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Pocket guide to officer's rights

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:50 am
by mekender
http://www.dppa.com/news/PocketGuide1.p ... ay&AID=374
IN AN IA INVESTIGATION, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:
•Have a person of your choice accompany you to an interview, including an attorney,
but not a witness to the offense or violation
•Read the complaint summary prior to giving a statement
•Know prior to giving a statement whether you are the object of the investigation or
just a witness officer
•Obtain a copy of your statement upon request
•Receive a Miranda warning for a law violation interview
•Receive a written, administrative (“Garrity”) advisement
•Refuse to answer, but face discipline for such refusal
•Be interviewed at a reasonable time of day and only for a reasonable amount of
time with reasonable breaks
•Review your prior statements before any subsequent interviews
•Not be compelled to give a polygraph, but can request one
•Review the contents of your personnel file by appointment
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT:
1. Immediately call a PPA representative or the PPA office who will obtain an attorney
on your behalf.
2. Do not discuss the incident with anyone and request isolation until your attorney
can arrive.
3. Surrender your weapon when requested; however, do not submit to a blood or
urine test until you’ve discussed it with your attorney.
So how come us regular folks are looked at and treated like criminals when we choose to exercise our right to not discuss the incident?

Re: Pocket guide to officer's rights

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:32 am
by 308Mike
mekender wrote:So how come us regular folks are looked at and treated like criminals when we choose to exercise our right to not discuss the incident?
Trust me, cops are treated very differently when they exercise their rights under the Constitution. Heaven forbid a cop takes the 5th Amendment in regards to his job, and suddenly he's a criminal and has no rights whatsoever - otherwise everyone automatically ASSUMES he's guilty or a criminal, and never considers the possibility he's being shafted by the department for political reasons.

It's happened FAR more often than you'd know.