This week, Head & Hands would like to remind you of your basic rights when interacting with the police:

• You can stay silent and refuse to talk to police or answer their questions, unless you are in a bar or a movie theatre, driving a car, or they say you broke the law. In those cases, you must give your name, birth date, and address, or show your ID, but you do not have to say more.
• You can say no if police ask to search you or your belongings. Saying no does not mean you have something to hide.
• You can leave unless you are being detained or arrested.
• If you are being detained or arrested, you have the right to know why, and the right to speak to a lawyer in private without delay, even if you can’t pay.
• You can only be strip-searched in private and by officers of the “same” sex.
• You have the right to know an officer’s name and badge number.
• You can report an officer who abuses you, swears at you, or violates your rights.

At Head & Hands, our legal services include information, support, and accompaniment in the case of arrest or violation of rights. We also have twice weekly, by-appointment legal clinics where you can get legal advice from a lawyer, and we offer community workshops on a variety of legal issues.

The above legal information is based on Pivot Legal‘s  “Statement for Police” cards, available at our offices. These cards can be read aloud and then given to police in case of detention or arrest.

The above information should not be taken as legal advice or relied upon in legal proceedings–if you require legal advice, you should contact a lawyer.

Tags: fyi, legal rights, rights, solidarity, the police