Surviving a Police Encounter as a Concealed Carrier
If a law enforcement officer stops you and you are legally carrying a firearm on your person or in your vehicle, should you inform the officer? And if so, how should you tell them? Every patrol officer fears being shot in the line of duty, and every time an officer initiates a traffic stop, they…
Read MoreBig Changes to Your “Right to Remain Silent”
Thanks to the popularity of television police procedurals, one of the most recognizable rights Americans enjoy is the “right to remain silent.” “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for…
Read MoreQualified Immunity – Should Police Be More Accountable?
Does Qualified Immunity Protect Cops at the Expense of Civil Rights? Reforms aim to rebalance the need to hold police accountable while shielding individual officers from financial liability. On January 8, 2014, officers Brad Bracey and Spencer Harris responded to a burglary-in-progress call, and they brought “Iwo”, their trained police dog. The officers followed…
Read MoreLoitering Laws – What You Should Know
Do You Have to Talk to a Police Officer? You have the right to remain silent – except in a few specific circumstances If you are walking down the street or just hanging out in a public place and a police officer approaches you and starts asking questions, do you have to answer? Lorenzo Banks…
Read MoreD.O.P.E. Spotlight Interview – Chief Joseph G. Paulino
Spotlight on Chief Joseph Paulino Chief Joseph Paulino says the first interaction a child has with a police officer can frame their impression of law enforcement for a lifetime. “In the fifth grade, I was part of what they call the Deputy Auxiliary Police program which is facilitated through LAPD,” he says, “and I had a great experience,…
Read MoreSurviving a Police Encounter – Part 4 Complying with the Officer
Surviving a Police Encounter Part 4: Complying with the officer The world learned the name Philando Castile after his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live-streamed the immediate aftermath of the police shooting that took his life. “We got pulled over for a busted taillight in the back,” she says on the video. The camera reveals Castile slumped…
Read MoreSurviving a Police Encounter – Part 3 Communicating with the Officer
Surviving a Police Encounter Part 3: Communicating with the officer South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper Sean Groubert stopped Levar Jones in the parking lot of a gas station for a seat belt violation. Jones was just stepping out of his vehicle when Groubert pulled up in his cruiser. “Can I see your license, please?” the…
Read MoreSurviving a Police Encounter – Part 2 Caring
Surviving a Police Encounter Part 2: Caring About the Officer’s Safety On January 12, 1998, Deputy Kyle Dinkheller pulled over a speeding motorist in what, at first, appeared to be a routine traffic stop. Dinkheller activated his dash camera, and over the next three and a half minutes, it recorded every patrol officer’s worst nightmare.…
Read MoreSurviving a Police Encounter – Part 1 of Communication, Caring, Compliance
Surviving a Police Encounter Part 1: Caring, Communication, and Compliance Stories about police brutality hit the headlines weekly these days. Stan Campbell, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement and founder of D.O.P.E. the Movement, says he believes that the number of incidents is not on the rise, but thanks to the proliferation of body cameras and smartphones, the public…
Read MoreJanice Harper PIT Maneuver Case: The Importance of Promptly Pulling Over
Lessons from the Janice Harper PIT Maneuver Case Well after dark on a summer night in 2020, Janice Harper, a pregnant woman traveling alone, sped down Arkansas’s U.S. 67/167 highway. A state trooper clocked her driving 84 in a 70-mph zone. He switched on his flashers, signaling for Harper to pull over. The three-lane highway…
Read More
