The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has been invited to a New York City high school to train students in how to interact safely with police. The school requested the hour-long training session in light of the city's history of profiling young, minority men for disproportionate police scrutiny.
The 450 kids were coached on staying calm during NYPD encounters and given a "What To Do If You're Stopped By The Police" pamphlet.
NYCLU representatives told kids to be polite and to keep their hands out of their pockets. But they also told students they don't have to show ID or consent to searches, that it's best to remain silent, and how to file a complaint against an officer. [New York Post]
The class is "not about the police being bad," said East Side Community High's principal, Mark Federman. "This isn't anti-police as much as it's pro-young people... It's about what to do when kids are put in a position where they feel powerless and uncomfortable."
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