From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ COPS MOST OFTEN ACT LIKE THUGS. NEVER FORGET IT, OR YOU MAY REGRET IT. It must be understood that the police in America, at all levels from beat cop to the head of the CIA, lie and abuse the law whenever it suits them. If you are ever questioned by the police, you *must* keep in mind that the interviewers will *lie* to you about *anything* they think will help them make you say something that will incriminate you, helping their case and -- perhaps most important of all -- increase their promotion potential. No matter WHAT they say, you have the right to be silent. It is crucial that you use this right. If you don't use it, then you don't have it. It's that simple. Here are some lies cops routinely use to frighten the innocent: "Your friends have already told us everything. We have you on tape doing blah blah blah. So and so turned you in. Your girlfriend is testifying against you to get a lighter sentence. If you tell us everything now, we'll put in a good word for you with the prosecutor. We'll suggest that he/she drop the case, if you cooperate. If you don't, then you're looking at 10 to life in prison. You know what other inmates like to do with people like you? It's not pretty. If you don't cooperate, we'll arrest so and so too and charge her with conspiracy. You know, there may have been a death involved in this case. We can't tell you anything more about it, but if you don't cooperate and tell us who else is involved, we'll charge you with aiding and abetting the murder. The prosecutor will likely ask for the death penalty... So why don't you make it easy on yourself? Your friends just aren't worth it. They've all betrayed you anyway. Tell us what we want to know, and we'll let you go. We'll try and see that the case is dropped." Etc., etc., etc. You get the picture. EVERYTHING said could be a complete fabrication, but such tactics are legal and ROUTINELY used by the police. In addition, as in Chicago, the cops have some, shall we say, more intensive techniques... like electric charges to the genitals, suffocating prisoners with plastic bags over their heads, and sticking prisoner's heads under water, burning them with cigarettes, and playing Russian roulette. This is not some fantasy; it was recently proven by a blue ribbon commission in Chicago, and had been going on for more than ten years. It was only through persistent, aggressive, long-term grass-roots political action that the major criminal cop who conducted such "interviews" was dismissed. He was not prosecuted, though he tortured hundreds of people over the years. He is now retired, with a full pension. It was a huge struggle just to get him to retire, and there are thousands more just like him around the country. This sort of behavior is institutionalized in America. The leaders of the thugs who have killed 15,000 Haitians over the past ten years were trained at Fort Benning Georgia, at the School of the Americas. Most of the violent dictators in Central and South America and their official killers have been trained in torture and oppression by our military and security state apparatus. The main point of this tirade is this: don't talk to the police without a competent attorney present. Don't believe ANYTHING the police say to you. They are experts at using fear and coercion to make people sign away their freedom. Or, in the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine, of appearing to "be your friend" in order to get you to incriminate yourself. Don't buy it. You can't go wrong by saying the following: "I have nothing to say until I speak with my attorney." And then shut your mouth. And keep it shut. Cops are very good at figuring out what to say to scare you into spilling your guts. This makes their job much easier, and they will always take the easy route if it offers itself. It's natural to be afraid if you are detained and harassed by people with guns, people who have the power to assault you with virtual impunity. The police know this, and depend on it. Just don't let your reasonable fear get the best of you. If you are arrested or detained, for God's sake keep your mouth SHUT, SHUT, SHUT!! Demand to speak to attorney. Demand to make a phone call. Then zip it. By the way, if a cop comes calling and "just wants to talk to you", you are under NO obligation to talk to him. In fact, speaking to a cop who "just wants to chat" can be extremely dangerous. Once you begin talking to him, there are a whole variety of things that he could claim give him "probable cause" to detain you. Remember, it doesn't have to be true. If a cop crooks his finger and motions you to come his way, just say "I'm sorry, but I am busy and cannot speak to you." Then walk away immediately. If the officer persists or follows you, then ask "Am I being detained?" If the officer says "No, but..." then get the hell out of there. If he says "Yes, you are being detained", or if he restrains you or physically impedes you, then ask "Why am I being detained?" He is "suppose" to have a specific, enunciatable reason to suspect you of a crime. By law, he "should" be able to enunciate this suspicion to you. But don't count on it. Voice your objections, cooperate, and then write down the whole episode as soon as you can. If you are detained, the officer may legally frisk you for weapons. But he may *not* legally search your person or belongings unless he has a warrant, or places you under arrest. Despite this, police commonly conduct illegal searches, under color of "looking for weapons". If you feel that an officer is searching you in an improper or illegal manner, make your opposition very clear, BUT DO NOT RESIST. Cops *love* citizens who resist. It gives them an excuse to beat the shit out of you. Don't give them that excuse. Make careful mental notes of everything that happens, and then write it down as soon as you possibly can. This is very important, as contemporaneous notes can carry heavy weight in a trial, especially when the officer is lying through his teeth. It's often difficult for cops to keep their lies straight. It comes down to this: the police are not your friends. Not unless you happen to be white, rich and well connected. The police are not your parents. They cannot be trusted to be fair, to tell the truth, to uphold the law, or to act professionally. Police are basically lazy and over confident, counting on *you* to abandon your rights and blab yourself into a conviction. And then they'll use you to get your friends. One of the most widely used tactics -- a huge percentage of drug convictions use this tactic -- is grounded on "turning" casual users after a drug bust, especially young, frightened, middle class people. They are told they will go to prison for X number of years unless they turn in others. This is a VERY common police procedure. The cops use it because they don't have to do much leg work, and the poor saps who fall for it take all the risks. And then, quite often, the police don't honor their bargain. So you end up in jail, and so do your friends. Most cops think they are cowboys, and they LOVE to exercise power: beat people up, scare people, harass people. They more or less hold the average citizen in contempt. And those citizens associated with drug "crimes" are quite frankly considered less than human. If you have any doubts about this, hang out with Afro-americans, or with Latinos. Ask them to tell you about the police. Or better yet, hang out with the police, and ask them to tell you about citizens. Most cops operate under the assumption that the whole citizenry is "guilty" of something. They just haven't been caught yet. In America, over 1,000 people A DAY are arrested for marijuana related "crimes". According the October 5th issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, 60% of Federal prisoners are there on drug convictions. Pursuing the War on (some) Drugs is a big-money industry. Small cities make huge amounts of cash through forfeiture laws. There need be no charges filed, no trial, and no chance for you to confront your accusers. If the authorities say that you have drug-related property -- your house, your car, personal possessions, your bank account, your business -- they can seize it all. Your property is then sold, and the proceeds are split between the Federal government and the local jurisdiction. In these times of shrinking budgets, forfeiture is often the only way a police department can come up with extra money for new equipment. 100s of millions of dollars are seized this way every year. Undercover police cars are almost exclusively obtained through drug "crime" forfeiture. So the cop that sets you up this month may be driving your car next month. As anyone who reads the papers knows, forfeiture horror stories are legion. If you are "accused", it is up to *you* to prove the police wrong. And you must pay for your own attorney. Cases frequently stretch on for years. Judges are *very* prone to believe anything the police say. Unless you can come up with some heavy political juice, you have about a 10% chance of winning a jury trial. Remember: NEVER let a cop into your home or into your car without a warrant. Period!! No exceptions!! And NEVER believe anything they say to you. NEVER SPEAK TO AN OFFICER -- DEA, IRS, INS, and FBI INCLUDED -- UNLESS HE/SHE HAS A WARRANT. Just shut the door, or walk away. This is very important. It could save you years in prison and a ruined life. For many, many officers, there is NOTHING they won't do or say during an arrest, or later, to get a conviction. Unfortunately, this is the real world in America today. Keep your wits about you, and you can reduce the chances of becoming a victim of the Criminal "Justice" System. But if you trust the cops, you're setting yourself up to get burned. The police in this country truly deserve to be regarded as just another kind of armed, violent criminal. If Peace Officers wish to be seen in a different light, then they should mitigate their unlawful behavior, and truly Serve and Protect the citizens who pay their salaries. Until that bright day, all of us will profit from being VERY CAREFUL around the police. The evidence is clear: Police are not to be trusted. Be non-violent, be informed, and stay free. dd -- == Daniel Davidson == San Francisco State University davidson@mercury.sfsu.edu It is considered appropriate to sustain conditions which are against the best interests of almost everyone. ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)