Last week, four historically black Greek organizations hosted events regarding rights when interacting with law enforcement officers. Judges, lawyers and police officers served on panels to provide diverse perspectives and answer questions.
The room was filled with Black students, motivated by curiosity and concern for the current state of relations between police and African-Americans.
Seeing a room filled with Black students interested in learning more about rights was encouraging but also saddening. It was encouraging because so many students were interested in engaging other students with law enforcement officers. It was discouraging because other students didn’t find it necessary to attend an event to learn about their legal rights and how to conduct themselves with law enforcement officers.
These events should be of interest to everyone — not just those concerned with Black lives. If not for social justice reasons, just to be aware. It can be difficult to fully comprehend laws and regulations.
The panel was an open, safe space to interact with law enforcement officers — which was a new concept for me. Prior to attending the panel, a majority of my knowledge about the inner workings of the police force came from Olivia Benson on “Law and Order: SVU.”
Having the opportunity to listen to stories and receive advice from practicing law enforcement officers was an incredible opportunity.
The dialogue was much more than a discussion about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Amongst the topics, the panelist provided explanations for practices and clarified tricky police jargon and protocol for interacting with citizens.
Underage drinking is illegal, but we all know it happens on Frat Court. Do you know under what circumstances police can legally enter a private home? Are you aware of the repercussions of being charged with underage drinking?
