Comments on: Fourth graders told: don’t “spill” to the cops

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:46:12 +0000

I first became aware that kids shouldn’t talk when I read about two kids in my own city who were in the wrong place at the wrong time (with another kid in a car who decided to commit a crime). When the cops stopped them, one of the kids, following the “the policeman is your friend” model, tried to talk to the police and tell them everything he knew, although he was just riding along in the car and had no foreknowledge of his friend’s plan. He was arrested, along with the perp. The third kid said nothing at all and was released at the scene. The police had no evidence other than misconstruing what he might himself say, and he wasn’t willing to help them. It is not, unfortunately, true that the purpose of the police is to find out the truth. It’s the purpose of the police to gather evidence of guilt so that the DA can convict you, regardless of whether or not you’re guilty. I agree, and I tell my kids. Shut up, because well-meaning though you might be, anything you say “can be used against you”, even if that means twisting it out of context.

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:25:08 +0000

Robert, I do believe you missed my sarcasm. I would have thought that my comment that it was an affirmative action program for the affluent should have given you a clue. The article amused me because I do not think that giving their program to a Jewish Day School is the best use of their time. I can assure you that those children get all the legal advice they need from their lawyer parents, aunts and uncles.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:49:58 +0000

A number of the posters said it is to make the children wary of the police because they are not looking out for your best interest. Any child from the inner cities already knows this to be true and responds accordingly.

Some interesting arguments on both sides of this question but the above comment from Richard N. is disturbing.

Children from the inner cities are maimed and murdered by other inner city “children” in epidemic numbers.

A big part of this (aside from innumerable social and moral problems) is the “don’t snitch” mentality.

If you snitch to the cops, you could be arrested (or killed by the gangs).

No wonder these areas are awash in criminality and cruelty. And it’s no wonder that the cops assume a “what’s the point?” view of their jobs.

By: Richard Nieporent

Richard Nieporent — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:45:09 +0000

I think many of you are missing the actual purpose of this program. A number of the posters said it is to make the children wary of the police because they are not looking out for your best interest. Any child from the inner cities already knows this to be true and responds accordingly. It is only the middle and upper class children who don’t have any interaction with the police who need this advice. If you read the article you would see that the Southwest Juvenile Center was visiting a Jewish Day School! Now all those children coming from affluent homes will also know that they should tell the fuzz to bug off. Each child learns to say: “I ain’t gonna tell you nothin copper until I sees my lawyer.” Think of this as an affirmative action program for the affluent.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:29:13 +0000

Aaron,

I think that the key point here is not so much that kids who are guilty should be taught to try to get away with it, but that children from a young age are made to be at least aware of the fact that there are times when catching someone is far more important to police than catching the right person. Things that children say can be used against them or other people regardless of where genuine blame actually lies.

Putting blind faith in police to responsibly use what’s said and not be vindictive, inaccurate or coercive with it later is simply and unfortunately a recipe for disaster. Kids need to know the world is imperfect.

By: Random Lawyer

Random Lawyer — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:56:22 +0000

Law enforcement, from beat cops to the quasi-military feds who handle “homeland security,” are no longer in the truth and justice business. They’re burecrats with guns and arrest powers, interested in enforcing, as unreasoningly as possible, an ever increasing number of rules, regulations, directives, and laws that have no reasonable relation to the goals they are supposedly enacted to further.

QED, teaching hoi poli (at least that’s how they view us civilians/citizens) to avoid interacting with law enforcement unless absolutly necessary and then only with an attorney present… is the only sane thing to do.

By: Blakenator

Blakenator — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:27:14 +0000

Aaron, if it was only that simple. You seem to assume that “law enforcement’s” motives will always be pure and righteous and that is naive at best in this modern world. I learned my lesson many years ago at age 17 when I came across some “police activity.” I sought out a cop to volunteer some information and promptly was arrested for my trouble, though the information was only hearsay. The fact that I was a bystander trying to help didn’t matter, they had their “perp.” Despite my protestations of innocence to my father, he decided to make the economically driven settlement of paying a fine for a charge of trespassing, even though I never set foot on the property. A police officer he knew told him I would have never been arrested if I hadn’t done anything wrong. Several times over the years, I made sure my father knew I never forgave him for not taking my word. It is not about avoiding responsibility, it is about avoiding unecessary problems. Sad, but true.

By: Bob Montgomery

Bob Montgomery — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:12:32 +0000

I remember when kids were taught that honesty was the best policy. Now we are teaching our kids not to be responsible for their actions.

Dishonesty and not talking to the police are two different things.

By: Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:12:05 +0000

I remember when kids were taught that honesty was the best policy. Now we are teaching our kids not to be responsible for their actions.

By: Roger Bournival

Roger Bournival — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:33:06 +0000

Damn, what wimps / uninformed kids must be these days.

I was about 11-12 years old when two cops came on my mother’s property. At the entrance to the garage, they told me ‘we have knowledge of a lot of stolen bicycles on this property (full disclosure – there was indeed). I asked the cops if they had a warrant, they answered ‘no’. I politey asked them to leave, and they did. High fives from my three older brothers when I told them what happened.