JFC!  That the hell?  Who are these people?  And why are they allowed to exist?  Anyone want to march on the church this weekend? How bout Sunday?

Who do you call to report a god damned church?  This is making me crazy!  How do these buttholes continue to run this town? 

Bret said:

While we were there (late afternoon), there was only one passed out transient on the side door, three RV's on Victoria and two used condoms in the gutter where RV's park at night on the west side of Prospect. 

What kind of god dammed church lets their parishioners wear condoms.

Let's kick it up a notch……….  BAM!

Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church

Developing principled Christian leaders for the Church and the world

http://www.pnwumc.org/

Bishop Grant Hagiya, Resident Bishop
206-870-6810 • bishop@pnwumc.org

Mary Tapp, Secretary to the Bishop
206-870-6810 • mary@pnwumc.org

Office of the Bishop:
816 S 216th #2 (Street Address)
PO Box 13650 (Mailing Address)
Des Moines, WA 98198-1009

On August 18th, 2010 the flyer shown below was attached to my vehicle. As a resident of Venice I am well aware of the controversy that surrounds the community and the RV issue. I am not immune from the economic hard times, and have certainly made choices over the past six months to sell belongings on Craigslist and eBay to stay in my economic comfort zone. The state of the economy has had an impact on many. One thing however, that is never necessary in hard times, is breaking the law.

I was intrigued that per the flyer, a meeting would be held at the local United Methodist Church to instruct people with " moveable homes " how to " deal with the police ". I went to this meeting. I walked in, sat down. There were puppies running around all over that were being attended by a woman named Desiree, the " free pantry " food give away was set up along the wall and was attended by a woman named Peggy. There were about 6 other people inside.

Just before the meeting was to begin, a woman, her son and husband showed up and sat down. A few minutes later, Peggy approached them and asked them if they lived in their vehicle, and that the meeting was only for people who live in their vehicles. The woman replied that she had the flyer and had seen them all over, and it was a public meeting. Peggy replied, "No, this is private property and I am going to ask you to leave." She had a very aggressive and hostile tone. The woman said something about being part of a neighborhood safety group and that she had positive interest in the meeting, but a very hostile exchange ensued which resulted in the woman covering the ears of her young son and leaving. I didn't want anything to do with the argument, so I moved.

Once they left, a woman who I have seen among the RV/homeless community said that she was outside talking to a guy named Josh XI when the woman walked in. He told her that the woman who was there with her family egged on the cops when their friend Joe was being arrested a few weeks prior. So she in turn told Peggy and Peggy kicked her and her family out of the meeting. It was also mentioned that " The cops would love to get someone into this meeting and she was probably a plant. "

Peggy asked those in attendance, now approximately 15 people what they wanted to discuss. They in fact did not have a formal agenda or meeting schedule of topics, they looked to the crowd to tell them what they wanted to discuss. Peggy, angry and flustered at the confrontation said she had to cook, but she sat down first and addressed those in attendance to write down the items to discuss, and then she was going to turn it over to Desiree.

I asked if it was against the law to live in my vehicle. Peggy responded to me and said that "there is a law in the city of Los Angeles that makes it illegal to live in your vehicle on the streets and in public parking lots. LAMC 85.02." she continued, " The police use that to enter your vehicle and to harass you and they are writing tickets for it, but once you get the ticket and go to court they don't seem to be prosecuting people. There is a lot of harassment around 85.02 and the police will use it to target you, and harass you especially since you are female. "

At this point the other members in attendance chimed in and added commentary about how abusive the police are, and Peggy then turned the meeting over to Desiree to finish going through the agenda items.

The meeting was very fragmented. Although Peggy and Desiree argued throughout the process about writing down agenda items etc., the bulk of the conversation included:

1. Commentary and involved discussion about how the police are only out to harass you and violate your civil rights – they are the enemy.
2. Strategies for telling the police that you are a denizen when asked about where you live, and other answers for diverting from the fact that you do indeed live in your vehicle.
3. Talk about the group forming a trust which they all would pay into for the purpose of insurance, and when a vehicle gets towed or impounded, the individual owner of the vehicle would immediately sign over the title, limiting the number of days the vehicle is held and charged for impound, and then when it goes up for auction the trust would then buy the vehicle and sell it back to the owner.
4. As a "community" of RV dwellers they are considered " non-contributors " so the suggestion was made that each person describe an ability or trade that they have, and they will organize and offer those services within the community to show that they are participants in society.

The meeting was attended by individuals who admitted to living in their RV's, and were recounting experiences and encounters with the police in a negative way. There was much cross-talk and commentary about how to thwart the police and that the police and tow yards conspire to tow vehicles and steal the belongings inside.

I initially was disturbed that a woman and her family, who seemed well intended and friendly enough was aggressively kicked out of the meeting. I found it strange that a church who was feeding the homeless in turn used that draw and audience to promote strategies to subvert the law in a direct and organized manner.

 As the conversation and meeting agenda fragmented… I decided to leave. Peggy, who I later learned is Peggy Lee Kennedy, the treasurer and trustee of the United Methodist Church handed me a document titled " Dealing With Police " shown below, which details strategies similar to those discussed in the meeting for thwarting law enforcement for, as stated by Peggy herself, enforcing LAMC 85.02.

How is it acceptable that a local church allows such meetings to take place under their roof, and the treasurer of the church uses church resources to print and distribute materials encouraging people to subvert law enforcement.

I have since seen Desiree, who lives in a large 30ft motor home herself outfitted with handicapped placards. Interestingly, I was walking down Rose after taking photos on 3rd of how the RV's had dumped and littered again just two days after the street was deemed a bio-hazard and decontaminated and a woman on a bike took my photo and followed me. The next thing I know, Desiree is following me in her RV and even recklessly pulled over to try and get a photo of me.

As a resident of Venice I am truly interested in improvements for all in the community. I am shocked and disgusted at the subversive efforts of a group associated with a local church to network among themselves to demonize law enforcement and organize to break existing laws that they are so well aware of, they organize meetings on how to beat them.

Contents of the document given to me by Peggy Lee Kennedy at the Untied Methodist Church on Lincoln in Venice.

Dealing With Police
In General
When dealing with the police, keep your hands in view and don’t make sudden movements. Avoid passing behind them. Nervous cops are dangerous cops. Also, never touch the police or their equipment (vehicles, flashlights, animals, etc.) — you can get beat up and charged with assault.
The police do not decide your charges; they can only make recommendations. The prosecutor is the only person who can actually charge you. Remember this the next time the cops start rattling off all the charges they’re supposedly “going to give you.”
Questioning
Interrogation isn’t always bright lights and rubber hoses — usually it’s just a conversation. Whenever the cops ask you anything besides your name and address, it’s legally safest to say these Magic Words:
“I am going to remain silent. I want to see a lawyer.”
This invokes the rights which protect you from interrogation.    When you say this, the cops (and all other law enforcement officials) are legally required to stop asking you questions. They probably won’t stop, so just repeat the Magic Words or remain silent until they catch on.
Remember, anything you say to the authorities can and will be used against you and your friends in court. There’s no way to predict what information the police might try to use or how they’d use it. Plus, the police often misquote or lie altogether about what was said. So say only the Magic Words and let all the cops and witnesses know that this is your policy. Make sure that when you’re arrested with other people, the rest of the group knows the Magic Words and promises to use them.
One of the jobs of cops is to get information out of people, and they usually don’t have any scruples about how they do it. Cops are legally allowed to lie when they’re investigating, and they are trained to be manipulative. The only thing you should say to cops, other than identifying yourself, is the Magic Words: “I am going to remain silent. I want to see a lawyer.”
Here are some lies they will tell you:
● “You’re not a suspect — just help us understand what happened here and then you can go.”
● “If you don’t answer my questions, I’ll have no choice but to arrest you. Do you want to go to jail?”
●    “If you don’t answer my questions, I’m going to charge you with resisting arrest.” ● “All of your friends have cooperated and we let them go home. You’re the only one
left.”
Cops are sneaky and there are lots of ways they can trick you into talking. Here are some scams they’ll pull:
● Good Cop/ Bad Cop: Bad cop is aggressive and menacing, while good cop is nice, Dealing With Police – 4/21/08    Page 1 of 4    http://www.midnightspecial.net
friendly, and familiar (usually good cop is the same race and gender as you). The idea is bad cop scares you so bad you are desperately looking for a friend. Good cop is that friend.
●    The cops will tell you that your friends ratted on you so that you will snitch on them. Meanwhile, they tell your friends the same thing. If anyone breaks and talks, you all go down.
● The cops will tell you that they have all the evidence they need to convict you and that if you “take responsibility” and confess the judge will be impressed by your honesty and go easy on you. What they really mean is: “we don’t have enough evidence yet, please confess.”
Jail is a very isolating and intimidating place. It is really easy to believe what the cops tell you. Insist upon speaking with a lawyer before you answer any questions or sign anything.
The Golden Rule: Never trust a cop.
The Miranda Warnings
The police do not have to read you your rights (also known as the Miranda warnings). Miranda applies when there is (a) an interrogation (b) by a police officer of other agent of law enforcement (c) while the suspect is in police custody (you do not have to be formally arrested to be “in custody”). Even when all these conditions are met, the police intentionally violate Miranda. And though your rights have been violated, what you say can be used against you.    For this reason, it is better not to wait for the cops – you know what your rights are, so you can invoke them by saying the Magic Words, “I am going to remain silent. I want to see a lawyer.”
If you’ve been arrested and realize that you have started answering questions, don’t panic. Just re-invoke your rights by saying the Magic Words again. Don’t let them trick you into thinking that because you answered some of their questions, you have to answer all of them.
Police Encounters
There are three basic types of encounters with the police: Conversation, Detention, and Arrest.
Conversation: When the cops are trying to get information, but don’t have enough evidence to detain or arrest you, they’ll try to weasel some information out of you. They may call this a “casual encounter” or a “friendly conversation”. If you talk to them, you may give them the information they need to arrest you or your friends. In most situations, it’s better and safer not to talk to cops.
Detention: Police can detain you only if they have reasonable suspicion (see below) that you are involved in a crime. Detention means that, though you aren’t arrested, you can’t leave. Detention is supposed to last a short time and they aren’t supposed to move you. During detention, the police can pat you down and go into your bag to make sure you don’t have any weapons. They aren’t supposed to go into your pockets unless they feel a weapon.
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say nothing else to them. If you are being detained, you may want to ask why. Then you should say the Magic Words: “I am going to remain silent. I want a lawyer” and nothing else.
A detention can easily turn into arrest. If the police are detaining you and they get information that you are involved in a crime, they will arrest you, even if it has nothing to do with your detention. For example, if someone gets pulled over for speeding (detained) and the cop sees drugs in the car, the cops will arrest her for possession of the drugs even though it has nothing to do with her getting pulled over. Cops have two reasons to detain you: 1) they are writing you a citation (a traffic ticket, for example), or 2) they want to arrest you but they don’t have enough information yet to do so.
Arrest: Police can arrest you only if they have probable cause (see below) that you are involved in a crime. When you are arrested, the cops can search you to the skin and go through you car and any belongings. By law, an officer strip searching you must be the same gender as you.
If the police come to your door with an arrest warrant, go outside and lock the door behind you. Cops are allowed to search any room you go into, so don’t go back into the house for any reason. If they have an arrest warrant, hiding won’t help because they are allowed to force their way in if they know you are there. It’s usually better to just go with them without giving them an opportunity to search.
Reasonable Suspicion vs. Probable Cause
Reasonable suspicion must be based on more than a hunch — cops must be able to put their suspicion into words. For example, cops can’t just stop someone and say, “She looked like she was up to something.” They need to be more specific, like, “She was standing under the overpass staring up at some graffiti that hadn’t been there 2 hours ago. She had the same graffiti pattern written on her backpack. I suspected that she had put up the graffiti.”
Cops need more proof to say they have a probable cause than to say they have a reasonable suspicion. For example, “A store owner called to report someone matching her description tagging a wall across the street. As I drove up to the store, I saw her running away spattered with paint and carrying a spray can in her hand.”
Searches
Never consent to a search! If the police try to search your house, car, backpack, pockets, etc. say the Magic Words 2: “I do not consent to this search.” This may not stop them from forcing their way in and searching anyway, but if they search you illegally, they probably won’t be able to use the evidence against you in court. You have nothing to lose from refusing to consent to a search and lots to gain. Do not physically resist cops when they are trying to search because you could get hurt and charged with resisting arrest or assault. Just keep repeating the Magic Words 2 so that the cops and all witnesses know that this is your policy.
Be careful about casual consent. That is, if you are stopped by the cops and you get out of the car but don’t close the door, they can search the car and claim that they though you were indicating consent by leaving the door ajar. Also, if you say, “I’d
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rather you didn’t search,” they can claim that you were reluctantly giving them permission to search. Always just say the Magic Words 2: “I do not consent to this search.”
If the cops have a search warrant, nothing changes — it’s legally safest to just say the Magic Words 2. Again, you have nothing to lose from refusing to consent to a search, and lots to gain if the search warrant is incorrect or invalid in some way. If they do have a search warrant, ask to read it. A valid warrant must have a recent date (usually not more than a couple of weeks), the correct address, and a judge’s or magistrate’s signature; some warrants indicate the time of day the cops can search. You should say the Magic Words 2 whether or not the search warrant appears correct. The same goes for any government official who tries to search you, your belongings, or your house.
Infiltrators and Informants
Undercover cops sometimes infiltrate political organizations. They can lie about being cops even if asked directly. Undercover cops can even break the law (narcs get hazard pay for doing drugs as part of their cover) and encourage others to do so as well. This is not legally entrapment.
FBI and other government agents
The essence of the Magic Words – I’m keeping my mouth shut until I talk to a lawyer – not only applies to police but also to the FBI, ICE, CIA, even IRS.    If you want to be nice and polite, tell them that you don’t wish to speak with them until you’ve spoken with your lawyer, or that you won’t answer questions without a lawyer present. If you are being investigated as a result of your political activity, you can call the National Lawyers Guild at (415) 285-1055; they will help you find a lawyer you can talk to.
Taking Notes
Whenever you interact with or observe the police, always write down what is said and who said it. Write down the cops’ names and badge numbers and the names and contact information of any witnesses. Record everything that happens. If you are expecting a lot of police contact, get in the habit of carrying a small tape recorder and a camera with you. Be careful — cops don’t like people taking notes, especially if the cops are planning on doing something illegal. Observing them and documenting their actions may have very different results; for example, it may cause them to respond aggressively, or it may prevent them from abusing you or your friends.
Conclusion
People deal with police in all kinds of circumstances. You must make an individual decision about how you will interact with law enforcement. It is important to know your legal rights, but it is also important for you to decide when and how to use them in order to best protect yourself.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, we would love to hear from you. Email us at mslc@midnightspecial.net or call us at (510) 261-4843.
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