knowledgeable of the rights (few, they may be) allowed them, and to forcibly evoke them whenever necessary. Knowing and using your rights allows for a check on the powers which control you. As you may know, the architects of this country had some pretty damn good ideas, which they included in plain English, in the Bill of Rights. So for those who don’t know what they can do in police situations, I’d like to let you know by dealing with common situations.
Traffic Stop
An officer can only pull you over for a specific reason, which is usually a traffic violation. If those blue lights begin to flash behind you, pull over as soon as possible, park your car and turn the engine off. When the officer arrives at your window, open it only enough to speak with the officer and pass him your documentation. This allows you to cooperate while keeping the cop from sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong – in your car.
Be the first to speak, and be polite. I say this is especially a good idea if the cop is not a douche-bag, and is treating you as an equal as opposed to a subordinate. But if the cop is an asshole off the bat, feel free to shove it back in his face – it’s karma, baby. But for the most part, treat the officer as you would like to be treated.
If a cop asks you, “do you know why I pulled you over?”, just say no. This question is a cruel trick to get you to admit to a crime, and thus waive your fifth amendment right protecting you from self-incrimination: “nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to answer any of an officer’s questions, especially in a traffic stop, and to not give in to an officer’s threats. An officer may offer you an ultimatum, that cooperating now will make things easier for you later, this is also a trick. Politely tell him you have nothing to say, and if continues to badger you, tell him you won’t answer his questions without first consulting a lawyer. I’ve once had a cop say to me “well how about I throw you in a cell, and you can talk to a lawyer then?” Again, more threats, a police officer cannot arrest you for refusing to answer his questions.
The rule of thumb for searches is: if the officer has to ask for your permission to search, it’s because he can’t do so without your permission, so always refuse. If an officer has enough evidence for a search your person, bag, car, etc., he will go ahead and do it, and does not need your permission. For instance, if an officer pulled you over for speeding and he saw what appeared to be drug paraphernalia in the back-seat, he could search your car without a warrant. Without a good reason, the officer cannot conduct a lawful search. So if the officer asks, kindly tell the officer you cannot allow him to search anything without a warrant. Additionally, if you agree to a search of your car, the officer still must have yet another warrant to open and search a bags, briefcases, etc.
If an officer doesn’t ask for permission to search, but asks you to step out of the vehicle – this is another trick. Most people will step out of the car, and leave the door wide open – this allows the cop to search without permission or a warrant. However, if the officer asks, it’s probably best that you do step out of the vehicle, but be sure to close the windows, doors, and lock them. It’ll probably tick the officer off, but rest assured you have done nothing illegal. The officer asked you to step out of the vehicle, and that’s exactly what you did. If he asks to search your car, say no.
At this point, if you’re standing outside of the car, and the policeman is still harassing you, kindly ask if you are free to go. When all is said and done, and you’ve successfully defended yourself against the power of authority, the officer will definitely write you a ticket for whatever moving violation you were stopped for in the first place – but hey, that’s better than having your privacy invaded. And you can always dispute the ticket in traffic court – which is a much better place to be than criminal court.
Street Stop
This kind of stop has happened to me personally. I was in Davis Square (Somerville, MA) one night, walking past a subway station with two friends. We were passing on a thin sidewalk, beside a bicycle parking area. As I walked by, I tugged on a handle bar (don’t ask me why, I didn’t even realize I had done it), and two MBTA Police officers came dashing out of the station and halted us. Apparently, a good number of bicycles had been stolen from the area recently, and the officers we watching out for the perps (two hours prior to this incident my friend was hit by a car on a street adjacent to the station, and yet the officers did nothing, they were concentrating on the bicycles). So the officers stopped all three of us, claiming that we looked suspicious. Fine, I admit, my action may have been suspicious even though I had no intention of stealing the bike. But to the best of my knowledge – looking suspicious is not a crime in itself. So when the officers asked to see my ID, I refused, stating I had done nothing wrong. The officer then continued to coerce me, threatening me with jail etc., but I simply repeated myself. I had not committed any crime, and therefore it was completely unnecessary for the officer to see my ID. Would I have gotten in trouble if I did show him my ID? No, because I don’t have a record, but to me it’s the principle of the matter. I refuse to give into silly, unfounded demands.
So, if you are stopped on the street by an officer – you are NOT required to identify yourself. As with the searches, if the officer had enough evidence against you, he’d tell you and/or arrest you. For example, if the officer saw you shoplifting, and he apprehended you – you would then be required to identify yourself. But just as in my situation – if you have done nothing wrong, and you haven’t broken any laws, you don’t need to show an officer your ID. Looking suspicious is not a crime.
In the Home
Your home is granted the highest level of defense and security from police officers. Remember this, and use it to your advantage. I think a common reason for a house visit is a party that has gotten too loud. If you’re hosting a party, the first line of defense if simply being aware of what is going on in your home.
If there are risky activities going on, like drug or alcohol use, and you don’t like it – then by all means stop it. Otherwise keep your shades down so no one, including the police, can see inside. Keep all entrances closed and locked, and don’t allow your guests to answer the door. Sometimes a guest will answer the door, and being nervous will allow the police inside, allowing the police to commandeer anything in plain sight. An open door will also allow the police to enter without a warrant.
Once there inside, if you have any contraband in plain sight, you’re fucked. However not all is lost, even if an officer enters your house, he must still have permission or a warrant to open an search anything else, like cabinets, closets, dressers, etc.
So, let’s say you’ve locked all your doors, and the cops can’t peek in your windows, so they ring your bell. When you answer the door, open it just enough for yourself to pass through and close the door behind you. This will help prevent the officer(s) (there are usually two for a house call) from seeing/hearing/smelling something that might warrant a search. If they ask to come inside, politely tell them you will not allow them inside without a warrant. 99% of the time, they will leave at this request, because 99.9% of the time, they really can’t go in without a warrant. Take the case of John Coffin, who beat the crap out of two cops, and got off clean because the cops did not have a right to be in his house.
Now onto why I love tits…
Well, who doesn’t? But more importantly why does this relate to my hatred of cops? Photographer Jordan Matter is challenging inequity between the sexes by advocating that women walk around topless when they please, and taking pictures of them! The project is called Uncovered: Busting Out in the Big Apple. He’s received some flak, even from cops despite the fact a topless woman is not illegal in the state of New York. Here in Boston, I would not be surprised to see a woman arrested for not wearing a top. That pisses me off because I don’t think a woman ought to be forced into wearing a top if she doesn’t want to. It’s her choice and the government cannot tell her what to do with her body. And your kids? Don’t worry – a boob is completely natural, and it will not encourage premarital sex, and it won’t fuck up your child’s psyche.
It’s just funny, I think. Horror films containing obscene amounts of violence are allowed to be shown to 17-year-olds, yet Janet Jackson slips a nip, and the FCC freaks out. I can’t possibly be the only person to see the annoying double-standard. Blood and gore is okay, but tits are horribly taboo? I’m not sure people are prone to recreate what they see in entertainment – but I know for damn sure seeing a tit has never inspiring me to kill anyone.
