How to Survive a Bad Cop

As the events of Ferguson play themselves out it bears repeating that racism is alive and kicking, but there are some ways to combat it. Although most cops are not part of the problem, and actually do a great job at it, with some going above and beyond the call of duty, there are still a lot of cops that bring their issues to work. An encounter with that cop at the wrong time could end with you in a bad position and possibly dead. However, it is possible to deal with the situation and be around the next day. Here are some tips on how to survive a encounter with a racist cop, or even one that is having a really bad day.

1) Travel in packs. I know it's a horror movie cliche, but by yourself you present an easier target than if you are with friends. If the cop is looking for an easy target, he's looking for an individual, not a group. Even a pair presents a challenge that may not be worth it. More to the point, if something bad does goes down, the other person can run and get some help.  So when possible, travel in a goup.

2) Drop the attitude. This is one time you need to be respectful of the cop, and preferably without sarcasm. Most cops are just doing their job, and the sooner they are done with you the quicker they are going to move on to someone else. Also, if you get a reputation for being nice to the cops, if something goes down you may get a little leeway and questions may get asked that act in your defense. If the cop is there looking for a reason to bust you, being respectful and meaning it is the best way to defuse him. On the other hand, if you act disrespectful and goad him, odds are good that he will respond in kind and that will usually not end good for you.

3) Do what he says. Most cops know the limits, legal and courtesy, of the situation and play to those limits. However, some cops abuse their power and will do things they know are illegal just to show that they can. The best you can do is play through the situation and let the bully do what he wants. Once the situation is over and the cop leaves, the situation changes. You want to survive it, preferably uninjured, and the only way to do that is to do what the cop says. And, yeah; that starts when he shouts "FREEZE!"; do not move.

4) After the situation: Tell an adult what happened immediately and let them handle the situation, even if you have to push a little. Even if the situation is ignored, you want it on the record and the easiest way to do that is to phone it in. At the very least, unless the precinct commander is an idiot or corrupt himself, eventually enough complaints will come in that they will hit a critical mass and something will be done about the cop, even if it's just putting him at the desk. Also, if the cop is sued or prosecuted, you then have a record of the abuse. But those complaints need to be raised first for anyone to do anything about them.

5) Be able to hit record in one motion, or at least remember to tell the phone to record as the cop pulls up. You need to realize that the more evidence you have against a cop or a group of cops, the more solid your case is. Being able to hit the record button as you are puting the phone down gives you two advantages: You can get at least an audi recording of the event that can be used later, and you start the encounter by giving the cop some respect by showing you are focusing on him. As most cops will ignore the phone it has the potential to be a great evidence collector. And if you happen to be on the phone with someone when the cops show up, have that someone start recording and don't hang up. Yeah; A lot of jurisdictions have laws against recording a private conversation, but a conversation with a cop is considered public record and therefore not covered.

Remember to travel in packs, treat the cop respectfully and do what he says, record everything a cop says, and make sure you tell someone later: This advice should help you survive an encounter with a bad cop and put him away if something happens. But may you not require it!

Responsibility and the Teenage Boy

Responsibility is one of those nasty paradoxes for kids. On one hand, it's one of those that they want more of in order to prove that can be trusted. On the other hand, it can make your life a lot more interestng and in ways you don't want it to be.

So let's cover the bad news first. Taking on responsibility sucks. It means that you need to allow time for whatever it is you've taken responsibility for and take time out of something you'd rather do. It may also require some serious preparation, as you may require some tools and even a change of clothes. Your friends can hate you doing it ecause it means less time with you; you come off as wanting to spend more time doing something else that doesn't involve them. The job itself can also be annoying, either just because it can be just onerous or because you will need to take a shower afterward. In short, taking on a responsibility can be a royal pain.

However, the advantages can be well worth it. You gain additional respect from your parents, especially if you do well. As long as you acquit yourself well, you're likely to get respect from anyone involved. It also gives you some additional cred that you can take on something and finish it, always something you can trade on later. It also means that you can get adults behind anything that you do as they know you will something through and that your word is worth something. All of this makes you a force to reckon with, and that is always worth the effort you put in. Take responsibility often enough and they actually throw money at you.

The bad news is that you'll be asked to do it more often. But that's not necessarily a bad thing....

Authority Always Wins

Authority is another prickly issue. As a young kid you want to do anything that an authority figure tells you to do, but as you move into adolescence you want to do more of what you want to do. You used to have no idea what the rules were and so you wanted to learn them no matter what it took. On the other hand, you now want to find them out on your own.

Bad news for you, kid: This is normal. As an adolescent you are expected to find your own way, and to feel angsty about it. You are expected to be angry, feel depressed, and to basically shift from fun to annoying in the space of a heartbeat. If you didn’t people would begin to worry about you.

You have a changing role to worry about. You are changing from one of the followers of the tribe to one of the leaders, and as such you are beginning to question the authority that already exists. Strangely enough, this is something that you should embrace as well. You have an expectation to buck the system whenever possible. You should revel in rebellion; you can’t find your place if you don’t explore all perspectives, and sometimes that means you need to ask questions in ways that may not always be polite. So feel free to rebel. Revel in it even. The teenage years are your ticket to rebel and get away with it.

To a degree. There is a time to rebel and a time to toe the line. One of your problems as a teenager is to determine when you should rebel and when you should listen. You still need to respect authority; your rebellion should be something you carry on for your personal exploration, but you are doing it at a time when you also need to laying the groundwork for your future. The better you can balance the need to follow authority with the need to rebel the more people will respect you.

And respect is one of those weird things at this age. Your peers want someone that can lead them while at the same time that is going to be part of them, and you can’t always lead while following their rules. The adults want someone that is going to follow their rules while taking charge, and sometimes you need to ignore the rules in order to get ahead. How you deal with those problems will gain or lose you respect, and no one can tell you exactly how to do it.

So…you need to find a path that works for you. You just need to figure out what it is, and that’s what makes life fun.