Tips for Avoiding Police HarassmentAvoiding police harassment means behaving smartly and legally. It also means being an active documenter of police misbehavior. Documentation is necessary to hold the police accountable for what they did (after the fact) as well as seeking injunctions before they do stuff. An injunction is impossible without good documentation, so if you want the lawyers to file one, it's up to you!
Documentation ProceduresPolice harassment is a violation of your constitutional rights. Document every incident of harassment and submit the documentation to your legal advocate.
Carry a notebook and pen for this purpose at all times. Focusing on documentation can help you stay calm and focused during an incident.
If you are not the target of the police attention but you are nearby, do something useful - document! don't just watch! You will NOT remember, so get out your notebook and write it down!
If you are a witness, your documentation is as important as the victim(s), write it down and give it to your legal advocate
Harassment includes:
- police surveillance of any kind
- police drive-bys and walk-bys (note vehicles, costumes, and equipment)
- police asking questions
- stop-and-search (say repeatedly "i do not consent to this search")
- searches by officer of a different gender than the person being searched
- detention
- arrest
- jaywalking tickets, harassment of people sitting on the sidewalk, using the parks
- stopping your car for no apparent reason or for very trivial reasons
- searching your vehicle (say repeatedly and loudly "i do not consent to this search")
- confiscation of your possessions
Documentation includes as much of the following as possible:
- date and time of the incident
- location of the incident (nearest actual street address)
- which agency or agencies were involved (if officers are wearing different uniforms, or their cars are painted differently you've got more than one agency involved.)
- number of officers involved and distances from incident (look behind you for the backup.)
- equipment involved (vehicles, weapons, wearing riot gear?)
- commanding officer: you have the right to know who is in charge of the operation and you can spontaneously appoint a police liaison to talk with that person (talking with the others will not get you anywhere). Write down this person's name right away.
- badge numbers, car numbers
As soon as possible after the incident, write down every detail about what the police said and did before you forget. Note any threats they made, laying people down on the ground, pointing weapons at people, blocking observers' cameras, confiscating things, grabbing things out of peoples' hands, abusive language, etc. You do not need to write down everything you and any others involved said. Focus on what the law enforcement officials said, get it down verbatim asap. Get this documentation to a safe place (off your person) as soon as possible.
Re-write it neatly and deliver the documentation to your legal advocate along with any photos, video, or audio recordings you managed to make of the incident. Make sure that each item you give is marked with the incident date, time, location (closest intersection) and long-term contact information for you (how to contact you in 1-6 months when lawsuits are being filed).