How/What should kids be taught about handling situations with the police?

[Josie]

We've seen way too many times when police have shot people who refuse to comply with their orders to drop the weapon, put yours hands where I can see them, get on the ground, etc. In most of those cases, IMO, no one would have died if the person had just done what the police officer said to do.

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

At what age should this start? Should this teaching be only at home? At school? Should influential people like famous TikTok'ers, athletes, musicians, etc. be helping kids understand how to handle these situations?

Please discuss your thoughts.

 

[soylentgreen]

We've seen way too many times when police have shot people who refuse to comply with their orders to drop the weapon, put yours hands where I can see them, get on the ground, etc. In most of those cases, IMO, no one would have died if the person had just done what the police officer said to do.

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

At what age should this start? Should this teaching be only at home? At school? Should influential people like famous TikTok'ers, athletes, musicians, etc. be helping kids understand how to handle these situations?

Please discuss your thoughts.

So if I understand the question. It is the police who are behaving badly. But it's the kids that need to be taught how to behave.

 

[Josie]

So if I understand the question. It is the police who are behaving badly. But it's the kids that need to be taught how to behave.

You didn't.

Police can be in the right and sometimes in the wrong. How would you teach kids to behave any both of those situations?

 

[Excast]

Compliance sort of requires a level of trust that the people you are complying with have your best interests at heart. That trust is developed through years of healthy interaction between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

That trust is just non existent in many parts of the country now for a variety of reasons.

 

[multivita-man]

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

Yes, that's what courts are for.

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

To the extent possible, stay calm and comply. Take note of the officer's name, badge number, and at the first opportunity, document the entire episode in as much detail as possible. If you notice any witnesses around who might have observed what happened, have an attorney speak with them. Fight them in a court of law or a court of public opinion, but do not physically resist. It's only going to lead to more trouble. Show the officer deference - that might seem like being a 'wussy' but it's the best way to ensure you don't get your skull bashed in or choked to death.

At what age should this start?

The earlier the better, but typically at any age in which they are likely to start having meaningful interactions with the police - maybe adolescence or above.

Should this teaching be only at home?

Sure, why not?

At school?

Even better, yes.

 

[MaryP]

Compliance sort of requires a level of trust that the people you are complying with have your best interests at heart. That trust is developed through years of healthy interaction between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

That trust is just non existent in many parts of the country now for a variety of reasons.

I've been thinking about that, after another mass shooting in a black crowd where the police can't seem to make any progress. No one likes violence in their neighborhood, but they don't trust law enforcement to help. So people often get away with drive bys and shoot outs, and that only tells others that they can get away with it, too. It's a vicious circle.

 

[soylentgreen]

You didn't.

Police can be in the right and sometimes in the wrong. How would you teach kids to behave any both of those situations?

If the police are in the right then what have you been teaching the kids in the first place that the cops are right to arrest them?

If it is profiling then the cops are at fault and need to be taught.

Do you as a woman need to be taught how to dress sensibly because there are rapists out there? Or should you be able to dress as you see fit and it is the rapist who has all the problems.

You do understand that you have one real ****ed up society when you have to teach children to be afraid of those paid to catch the bad guy.

 

[Goshin]

We've seen way too many times when police have shot people who refuse to comply with their orders to drop the weapon, put yours hands where I can see them, get on the ground, etc. In most of those cases, IMO, no one would have died if the person had just done what the police officer said to do.

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

At what age should this start? Should this teaching be only at home? At school? Should influential people like famous TikTok'ers, athletes, musicians, etc. be helping kids understand how to handle these situations?

Please discuss your thoughts.

What I told my son when he was of an age to start going out alone:

When stopped by the police, assume they consider you dangerous and will shoot you if you twitch wrong.

Do NOT twitch wrong. Do whatever you are told, immediately.

If they are in the wrong we will fight it LATER, with LAWYERS, in COURT.

NEVER fight the police on the side of the road... that never ends well.


Sort of similar to what I told him when he started driving: assume everyone else on the road is half-blind, half-drunk, half-crazy and would LOVE to crash into you if you're not careful!

Some people think my style of parenting is a bit over the top, but I get results and all my kids are still alive...

 

[Josie]

If the police are in the right then what have you been teaching the kids in the first place that the cops are right to arrest them?

What?

If it is profiling then the cops are at fault and need to be taught.

Okay. I'm asking what the kids should be taught to do in that kind of situation.

Do you as a woman need to be taught how to dress sensibly because there are rapists out there? Or should you be able to dress as you see fit and it is the rapist who has all the problems.

Of course the rapist is the problem and women can wear what they want. Women should be smart about keeping themselves safe.

You do understand that you have one real ****ed up society when you have to teach children to afraid of those paid to catch the bad guy.

What?

We're on different wavelengths here.

 

[Mithrae]

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

Of course. Same as any dangerous person with a gun. Seems like career killers and cops are pretty much the two most dangerous types of people an American could come across, folk with the least fear of meaningful consequences if they kill you. Ten to thirty times the rate of civilian killings as most other developed countries, even before considering the claim that coroners mislabel up to half of police killings.

More Than Half of Police Killings Are Mislabeled, New Study Says

Researchers comparing information from death certificates with data from organizations that track police killings in the United States identified a startling discrepancy.

www.nytimes.com

If they are in the wrong we will fight it LATER, with LAWYERS, in COURT.

Some people have the luxury of pursuing complaints quite effectively Others not quite so much. I imagine the cops know that too.

 

[soylentgreen]

What?

One would have to wonder why a kid would think it ok to commit a crime. In most cases it would be because they grew up in an environment where crime was practiced or at least taken for granted.

Okay. I'm asking what the kids should be taught to do in that kind of situation.

Simple enough. Do not confess.

Of course the rapist is the problem and women can wear what they want. Women should be smart about keeping themselves safe.

It would not be enough to just tell children how they must behave if a cop behaves badly. Because an inquisitive child will ask the parent why are cops allowed to behave badly? How does a parent answer that?

What?

We're on different wavelengths here

Perhaps there is some truth to that. I live in a country where the cops do not routinely open carry. The worse they could do would be to tell kids that they will have to phone their parents from the police station.

 

[TheParser]

Please discuss your thoughts.

Everyone of any age should be respectful of and even servile toward the police.

Should always answer "Yes, sir/ma'am."

The police have everything on their side.

You have nothing at the time of the encounter.

Like it or not, you will have to wait until getting a lawyer before you can even begin to contest the cops.

You must obey the cops.

One athlete a while back (in the 1990s?) said he was humiliated beyond words when the Los Angeles police made him lie face down on the street.

Today I do not think the cops make people do that.

Sadly, we have a lot of arrogant and cruel cops.

But that's because this nation is full of many very, very, very vicious people who commit the most horrible crimes imaginable.

 

[Lursa]

We've seen way too many times when police have shot people who refuse to comply with their orders to drop the weapon, put yours hands where I can see them, get on the ground, etc. In most of those cases, IMO, no one would have died if the person had just done what the police officer said to do.

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

At what age should this start? Should this teaching be only at home? At school? Should influential people like famous TikTok'ers, athletes, musicians, etc. be helping kids understand how to handle these situations?

Please discuss your thoughts.

Be honest and tell them that altho the police are not always right, to do exactly what they say and stay calm and say as little as possible. Dont lie and dont consent to any searches (say this politely "Officer I do not consent to a search"...car, phone, person, and tell the kids the cops may do it anyway).

And tell them that you (the parents) will follow up at the police department later. If the cops were wrong, that's where things will be handled.

 

[jamesrage]

We've seen way too many times when police have shot people who refuse to comply with their orders to drop the weapon, put yours hands where I can see them, get on the ground, etc. In most of those cases, IMO, no one would have died if the person had just done what the police officer said to do.

Should kids be taught that they should comply with a police officer's order -- even if they know they've done nothing wrong?

If it's a situation where the police officer is in the wrong, how should kids be taught to handle that situation?

At what age should this start? Should this teaching be only at home? At school? Should influential people like famous TikTok'ers, athletes, musicians, etc. be helping kids understand how to handle these situations?

Please discuss your thoughts.

Yes kids should be taught to respect the police and to comply. 99.999% of the time if you are polite and cooperate with the police you will not get shot by the police. Its when people don't drop the weapon when told to do so, move when told not to or try to resist arrest that they get killed by the police. The public has around 53 million encounters with the 680,000 to 700,000 plus law enforcement officers each year. Only around 1092 to 1146 people(most of which are justified) are killed by the police each year. Weird how .001% of those 53 million encounters with law enforcement each year turns fatal.