What percentage of your interactions with police, over your lifetime, have been negative?

[hlthe2b]

6. Never even approaching what POC experience, but reports of police abuse of women appears increasing

Not merely (and far far beyond) condescending and patronizing but "abusive partner-like." Several years ago episodes of police stopping/targeting women driving alone, sexually assaulting them and/or performing illegal invasive searches were reported across the country and serial episodes in some locales. I've fortunately never experienced more than unwarranted verbal abuse, simply for questioning the reason for the stop, but such reported incidents have left me wary.

I may never have had to give a child (of color) of mine "the talk," but I have had quite a few talks with younger women about being cautious when driving alone, especially at night, video or tape recording any encounter and demanding a call to the police dispatch to confirm the validity of an officer's identity before opening car door or window during a traffic stop. My sister (an ER nurse wearing scrubs) has been stopped at 3AM in Atlanta driving home after a shift for absolutely no reason other than she was driving alone in the wee hours. She has taken this course of advice for all encounters involving male "officers." All have been compliant, but if they get aggressive she lets them know that she has already connected with 911 and is recording for that purpose. They back off and become appropriately professional at that point.