Developing a good relationship with the police force in your area is beneficial. We should always strive to be above reproach, respectful and appreciative of their service to the community. Some officers will be respectful and supportive of what we do and others will not be. Most will try to appear impartial.
As far as we are concerned, we should do our best to develop a positive relationship no matter how they behave towards us. We are ambassadors of Christ and should, of course, conduct ourselves accordingly. They are there to keep the peace. They are usually as annoyed as we are by the antics of the pro-abortion group.
So how do we build a good relationship?
Greet them when you arrive or when you see them. Thank them for their service to the community. Ask how they’re doing and be relational and kind in your interactions. Do not break the laws. If you are unsure of the laws, be sure to clarify with them what you can and cannot do.
It is very important to know that sometimes the officers do not actually know the law, especially regarding our rights to speak at abortion centers. It is good for us to research things like city ordinances regarding sound, and, constitutionally, what we can and cannot do.
Try not to call them unless it is necessary. They are busy and they can get annoyed by frivolous calls, which happen often at our facility from the pro-abortion side.
When to call the police
When is it critical for us to call the police? If at anytime one of the pro-abortion advocates touches you or is aggressive against you in any way or threatens aggression, call the police. We have said many times throughout the history of our podcast that if you do not call the pro-abortion group to account over aggression against you, it will only get worse. Ask the police to file an incident report so then whatever the aggression is that you were concerned about is on record. Building a record sheet of infractions from the pro-abortion group can be very useful over time.
Always try to have evidence if possible. Video recording or photos can be very helpful in supporting what you are calling the officers about. If there has been any aggression against you, it is assault, and you should press charges.
If you are the one who called the police, you should be the one to approach them when they arrived. If the police have been called on you on the other hand, then you wait for them to approach you. They will probably go first to whoever called them. You should just continue doing what God has called you to do on the sidewalk until they come to talk to you.
When should you press charges?
Many officers would prefer not to press charges. It is more paperwork for them and then of course, if the magistrate approves sending to trial, the officer will have to take time off for the trial. I have found that sometimes they try to avoid pressing charges. However, our recommendation is that you always press charges if there has been any aggressive touch or threats against you. You can be forgiving, but there are consequences. Our forgiveness does not preclude using the justice system appropriately in response to their behavior. Our experience has been that unless there are consequences, they will keep doing it and it will escalate.
What if the police seem antagonistic?
We cannot change other people’s reactions or feelings towards us. That is between them and God. So we need to be as careful as possible to only take ownership of what we can control. Always be above reproach. If an officer asks you to do something, unless it violates your conscience, do it. If I’m in the road to be in the shade escaping the sun, but the police have been called because of some complaint and they ask me to get out of the road, I comply. I do not believe I have been called to jail ministry. It does me no good to get arrested especially over silly, trivial things.
I have been told in the past by officers to turn the volume of the speaker down even when I know we are not above the acceptable noise level. Nonetheless, I have learned that it helps a lot if I will just say, “OK, officer,” and turn the speaker down a little bit. The officer is more likely to be helpful in the future when I call about a complaint if he feels I have been respectful and helpful towards him in the past.
When to defy the officer
There are times when we know our rights and when we are being asked to do something that we cannot do in good conscience. I recall an example of that from the pandemic in its first days. The abortion center was considered an essential service and was still open, though we were warned we might be arrested if we came to the sidewalk. We consulted with our lawyers and were clearly told we were also considered an essential service, and we were allowed to be on the sidewalk. We were very careful to follow the rules set by the CDC, such as social distancing 6 feet apart, etc., and even drew measured chalk lines on the sidewalk to show our desire to comply with that rule.
We also kept our outdoor group gatherings to less than 10 as the police had requested. Nonetheless, they told us to leave in clear disregard of what we knew our rights to be. As a result, several of our Love Life team members were arrested. They were released, and later the charges were dropped.
Nonetheless, that was a time when we felt we did need to defy what the officers were telling us. No one resisted arrest and everyone was polite and gracious. It actually had the effect of mobilizing more churches and support for our ministry. The respectful kindness of the people being arrested towards the officers was videotaped, and it ended up working for good!
What we would caution against is do not think it is a badge of honor to be arrested. Sometimes it feels like people will purposely push boundaries in order to be arrested or to make a point. Be very careful if that is the motivation or intent.
Summary
Obey the governing authorities and, insofar as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. This is scriptural and it is a good guide in dealing with the police. Treat them with respect and kindness, knowing that no matter how they behave towards us. Our fight should not be with them, but with the forces or darkness in the spiritual realm. Showing respect to the police will often have the effect of them showing respect in return.
0 Comments