Please Stay Safe Y'all! Pt. 1

Know Your Rights: Because Legally Cops Don't Have To

(Yes Really!)

(Heien v. North Carolina)

The Myths:

Cops Can’t Lie: Cops can and do lie as a routine part of their job. They do not have to identify themselves as cops, they’re allowed to lie about the evidence they have to encourage confessions, and they absolutely cannot promise you a lesser sentence in exchange for cooperation.

Police Exist To Protect You: Police legally have no obligation to protect or serve citizens, as ruled by Warren v. D.C. where cops were informed a sexual assault was occuring but repeatedly chose not to respond. This set the legal precedent for the dismissal of the school officer who chose not to assist during the Parkland Shooting. However, they do tend to respond to property laws, ex. Can’t help a starving homeless man but routinely arrest him for eating out of a dumpster, living outside, or begging for help. 

Police Are Just Looking Out For You: Again, some might, but none have an obligation to but all of them have professional incentives to write more tickets/make arrests, and are trained to treat everyone as a potential threat. They only inform you of your rights if you are under arrest AND being interrogated, and anything you say outside of that can be used against you, even if you didn’t know. Questions like “Do you know why I stopped you?” are designed for self incrimination. It’s safer to stay silent except for your State’s ‘Stop and Identify’ requirements (LEARN THEM)!

DISCLAIMER: This is from a pamphlet I got from a radical book fair about 2-3 years ago. If anyone knowledgeable sees any information that might be incorrect, PLEASE don't hesitate to correct me in the comments. STAY SAFE EVERYONE!