Lawyers: Be respectful to police and avoid conflict

Being respectful and polite to law enforcement officials is the best way for the public to avoid a potentially tragic interaction, and any complaints against officers should be dealt with after an encounter, according to two area attorneys.
Community Round Up, a forum meant to inform people how to properly exercise their rights, keep their neighborhoods safe and make sure their voices are heard, was held Thursday night at Morgan City Junior High School.
Attorneys Harold Register Jr. of Lafayette and Edward Jones of Patterson discussed how people should interact with police and law enforcement officers.
Courtney Long, founder of community group Hoodstock, said organizers decided to hold Thursday’s event partly in response to national tension between police and community members in the aftermath of recent law enforcement-involved shootings.
The discussion was aimed at trying to ensure “we do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen right here at home,” Long said.
Organizer Danika Foley said the event and all events Hoodstock holds are open to everyone in the community.
During Thursday’s forum, Register said when a police officer or sheriff’s deputy stops someone, the person’s appropriate reaction is to “simply be respectful.”
“Even if you’re respectful, you still may not win to a certain extent. But if you’re rude, you’re certainly not going to win,” Register said.
Police are “just like us” in that they want to get home safely to their families, Register said.
Register suggested people put items, which an officer may ask for during a stop, in a plastic bag. Those items include insurance information and a copy of their driver’s license. A person stopped by an officer should talk to the officer during the stop so he or she knows what the person is doing, he said.
Cooperate with officers and don’t have a negative attitude with them, even if you think you’re right, Register said. Citizens can address complaints about an officer in another venue, such as, filing a complaint with the police department, he said.
If someone doesn’t get a response from the police department, that person can take the complaint to state police, the attorney general or even the FBI, Register said.
Jones said people do have the right to film their interaction with law enforcement officers. However, Jones advised people to be smart and careful, particularly when reaching in a pocket for a phone, and not interrupt officers from doing their jobs.
Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said Morgan City officials do investigate complaints against officers and have taken disciplinary action based on complaints.
Register said people have the right to refuse to allow an officer to search their vehicle during a stop. An officer would then be required to get a search warrant to be able to legally search the vehicle, he said.
Regarding home searches, Jones said there are only two ways police can legally enter a home. The first way is through a search warrant if officers “have reason to believe that a crime has been committed, a crime is about to be committed, or there is some sort of evidence in your house that … relates to a crime,” Jones said.
Officers must then get an affidavit of probable cause from a judge to obtain a search warrant, Jones said.
The second way to conduct a legal home search is “a knock and talk.” That situation occurs when an officer knocks on the door and asks to enter the home, Jones said. Officers can only enter the home if the resident gives them permission to do so, he said.
Also during the discussion, Morgan City Councilman Ron Bias spoke about the importance of voting in making people’s voices heard. Bias is running for re-election in November against Joshua Loupe.
Every vote makes a difference in elections, Bias said. To get information on voting in St. Mary Parish, people may contact the Parish Registrar of Voter’s Office in Franklin at 337-828-4100 ext. 360, or in Morgan City at 985-384-8638.
St. Mary Parish NAACP President Reginald Weary announced that the organization will host a public forum with law enforcement at 6 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Patterson Area Civic Center. Local law enforcement and state and federal officials will take part in the forum, Weary said.