By Kevin Coughlin
At a seminar where angry adults sometimes interrupted the presentation to kids, law enforcement veterans delivered tough, basic safety advice to minority youths at the Morristown Neighborhood House on Monday.
“This could be a Ferguson tomorrow. It’s up to you to have open communication,” said Kim Nelson Edwards, a Montclair detective and member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
Edwards stressed common-sense tips to prevent encounters with police from escalating. Be respectful. If your car is pulled over, turn on your interior lights. Keep your hands visible. Do as you are told. There are proper channels to contest police matters — later.
“You don’t always have to have court on the street, because you’re going to lose,” said the detective, a 20-year-veteran on the force.
Her talk, entitled Know Your Rights: What to Do When Stopped by the Police, was sponsored by the Morris chapter of the NAACP, the Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Pi Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Our Youth Their Future.
Organizers were not critical of Morristown police. Rather, they said they hoped to create a dialogue so the town never experiences the fatal encounters between police and minorities that have rocked other parts of the country over the last year.
The sweltering meeting room included representatives of the Morristown police and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office. Mayor Tim Dougherty and Councilwomen Raline Smith-Reid and Toshiba Foster also attended, as did Second Ward council candidates Pastor Sidney Williams Jr. and Hiliari Davis Oyesanya.
As Edwards attempted to share her advice for young people, African American adults in the audience peppered her with opinions and questions about police misconduct.
One man cited the legacy of 400 years of slavery. A woman spoke forcefully about the need for parents to assume greater responsibility for their children’s behavior. Others called for more old-fashioned street cops, and for police who praise kids when they do the right thing.
Former Roseland Detective Freddie Mitchell Jr. rose to his feet and restored order by telling the audience he understood its concerns — he is the parent of two black teens. Which is why, he said, everyone must understand the “rules of engagement”: If your actions place a cop in “defensive mode,” he is likely to draw his weapon.
“Be very careful with how you deal with police. It could cost you your life,” said Mitchell, a Morristown resident.
“When you get stopped by a police officer, you need to put your hands at 2 and 10, or 3 and 9, turn the lights on in the car, maybe turn the car off, so that he sees your hands,” he said. “White, black, Hispanic, I don’t care what color you are. You threaten my life, I’m going to take your life.”
A self-described “pastor with a past,” the Rev. Wesley Marrow said he knows how to navigate the local legal system; he invited anyone from the community who runs afoul of the law to contact him immediately for help. Marrow is president of the Morris NAACP branch and pastor of the Morristown Church of Christ.
A little courtesy also can save motorists some serious fines, Edwards said. Issuing tickets is discretionary for police in most cases, she said, “unless you do something really stupid.”
If a police officer messes up, she advised keeping cool, jotting down the officer’s badge- or patrol car number, and following up later with the department. Edwards emphasized the dangers routinely faced by police, citing the recent killings of two officers in Hattiesburg, MS.
Despite the commotion, which also included pizza and raffle prizes, some teens appeared to get the message.
“I learned you can ask cops a question about why they are doing what they are doing. They can’t do what they’re doing without explaining,” said Genesis Gobin, 16.
“I learned to remain calm,” said 14-year-old Bello Joseph Lamadieu. “If you get moody or aggressive, it can put an officer in a defensive mode and make the situation worse.”
His 9-year-old brother, Brandon, said he now knows what he would do if police ever stopped him.
“I would keep quiet and listen to what they are saying,” he said, acknowledging, “I like police officers.”
Not enough to become one, however.
“It’s a risk,” Brandon Lamadieu said. “I don’t want to get killed.”
Morristown youths will have a chance to discuss the national tensions between police and minorities, at The Speak Out, in Bethel AME Church on June 10, 2015, at 7 pm.
READ MORE:
Video: Former cop tells kids ‘be very careful’ dealing with police, at Morristown seminar
Black Lives Matter: Clergy leads protest in Morristown
Die-In at Drew protests incidents of police violence against black men
‘Die-In’ at Drew, rally in Madison, to support Black Lives Matter campaign
This was a great start! Now the conversation must continue
Congrats to all who put this meeting together. Such guidance and dialogue is needed. It was good to read that there will be follow up meeting(s).