Do Police Know Where You Work

Beingness stopped by police is a stressful feel that tin go bad quickly. Here we depict what the law requires and also offer strategies for handling police encounters. We want to be clear: The burden of de-escalation does not fall on private citizens — information technology falls on constabulary officers. However, you cannot presume officers will behave in a way that protects your rubber or that they will respect your rights fifty-fifty afterward you assert them. You may be able to reduce risk to yourself past staying calm and not exhibiting hostility toward the officers. The truth is that there are situations where people have done everything they could to put an officer at ease, still still concluded up injured or killed.

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I've been stopped by the police in public

Your rights

• Yous have the right to remain silent. For case, you do not have to answer whatever questions about where you are going, where yous are traveling from, what you are doing, or where you alive. If y'all wish to exercise your right to remain silent, say and so out loud. (In some states, you may be required to provide your name if asked to identify yourself, and an officeholder may arrest y'all for refusing to exercise so.)
• You exercise not have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings, only police may pat downwards your clothing if they suspect a weapon. Note that refusing consent may not stop the officer from carrying out the search against your volition, just making a timely objection before or during the search can help preserve your rights in whatever later legal proceeding.
• If you are arrested by police, you accept the right to a government-appointed lawyer if you cannot afford one.
• You lot exercise not have to answer questions almost where yous were built-in, whether y'all are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the state. (Separate rules use at international borders and airports as well as for individuals on sure nonimmigrant visas, including tourists and business travelers. For more specific guidance about how to deal with immigration-related questions, meet our immigrants' rights department.)

How to reduce risk to yourself

• Stay calm. Don't run, resist, or obstruct the officers. Do not lie or give imitation documents. Continue your hands where the police tin see them.

What to practise if you are arrested or detained

• Say y'all wish to remain silent and enquire for a lawyer immediately. Don't give any explanations or excuses. Don't say annihilation, sign anything, or brand any decisions without a lawyer.
• If you have been arrested by police, you have the right to brand a local phone call. The police cannot listen if you call a lawyer. They can and often practice listen if y'all call anyone else.

If you believe your rights were violated

• Write down everything you think, including officers' badges and patrol car numbers, which bureau the officers were from, and any other details. Get contact information for witnesses.
• If you're injured, seek medical attention immediately and take photographs of your injuries.
• File a written complaint with the agency's internal affairs partition or noncombatant complaint board. In most cases, you lot can file a complaint anonymously if y'all wish.

What you tin do if you recall yous're witnessing police corruption or brutality

• Stand at a safety distance and, if possible, use your phone to record video of what is happening. As long as you lot do not interfere with what the officers are doing and do non stand shut enough to obstruct their movements, you lot have the right to find and tape events that are obviously visible in public spaces.
• Practice non endeavour to hide the fact that you are recording. Police officers do not accept a reasonable expectation of privacy when performing their jobs, just the people they are interacting with may have privacy rights that would crave you lot to notify them of the recording. In many states (meet here) you must affirmatively make people aware that you are recording them.
• Police force officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, and they may not delete your photographs or video nether any circumstances. If an officer orders yous to stop recording or orders you to hand over your phone, y'all should politely only firmly tell the officer that you lot do not consent to doing then, and remind the officer that taking photographs or video is your correct under the First Amendment. Be aware that some officers may abort you lot for refusing to comply even though their orders are illegal. The arrest would exist unlawful, but you lot will need to weigh the personal risks of arrest (including the chance that officer may search you lot upon arrest) against the value of continuing to record.
• Whether or not yous are able to record everything, make sure to write down everything you call up, including officers' badge and patrol motorcar numbers, which agency the officers were from, how many officers were present and what their names were,  any use of weapons (including less-lethal weapons such as Tasers or batons), and whatsoever injuries suffered by the person stopped. If y'all are able to speak to the person stopped by police after the law leave, they may observe your contact data helpful in case they decide to file a complaint or pursue a lawsuit against the officers.

Additional resources

If you need more than information, contact your local ACLU affiliate.

I've been pulled over by the law

Your rights

• Both drivers and passengers accept the right to remain silent.
• If you're a passenger, y'all can inquire if you lot're free to leave. If yes, you may silently go out.

How to reduce take a chance to yourself

• Cease the machine in a safe place every bit chop-chop as possible.
• Plow off the car, turn on the internal calorie-free, open the window part way, and identify your hands on the bike. If you lot're in the passenger seat, put your hands on the dashboard.
• Upon request, show police your driver'southward license, registration, and proof of insurance.
• Avoid making sudden movements, and keep your hands where the officeholder can run across them.

What to do if you are arrested or detained

• Say y'all wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't give any explanations or excuses. Don't say anything, sign anything, or make any decisions without a lawyer.
• If y'all have been arrested past police, you accept the correct to brand a local phone call. The police cannot mind if you lot call a lawyer. They can and often will listen to a call made to anyone else.

If y'all believe your rights were violated

• Write down everything you remember, including officers' badges and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, and any other details. Get contact data for witnesses.
• If y'all're injured, seek medical attention immediately and take photographs of your injuries.
• File a written complaint with the agency's internal affairs division or civilian complaint board. In most cases, you can file a complaint anonymously if you lot wish.

What y'all can do if yous think you're witnessing police abuse or brutality

• Stand at a safe distance and, if possible, employ your phone to record video of what is happening. Equally long as yous practise non interfere with what the officers are doing and do not stand shut enough to obstruct their movements, you have the correct to observe and record events that are patently visible in public spaces.
• Practise non try to hide the fact that you are recording. Police officers do not accept a reasonable expectation of privacy when performing their jobs, but the people they are interacting with may have privacy rights that would require you to notify them of the recording. In many states (see here) yous must affirmatively make people aware that you are recording them.
• Police officers may non confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, and they may not delete your photographs or video nether whatever circumstances. If an officeholder orders you to cease recording or orders you lot to hand over your telephone, you should politely but firmly tell the officer that you do not consent to doing and so, and remind the officeholder that taking photographs or video is your right nether the First Amendment. Be aware that some officers may abort you lot for refusing to comply even though their orders are illegal. The arrest would exist unlawful, merely you will need to weigh the personal risks of arrest (including the risk that officer may search you upon arrest) against the value of continuing to tape.
• Whether or not you are able to record everything, make sure to write down everything you remember, including officers' badge and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, how many officers were present and what their names were,  any employ of weapons (including less-lethal weapons such as Tasers or batons), and any injuries suffered by the person stopped. If yous are able to speak to the person stopped by police afterwards the police leave, they may find your contact information helpful in example they decide to file a complaint or pursue a lawsuit against the officers.

Additional resources

If you demand more information, contact your local ACLU chapter.

The police are at my door

Your rights and how to reduce risk to yourself

•  Y'all should non invite the officer into your house. Talk with the officers through the door and ask them to show you identification. You do not take to let them in unless they can show you a warrant signed by a judicial officer that lists your address as a place to be searched or that has your name on it every bit the discipline of an arrest warrant .
•  Ask the officer to slip the warrant nether the door or hold it upwardly to the window and then you can read it. A search warrant allows police to enter the address listed on the warrant, but officers can only search the areas and for the items listed. An abort warrant has the name of the person to be arrested.
•   Even if officers take a warrant, y'all have the right to remain silent. You should not respond questions or speak to the officers while they are in your business firm conducting their search. Stand silently and observe what they do, where they go, and what they take. Write down everything you observed as soon as you can.

 When your rights have been violated

• Write down everything you lot call up, including officers' badge and patrol car numbers, which bureau the officers were from, and whatever other details. Get contact information for witnesses.
• File a written complaint with the agency's internal affairs division or civilian complaint board. In most cases, you can file a complaint anonymously if y'all wish.

How to exist a responsible bystander

• If you are a guest inside the house and end upwardly answering the door, you should brand clear to the police that yous are a guest and practise non accept the authority to let them inside without the homeowner's permission.

Boosted resources

If you need more than information, contact your local ACLU affiliate.

I've been arrested past the law

How to fix for possible arrest

• Prepare yourself and your family in example yous are arrested. Memorize the phone numbers of your family and your lawyer. Make emergency plans if you have children or take medication.

Your rights

• Say yous wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't answer whatever questions or give whatever explanations or excuses. If you tin can't pay for a lawyer, you take the right to a gratuitous one. Don't say anything, sign anything or make whatever decisions without a lawyer.
• You lot have the correct to brand a local phone call. The police cannot listen if you call a lawyer. They can and frequently will listen to a call made to anyone else.

How to reduce risk to yourself

• Practise not resist arrest, even if you believe the abort is unfair. Follow the officers' commands.

When your rights have been violated

• Write downwards everything y'all remember, including officers' badge and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, and whatever other details. Get contact information for witnesses.
• File a written complaint with the agency'southward internal affairs sectionalisation or civilian complaint lath. In well-nigh cases, you can file a complaint anonymously if you wish.

What you lot tin do if yous call up you're witnessing constabulary abuse or brutality

• Stand up at a safe altitude and, if possible, use your phone to tape video of what is happening. As long as y'all do non interfere with what the officers are doing and practice not stand close enough to obstruct their movements, yous have the right to find and record events that are evidently visible in public spaces.
• Practise not try to hide the fact that you are recording. Police force officers do non have a reasonable expectation of privacy when performing their jobs, only the people they are interacting with may have privacy rights that would crave you lot to notify them of the recording. In many states (see here) you must affirmatively make people enlightened that you lot are recording them.
• Police officers may not confiscate or need to view your photographs or video without a warrant, and they may not delete your photographs or video under whatever circumstances. If an officer orders you to finish recording or orders you to paw over your phone, you should politely but firmly tell the officer that you practice non consent to doing so, and remind the officer that taking photographs or video is your correct under the Start Amendment. Be aware that some officers may abort yous for refusing to comply fifty-fifty though their orders are illegal. The arrest would be unlawful, but you volition need to weigh the personal risks of arrest (including the adventure that officeholder may search you lot upon abort) against the value of continuing to record.
• Whether or not you lot are able to record everything, make certain to write down everything you remember, including officers' badge and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, how many officers were nowadays and what their names were, any use of weapons (including less-lethal weapons such as Tasers or batons), and any injuries suffered past the person stopped. If you lot are able to speak to the person stopped by police after the police leave, they may find your contact information helpful in instance they make up one's mind to file a complaint or pursue a lawsuit against the officers.

Boosted resource

If yous demand more information, contact your local ACLU affiliate.

The police violated my rights

• When you tin, write downward everything you retrieve, including the officers' badge and patrol car numbers and the bureau they work for.
• Get contact information for witnesses.
• If you're injured, seek medical attention immediately and take photographs of your injuries.
• File a written complaint with the bureau'due south internal affairs sectionalisation or civilian complaint lath.

Boosted resources

If y'all need more data, contact your local ACLU chapter.

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Do Police Know Where You Work

Source: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/stopped-by-police/