'Know Your Rights' Program Seeks To Empower Youth Against Misconduct

BROOKLYN, NY — What good are rights if you don't know what they are?

That's a question that a new training series seeks to tackle, specifically when it comes to young kids who are targeted by police in what some call "harmful tactics."

The Legal Aid Society has partnered with the Red Hook Initiative, a non-profit based in the Brooklyn neighborhood, to produce a training series for young kids about how to protect themselves agains police misconduct.

Dubbed the Know Your Rights Ambassador Training Series, the students will learn about various NYPD resources and tactics to protect themselves against police overreach.

“We see firsthand how the NYPD employs illegal and unethical tactics to target our clients, fueling the carceral system that has long preyed on communities of color,” said Anthony Posada, supervising attorney in the Community Justice Unit at The Legal Aid Society.

The 12-week series teaches students about the NYPD gang raid tactics and what the groups call over-inclusive gang labeling. They will also learn about how to handle police encounters safely and how to avoid having their rights as New Yorkers infringed upon.

Upon completion, the student then can host their own trainings as leaders in their communities in order to help make other young New Yorkers aware of how police misconduct could manifest in any interactions they could have with law enforcement.

“This program has been good because I learned more about cops and NYPD’s systems and other things they may do to target Black and Brown people. This is important information because as a young adult, I have citizen rights and I know what to do when a cop may approach me,” said Carter, RHI Participant & Youth Ambassador.

The program is open to Red Hook high schoolers and meets two days a week. This year's training series began in September and runs until the end of the year.

“It is critical that we build awareness and expand education efforts to provide the tools to youth to not only advocate for themselves about these harmful policing tactics, but to pass that knowledge forward and edify future generations," Posada said.

For more information or to join a class, contact Natisha Romain, Director of Adolescent Youth Programs at RHI at natisha@rhicenter.org.