Two local attorneys held a workshop at UNM on Wednesday that focused on what to do and not do when it comes to interactions with police officers, as well as the constitutional rights one has in such situations.
Presented by the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty Staff Attorney Preston Sanchez and Albuquerque Public Defender Matthew Chavez, the workshop aimed to inform attendees of the basic rights they possess in situations that involve police officers, such as traffic stops.
The seminar emphasized the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which cover a person’s rights with respect to being searched, the right against self-incrimination and the right to an attorney, among others. Other topics included an understanding of “probable cause” and “reasonable suspicion,” do’s and don’ts when asserting your rights and pat-downs, also known as Terry stops.
“I have a passion to empower young people, who are at a greater risk of encountering police,” Sanchez said. “It’s just helpful for these young people to know what their rights are during those situations.”
Sanchez and Chavez said there were five key ideas they wanted everyone to take away from their workshop: do not expose yourself to police attention; be cool, calm and collected when talking to an officer; never answer invasive questions; know that you have the right to refuse consent to a search; know that you may ask, “Am I being detained, or am I free to go?” if the situation becomes uncomfortable or irrelevant.
Chavez said that he has worked with clients who were treated unfairly due to their lack of knowledge of their rights. He said that these rights only work when the public is educated about how to use them.
“If you can prevent young people from getting criminal convictions, they have a better shot at succeeding in life,” Chavez said. “A lot of people get convicted without justification, and that’s wrong.”
The workshop was hosted by the UNM Men of Color Initiative, which, according to its official website, is a “community-based research project led by Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Latino, Native and other men of color students organizing together with campus and community partners to increase access and success for men of color in education.”
Johnel Reddic, an intern with the Men of Color Initiative, said the workshop was also a good way to provide information to people of color, and to others who may belong to a lower socioeconomic class.
“I don’t think people who have a higher economic status have as many encounters with the police as lower-economic-status people do,” Reddic said. “These people should be able to know what their rights are and be able to exercise them.”
Although the workshop is meant to inform people of their rights when dealing with law enforcement officers, Sanchez said that it was also meant to create a stronger community that can be less fearful of police. The workshop was meant to encourage more amicable encounters with police, he said.
“You feel helpless in some situations, and it makes you scared and it also makes you angry,” Sanchez said. “That’s why I do it: to encourage young people to know what their rights are and to know that they don’t have to fear officers. It creates greater relationships within the community.”
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Rodney Bowe, director of the Men of Color Initiative, said that the workshop is also a good way of learning how to prevent the escalation of a situation with a law enforcement officer. He said that good communication with an authority figure is a good way of protecting oneself.
Bowe said that being able to easily navigate encounters with law enforcement is important.
“Since we’re coming into more of a militaristic state in our country, it’s good to know for students, as well as staff, how to have a conversation,” Bowe said.
Sanchez said that in the end he hopes the workshop will encourage more young people to pursue higher levels of education. He said that he wants people to become more curious about pursuing a successful future.
Ryan Lotz is a reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Lotz_DailyLobo.
