Campaign Needs to Alert Police to What They Can and Cannot Do during Searches

Leslie Mendez

While an officer may not feel compelled to give their reason for a search or their name, they have an obligation to do so.  Attorney Leslie Mendez suggested that educational campaigns should be reframed to inform police officers of what they cannot do.

Leslie Mendez, Attorney-at-law

“It is always kind of strange, these how to, I think it is extremely important to generate a lot of legal literacy in our community. Know your rights campaigns are always helpful. But, ultimately it is not a hundred percent; the power you have on how somebody else acts is very little. So, the idea of trying to give an impression that the citizen controls how the police approach them based on the level of their education. It is not accurate and it is not fair. I think that this sort of campaign should be reframed to speak to the police and tell the police what they cannot do.  I can go ahead and ask the police, why you the search me? They wah tell me dah none ah yo business. You can ask so many things, it is if you get the response. What you can say is that the police have an obligation to give our civilians, especially persons that they are searching an interacting with, their name, rank, identification. They have an obligation to provide to them the reason for the search. They have an obligation to let them know what their rights are. But, it is true what you just mentioned. There is a pattern of police officers becoming very annoyed when you start asking questions.”