LPT: Quietly filming your interactions with cops can save you from experiencing police brutality. DO NOT ANNOUNCE IT THOUGH

Alright, the internet was all abuzz about the fallout on the George Floyd story. I don't really want to get into specifics, it's just the *idea* and *practice* that I want to talk about. **EXTRA CAVEAT: DO NOT ANNOUNCE IT**<br><br>When *you* announce that you're recording an interaction, it can escalate the situation because that gets the police officer's back up. It shouldn't - but it could. It does this because it can make them feel (wrongly) that you (the victim or accused) feel superior and that they need to prove a point. This is why announcing it is risky, as it can escalate the situation.<br><br>However, recent court decisions have determined that quietly recording an interaction with cops is perfectly legal and within your rights. You literally have to be doing this silently - no screens, no making it obvious. In fact, the lack of a *hint* of recording is what makes silent recording the best way to record an interaction.<br><br>Some have suggested that police will try to take your phone away if you're quietly recording, but if they have, the courts have (so far) said that the interaction footage is admissible, and that the police action of taking the phone without consent - let alone your physically and bodily integrity - is problematic. <br><br>In my research, I've learned that some police departments have quietly(?) endorsed the practice of bodycams and the like on their own officers; in the meanwhile, the courts have taken the position that recording interactions are legal and protected under First Amendment rights. I'm no lawyer, but my general understanding is that that combined with the fact that police departments can't stop you from recording police interactions.<br><br>So, if you need to have an interaction with a police officer, have the best possible proof of police conduct by having your phone (or camera) out and recording. DO NOT ANNOUNCE IT. It's your best protection from police overreach.<br><br>EDIT: AFAIK, this is only valid in the US. I really don't know how this works in other countries, so help me out if you know!