Legislation Says Students Should Learn to Interact with Police

By THC Staff | October 19, 2016

 

A Texas senator is proposing a new piece of legislation that would require students to learn how to interact with police officers when being pulled over or even detained. The senator, John Whitmire, hopes to see teachers who instruct at a 9th-grade level explain to students how these situations should unfold. Many people are confused when met with the intimidating and uncomfortable situation for the first time.

“The Texas Tribune” quotes Whitmire as saying, “You need to know what your rights are and the best way to express them…It’s not focused on how to de-escalate something just because you get pulled over by law enforcement. I think that’s important, and I think that’s when most of us have an encounter with the police.”

The owner of Mr. D’s Driving Center in Kilgore, Roy Dudley, told KLTV that he’s often asked what to do when you’re pulled over. He shows them a video and reiterates to his students to “roll their window down, turn the car off, and then put their hands just on top of the steering wheel.”

Though everyone wants to avoid unpleasant police encounters, it helps to know what to expect during the situation, especially if you’re a young and inexperienced driver.