Where is the "How to behave with law enforcement"

[DoctorIknow]

Whoops, found it. (it is on page 17 of the 2013 Survival Guide)

Here's the link....everyone should read it...every year!

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... ement.html

[Captain Goddammit]

I don't think that ought to be necessary.
Don't do anything illegal and don't act up a damn fool?

[DoctorIknow]

I don't think that ought to be necessary.
Don't do anything illegal and don't act up a damn fool?

Ignorance of your rights is not bliss, and has NOTHING to do with illegal or foolish activities.

If one isn't interested in what their rights are, goodbye freedom.
Robin Williams used to say "Reality: what a concept!"
In 2014 America, it's becoming more like "Rights? What a concept!"

[BBadger]

Remember that not actually doing anything illegal merely reduces the probability of being charged with anything. It will not protect you against false allegations or circumstantial evidence or the consequences of those. Your best defense is to practice your rights, e.g. 1) do not talk to cops under any circumstances that you're not required to; 2) do not consent to any searches.

In fact, practicing your rights is probably more effective against reducing the probability of being charged with a crime than actually not doing anything illegal.

[Jovankat]

In fact, practicing your rights is probably more effective against reducing the probability of being charged with a crime than actually not doing anything illegal.

That's depressing and scary. I've read too many horror stories of people having done nothing wrong getting thrown in gaol, beaten or even killed. Combine that with my experiences with LEOs last year, my tendency to be a sarcastic smart arse and how frustrated I get being powerless and not being able to get straight answers and just thinking about his stuff gets me agitated.

[trilobyte]

The Survival Guide is considered required reading for all burners. The 2014 edition is being mailed with ticket orders, and the electronic version is in the process of being coded (in the meantime the link will let you read through last year's edition). Law enforcement is typically also a topic in the JRS in the weeks leading up to the event, stay tuned to the newsletter for that.

[tatonka]

I was a military policeman in the army , so ive always gone up and could talk freely with police just like they are regular guys. But now they have changed and dont seem to be very friendly at all. So I keep my distance.

[TT120]

Pro tip:

Don't try to pet or get friendly with the drug dogs. The dogs are cool with it but the cops are not.

(I love dogs and am drawn to them any time I see one)

[Roberto Dobbisano]

"yes sir, no sir, how can i help you do your job sir"


they like to be called sir.

[Captain Goddammit]

How many of you have actually gotten in trouble with the police at Burning Man when you weren't doing anything illegal?

[GreyCoyote]

You would do well to ignore the cops unless you are being specifically addressed. IGNORE THEM. Resist the urge to chat or be nice. Just dont be rude. They are NOT there to "help" you so get that out of your head. They are little boys with badges and guns and a serious case of moral-compass-syndrome backed by judges with the same problem. mostly cops are there to generate revenue and occasionally deal with the serious asswipes who will not listen to reason (and then said asswipes get to pay lawyers, fines, and costs of court).

Cops are the intake tool of the criminal justice system. They feed it the meat the system needs to perpetuate and grow. Get your toe caught in that machine, and you WILL regret it.

I have no problem with them being at BM, but anyone who views them as anything other than a necessary pain the ass hasnt spent much time in a court of law. Cops lie, cheat, steal and are routinely rewarded for it. So dont trust your freedom to them. EVER.

Reasonable, harmless, INNOCENT people get caught up in the criminal justice system every day. Dont be one of these poor schmucks. Your best bet is to stay legal, dont do stupid shit, and make it a point to ignore the sharks that carry badges and guns unless you are being specifically addressed by one.

[Zhust]

How many of you have actually gotten in trouble with the police at Burning Man when you weren't doing anything illegal?

You mean "... weren't doing and have never done anything illegal." And that eliminates every single person.

The only thing that helps when dealing with the police is being a white male with a tidy haircut wearing conservative street clothes who speaks English like an American, or by being an attractive, young white woman who is attracted to men with guns.

[Simon of the Playa]

You would do well to ignore the cops unless you are being specifically addressed. IGNORE THEM. Resist the urge to chat or be nice. Just dont be rude. They are NOT there to "help" you so get that out of your head. They are little boys with badges and guns and a serious case of moral-compass-syndrome backed by judges with the same problem. mostly cops are there to generate revenue and occasionally deal with the serious asswipes who will not listen to reason (and then said asswipes get to pay lawyers, fines, and costs of court).

Cops are the intake tool of the criminal justice system. They feed it the meat the system needs to perpetuate and grow. Get your toe caught in that machine, and you WILL regret it.

I have no problem with them being at BM, but anyone who views them as anything other than a necessary pain the ass hasnt spent much time in a court of law. Cops lie, cheat, steal and are routinely rewarded for it. So dont trust your freedom to them. EVER.

Reasonable, harmless, INNOCENT people get caught up in the criminal justice system every day. Dont be one of these poor schmucks. Your best bet is to stay legal, dont do stupid shit, and make it a point to ignore the sharks that carry badges and guns unless you are being specifically addressed by one.

wise counsel...

[Captain Goddammit]

How many of you have actually gotten in trouble with the police at Burning Man when you weren't doing anything illegal?

You mean "... weren't doing and have never done anything illegal." And that eliminates every single person.

The only thing that helps when dealing with the police is being a white male with a tidy haircut wearing conservative street clothes who speaks English like an American

Ok... that's pretty much me.
I've had nothing but a nice time talking to the cops out there. I've had them tell me all about cool stuff to do around the area, had them give me cool swag, it's just been all good.

[DoctorIknow]

How many of you have actually gotten in trouble with the police at Burning Man when you weren't doing anything illegal?

You mean "... weren't doing and have never done anything illegal." And that eliminates every single person.

The only thing that helps when dealing with the police is being a white male with a tidy haircut wearing conservative street clothes who speaks English like an American

Ok... that's pretty much me.
I've had nothing but a nice time talking to the cops out there. I've had them tell me all about cool stuff to do around the area, had them give me cool swag, it's just been all good.

Aye Aye, Captain.
Have you been channeling Robert Duval?

Willard: [about Colonel Kilgore] Well, he wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys, and he felt safe with 'em. He was just one of those guys with that weird light around him. He just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here.

[tamarakay]

I've never personally had anything but good interactions with police both on and off the playa. However, I have friends and even family that have been arrested, tried and convicted when in fact they were innocent. Still big news here in Texas is the man from Williamson county who spent 25 years in prison for murdering his wife. The district attorney in the case went on to become a judge etc. now, he's disbarred and forced from the bench when the innocence project proved he willfully withheld evidence that proved the innocence of the husband.

There are good and evil people in all professions. Educate yourself and don't make it easy on them.

[Jovankat]

How many of you have actually gotten in trouble with the police at Burning Man when you weren't doing anything illegal?

I technically did something wrong last year but the way I was spoken to and treated, the way my campmates were spoken to, the attempted illegal search of our camp, the lies I was told about my rights and the fact that I was given no information or paperwork despite BM procedure being that I should get those things all added up to a pretty shitty first impression of American law enforcement...

[BBadger]

The yearly Don't Talk to Cops video post:

[media]

Part 2 is a cop affirming what the professor states:

[media]

[Thecatman]

In 2002, my first year to attend BM, I tried talking to a couple of Lyon county sheriff's. Being as I live in Lyon county I thought they would be cordial. It had nothing to do with Burning Man, it was about disturbances in Dayton, which is public record. They wouldn't comment much. As I left, I told them to be safe.

[VultureChow]

Seeing as I'm a non-threatening white girl with nothing illegal going on, I make a point of seeking out and talking to LEO's at BM when I'm sober.

1)I think it helps to have positive interactions with them. Not for me, but for them. If they're feeling happy and welcome, they're less likely to lash out. Making them feel like unwanted outsiders only reinforces unwanted behavior

2)Any time they're spent bullshitting with me is less time they're out hassling someone else.

[AntiM]

I've had nice chats with cops there, given and received swag. Like VC, if they are interacting with me, they are not hassling y'all.

I liked the Pershing sheriff who would stop and hand out tiny badges to little kids.

[GreyCoyote]

People keep pet sharks, too.

On a serious note, there are good and bad cops. Unfortunately you never know what you're going to get, so I prefer to shun all of them. Not snub. Just shun. Sorta like what happens when you get a deep South Baptist tent revival that parks next to a 24-hour adult video arcade: lots of non-interaction. HEHEHEHE.

Props to those who interact. As they say, they're keepin' Danno away from hassling others, which is a valuable public service!

[EspressoDude]

make them smile and laugh

[kittyrodriguez]

Have any of you guys had your cars searched? If so, did you give consent? One of my biggest fears involving BM is getting pulled over by cops and having them toss our car. Not because they'd find anything illegal, they wouldn't, but because I would hate to see all my hard work packing and planning strewn out on the playa, and personal property potentially damaged. I know you can refuse to consent, but they can still do it anyway. It would seem that refusing would just anger the cops and make them more likely to give you a hard time...

[Sham]

Never had my car searched. Don't bring things that would warrant your car being searched, and do your best not to be suspicious. There will be somewhere around 30,000 vehicles entering BRC, so try to stay with the pack and avert your eyes.

[VultureChow]

So I'm cop friendly, but when it comes to a search, I would absolutely require a warrant. I would explain I flew in, so clearly would have not brought anything illegal through a TSA checkpoint, but if they insist, I will wait patiently with them and share my cold nonalcoholic drinks while they get the warrant. I would break out my LEO swag, gifts all around, be as friendly as possible, but no search without a warrant.

They really don't want to search your car. That takes time and effort and they might not find anything. What they really is for you to admit that you have drugs on you so they can confiscate them and get a massive fine out of you.

[GreyCoyote]

NEVER give consent to cops. NEVER. When a question starts with "Can I", your automatic answer is "you do not have my consent". Repeat this over and over.

If the cops think you have something illegal, they will get a warrant. It doesnt get any easier or harder legally if they do find something, but saying "yes" makes their life SO much easier when they can say this was a "consent search". Probable cause rules go out the fookin' window the moment you agree to a search.

Consent searches are how cops get many of their "evil-doers". You know, those hardcore criminals that lost a joint between the seat cushions back in 1986 and never fished it out... Until Danno finds it in a consent search. Then, KA-CHING!. Revenue source! Danno just justified his existance for another day, and shortly the jailers will, and the DA, and a judge or two. A gram of long-lost, hyper-stale, useless weed just sent the wheels of "justice" into high gear.

Stop this madness. Dont let yourself be bullied. If stopped and asked for your consent, say no and make it very clear you mean NO and that you will wait for a warrant. Every 2 minutes ask "Officer, am I free to go?" Demand a straight answer. Yes or no. Lock your vehicle while you wait. If ordered out of the car, lock the vehicle as you exit and put the keys in your pocket. Refuse to answer any question except for your name and address and drivers license/insurance. Produce identification upon demand. Other than this, remain as silent as the grave.

The ugly secret is this: the system is lazy. So are cops. The amusement of a "kill" in the field vanishes very quickly when the cop has to admit to the warrant authority that he has doodly-squat for probable cause. Most times they will move along to a more gullible, softer target.

The word NO is your friend. It is the backbone of your civil rights. Use it while you still can.

[Popeye]

Have any of you guys had your cars searched? If so, did you give consent? One of my biggest fears involving BM is getting pulled over by cops and having them toss our car. Not because they'd find anything illegal, they wouldn't, but because I would hate to see all my hard work packing and planning strewn out on the playa, and personal property potentially damaged. I know you can refuse to consent, but they can still do it anyway. It would seem that refusing would just anger the cops and make them more likely to give you a hard time...

I have refused a search (off playa) and when asked explained that I believe rights not exercised are rights lost. I have also said that I believe that a cop should be held to a higher standard than a regular citizen. LEO should get a warrant as a matter of course when they want to search something. If it is more work to get a warrant, well that is what they are getting paid for. Saying this politely and without rancor has always worked and not pissed anyone off.

[BBadger]

Think of consenting to a search as:

"Can I try and find some excuse in your belongings to accuse you of a crime?"

Because that's what it is. It just sounds nicer the way they ask it.

[FIGJAM]

"Does this smell funny to you?"

http://www.usnews.com/news/offbeat/arti ... smell-test