☛ Answer all questions. Your answers should befactual to the best of your knowledge.

☛ Remember, you are not required to givetestimony against yourself. You have FifthAmendment rights.

☛ Do not “bad mouth” or walk away from lawenforcement officials, even in instances where youfeel they are wrong. If the police officer behavesinappropriately, report his or her misconduct to asuperior officer at a later time.

☛ If an officer has a “reasonable suspicion” thatyou may be carrying a weapon or illegal substance,you may be subjected to a “pat-down” search. Donot resist the search. Obey all requests made of youunless the request poses a risk to your personalsafety or well-being. In that case, ask for a meetingwith the officer’s supervisor.

☛ Slow down; pull over safely when you can. Ifthe police vehicle is unmarked and you cannotidentify the driver as a uniformed police officer,drive below the speed limit to a well-lit, populatedspot and then pull over.

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☛ Stay in the driver’s seat withboth hands in sight on thesteering wheel. Do not exit yourcar unless asked to do so.Getting out of your car can beperceived as aggressive behaviorand a threat to the officer’s safety.

Turn on your interior light if stopped at night.

☛ Comply with the officer’s request to see yourdriver’s license and/or registration. If they are in theglove box or under the seat, state that and thenretrieve them slowly.

☛ If the officer has “probable cause,” your car canbe searched without a court-issued warrant. If youare the driver and/or owner of the car and do notwant your vehicle searched, clearly inform theofficer of your non-consent in a polite manner.

☛ If you are issued a ticket, sign it. Signing aticket is not an admission of guilt — only an acknowledgment of receiving the ticket. However,refusal to sign a ticket could result in your beingarrested and facing additional charges.

☛ If you are suspected of drunk driving, cooperatewith the officer(s) on the scene. If you refuse tosubmit to breath, blood or performance tests, yourrefusal may be interpreted as an indication of guiltin later court proceedings. This could result in lossof driving privileges and/or heavy fines.

☛ Get out of the automobile if asked to do so.

☛ Most officers will not provide specific reasons forthe stop until they have your license andregistration in hand. Therefore, they will avoidhaving to debate the reason for the stop before theyreceive these items from you.

☛ If you wish to offer an explanation of yourcircumstances when stopped, do so before theofficer returns to his vehicle. The officer cannotvoid the ticket once it has been written. If youbelieve you have been treated unfairly, present yourcase in traffic court and not to the officer along theroadside.

☛ First, make sure each individual is really a lawenforcement representative by requesting to see abadge and/or identification card. Be pleasant butserious.

☛ Make sure the officers are at the correct houseby asking, “How can I help you?” and/or “Whatbrings you to my residence?” They should have awarrant, be actively investigating a crime, or be in“hot pursuit” of an individual suspected ofcommitting a crime and running into your house.If the officers do not have a warrant or are not inhot pursuit, you can deny entry.

☛ Determine the type of warrant — body orsearch. A body warrant means that the officers are

seeking an individual and,therefore, cannot searchdrawers and places not largeenough for an individual tohide. A search warrant allowsofficers to search all places inwhich the items listed on thewarrant can be hidden.

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☛ When you are taken into custody, make surethat your house or car is secure.

☛ Make sure you have been informed as to whyyou are being arrested.

NOTE: A lawyer should be called as soon as possible.The advice of an attorney is extremely important earlyin the process.

☛ Under no circumstances should you makeincriminating statements which might be used against you at a later time.

☛ In most states, you must betaken before a judge, magistrate,constable or court commissionerwithin 24 hours of your arrest.You should secure legalrepresentation before this initialcourt appearance.

☛ Ask to telephone yourparent, guardian, or lawyer immediately. You havethe right to make one phone call to the person ofyour choice; use it. You also have the right toprivacy during the call. If this right is denied, donot cause a confrontation that might result inadditional charges being filed against you.

☛ You should always have the number of a lawyeror a person you can rely on to get you an attorneyif your lawyer is unavailable. Keep a record of thatnumber, as well as the name and number of alawyer from the local Public Defender’s office, inyour wallet or purse.

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☛ Law enforcement misconduct is loosely definedas “improper and/or illegal action(s) and/or conductby an officer.” Some of the more frequent types ofmisconduct are:- Physical Abuse — slaps, kicks, punches,

choke-holds, beatings, flashlight and night stick blows, tight handcuffs, unnecessary use of firearms

- Verbal Abuse — name calling, use of racial slurs

☛ The best way to avoid officer misconduct is tonot provoke the officers while having a discussionabout law enforcement matters. Showing off forfriends and family will only get you arrested andpossibly injured. Comply first and then seek anexplanation from the officer or his/her supervisorlater.

☛ Innocent individuals areoften offended, angered, or bothas a result of being detained by an officer for questioning.Although the delay might beinconvenient for you, the officerbelieves that there is a reason(probable cause) to stop you andask questions. Examples ofprobable cause might include questioning about acrime or incident which occurred recently in thearea, someone placing a complaint about your

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presence, or suspicious activity.The police officer usually doesnot want to detain you anylonger than necessary. A fewminutes of cooperation willspeed up the process and getyou on your way.

☛ Do not resist arrest for any reason.

☛ Control your emotions.

☛ Do not make threatening motions orstatements to the officers talking to you.

☛ Never attempt to interfere with the arrest ofothers who may be with you.

☛ Always note the name of the officers withwhom you come in contact.

☛ Report cases of officer misconduct immediatelyfollowing your release from police custody.

☛ Record, document and describe any case ofofficer misconduct in a typewritten statement.Have your summary of the incident notarizedwithin 72 hours of its occurrence.

Laws and law enforcement procedures may varyfrom state to state. You should consult an attorneyor law enforcement representative who is familiarwith the laws in your state.

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CAUTIONof

For more information or to obtain additionalcopies of this brochure, contact:

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People4805 Mt. Hope DriveBaltimore, MD 21215Ph. (410) 358-8900

Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP National Board of Directors

Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO, NAACPLeroy W. Warren, Jr., Chairman, Criminal Justice Committee, National Board of Directors

National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives4609 Pinecrest Office Park Drive, Suite FAlexandria, VA 22312-1442Ph. (703) 658-1529

Robert Stewart, Executive DirectorDoris Bey, Director, Training and EducationChester White, Director, Communication

Allstate Insurance CompanyC/O A-Three ServicesP.O. Box 3173Northbrook, IL 60065-3173Ph. 1-888-505-4NPP

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