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Kate Briquelet reports in the NY Post that Principal Mark Federman of East Side Community HS has invited the New York Civil Liberties Union to give a two-day training session to 450 students on interacting with police. “We’re not going to candy-coat things — we have a problem in our city that’s affecting young men of color and all of our students,” says Federman.
“It’s not about the police being bad. This isn’t anti-police as much as it’s pro-young people . . . It’s about what to do when kids are put in a position where they feel powerless and uncomfortable.” The hourlong workshops — held in small classroom sessions during advisory periods — focused on the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program and how to exercise Fourth Amendment rights when being stopped and questioned in a car or at home.
Some law-enforcement experts say the NYCLU is going beyond civics lessons and doling out criminal-defense advice. “It’s unlikely that a high school student would come away with any other conclusion than the police are a fearful group to be avoided at all costs,” says Eugene O’Donnell, a former police officer and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. NYCLU representatives told kids to be polite and to keep their hands out of their pockets. But they also told students they don’t have to show ID or consent to searches, that it’s best to remain silent, and how to file a complaint against an officer. Candis Tolliver, NYCLU’s associate director for advocacy, says was the first time she trained an entire high school. “This is not about teaching kids how to get away with a crime or being disrespectful. This is about making sure both sides are walking away from the situation safe and in control.”
(Score: 5, Insightful) by aristarchus on Monday November 24 2014, @06:14AM
“It’s unlikely that a high school student would come away with any other conclusion than the police are a fearful group to be avoided at all costs,” says Eugene O’Donnell, a former police officer and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
O'Donnell seems to imply that this is an incorrect perception! Anytime the police are objecting to students being taught their constitutional rights, it is not all that unreasonable to conclude they should be avoided at all cost.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by quadrox on Monday November 24 2014, @06:29AM
In the us my very few interactions with the police have been pleasant enough, but back here in Europe, my conclusion is that all police are either power hungry assholes, and/or lazy careless bastards. Just last night I had an unmarked police car pass me by, just to switch to my lane and slow down, forcing me to break. I used my horn, then they stopped me by turning on their fancy lights. They demanded to know why I was using my horn, and walked up to me displaying their gun ready to draw, and generally behaved as if they owned the land. They hassled me with all the checks they are legally allowed to make, but admittedly they didn't go further than that.
And just to be clear, I am dressed like your typical office worker with shirt and all, so it isn't like I was looking like someone especially dangerous.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 24 2014, @07:32AM
Where is back here in europe, don't just put us all in one basket.
(Score: 2) by quadrox on Monday November 24 2014, @07:46AM
Mostly my experiences are from Denmark and Germany.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by cubancigar11 on Monday November 24 2014, @07:59AM
I had consistent bad experience all over France. I am Indian. I have been stopped, taken over to police station, one policemen started behaving as if he has caught a criminal in front of others, passport taken for 'inspection' (and then returned after 10 minutes), taken to railway station where my stuff was in the locker and asked to show what was in it (nothing but dirty socks that smelled so bad, they refused to check other bags :p), handcuffed for an hour then released.
In Germany, policemen have only stopped me to check ID and then left me alone, but I also had good encounters - once in Frankfurt I was confused which S-Bahn to take and was running all over the station trying to figure it out (I spoke no German then) when a policewoman came and helped me out.
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Monday November 24 2014, @06:06PM
Cops are killer gangs. NYPD? Ask Frank Serpico [politico.com].
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Monday November 24 2014, @03:16PM
I'm going to have to conclude that you are mostly if not entirely white. Because dressing like a typical office worker when you're black often does you no good at all (black friends of mine are very clear about this point).
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Informative) by mcgrew on Monday November 24 2014, @05:14PM
I got pulled over for "driving while black" in Florida, and I'm white. They pulled me over because the passenger was black, asshole cop wanted to search the car. I told her to get a warrant, she had no reason to believe there were drugs in the car or any other criminality. I'd have sued the shit out of them for a civil rights violation if they'd gotten the warrant, but she just let us go.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Monday November 24 2014, @06:11PM
I live and drive almost daily on the "California Autobahn" where 80 Mph is standard.
Unless you're black. Right at 65 - 'cause it's just not worth the hassle. And then, there's always Oscar Grant, not quite in the back-of-mind.
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Monday November 24 2014, @05:10PM
In the us my very few interactions with the police have been pleasant enough, but back here in Europe, my conclusion is that all police are either power hungry assholes, and/or lazy careless bastards.
I would bet you're white. There is an awful lot of racism in the US, just look at Ferguson, or the cop in the northeast who was filmed shooting a black man. Most cops are cowardly bullies. The firefighters are a city's true heroes, risking injury or death to save people.
Only cowards carry guns unless there's a war.
If you're white and respectful, they won't bother you, but google for "driving while black".
just to switch to my lane and slow down, forcing me to break.
That was finny! I do realize that English probably isn't your native language since you're European and the US school system is abysmal. It's "brake". Damned homophones!
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 24 2014, @06:13PM
In the UK, you are not supposed to use your horn except in very specific circumstance. The one you describe was not one of them, and could be considered misuse.
(Score: 2) by quadrox on Monday November 24 2014, @08:31PM
You are absolutely correct. However, while I do my best to remain calm while driving, there is only so much bullshit you can take in a day. I had had my fill already, and I overreacted - bad luck that it happened with a police car.
But none of that is truly relevant to the topic, the police still behaved quite unprofessionally, and they did their best to inconvenience me as payback for pointing it out.