Attorney Leon Smith, director of the Center for Children's Advocacy's Racial Justice Project . . . walked the attendees through mock interactions with police . . .



Hartford Courant
Nov 4, 2016

Hartford Residents Hear Advice From Connecticut ACLU On Encounters With Police
Vinny Vella    
 
Thursday was a night full of questions for residents of the North End.

And, as members of the Connecticut branch of ACLU hoped, a night of just as many answers.

The watchdog group held a community forum called "Know Your Rights," a dialogue tailored to address concerns or uncertainties that residents have about interacting with police.

About 30 people packed the Parker Memorial Community Center on Main Street for the event, chaired by speakers well-versed in the law.

It was part of a larger set of similar events held throughout the year in other cities, including Waterbury, Bridgeport and New Haven.

"We're cognizant that there are two things we're talking about here, the way the system is supposed to work, and the way it works in reality," said Dan Barrett, the state ACLU's legal director.

"The police's role is to apply the law and enforce the law out in the streets," Barrett added. "Ideally, they're taking direction from the courts, who interpret what the law means, and the community, which is supposed to tell the police what problems we want them to address and how they should spend their time."

Barrett was joined by Leon Smith, an attorney and director of the Center for Children's Advocacy's Racial Justice Project, and Tejas Bhatt, an assistant public defender in Hartford.

Together, the three walked the attendees through mock interactions with police, ranging from being stopped on the street to telling the difference between an officer's question and a command.

"These are not tips or tricks to avoid being charged with a crime or for tricking police," Bhatt said. "This is about protecting the rights we have as citizens through the Constitution and how you can walk away from an encounter with police while protecting them."

The trio made clear what those rights were.

For instance, can citizens record police? (Yes, as long as they're not impeding an investigation.)

Or does a traffic stop give an officer grounds to search the vehicle? (No, the traffic violation "in and of itself does not allow cops to search your car unless contraband is readily visible," according to Smith.)

Attention was also given to what happens when an officer visits an individual's home. As Barrett pointed out, the homeowner isn't obligated to let that officer in without a warrant.

And if the officer does produce a warrant, Barrett recommended going through it with a "fine-toothed comb," checking for any errors or inconsistencies.

For their part, residents seemed to appreciate the information.

"I thought it was helpful in terms of creating a space so people in the community can get facts, get their questions answered by knowledgeable people," said John Thomas, a North End resident.

"I feel better having come here," he added. "I think Hartford needed this. If they make this a regular occurrence, I think it'll help both sides of the aisle, both the police and the community."