Not realistic at all! Actually, it really depends on the show. Some of them are much better than others, but none of them could be fully realistic and still be entertaining (nobody wants to watch a person fill out paperwork for hours at a time). Each law enforcement officer usually has their favorite one or two movies either because it at least it tried to be true-to-life, or just because it was plain fun. Even with the unrealistic nature of Hollywood, some employees actually like watching “cop shows” after work, while others can’t stand them; it’s not healthy to think about the subject matter 24/7.

Yes, there have been many, MANY mistakes and abuses in the past, and none of them should be overlooked. Unlike some, we don’t ask that you have “faith” in law enforcement – or anything else! Quite the contrary; trust is earned, and we welcome you to be as skeptical toward making partnerships as you would be towards other initiatives (or more skeptical, even). However, please keep in mind that hundreds of thousands of criminal justice interactions happen every day in the United States alone, and the majority of good stories seldom make the news. Accountability is essential to proper law enforcement, but resist the urge to lump the actions of everybody together. No two law enforcement agencies are the same, and no two individuals are the same. Please don’t let the bad apples deter you from seeing how capable and dedicated the good ones can be.

Well, for one thing – both groups value facts and evidence! (the good ones do, at least). That will always a shared point of reference for both communities. Also, most freethinkers believe in morality, law, order, and safety like everybody else; we are not all anarchists, despite what some religious groups say. In addition, both parties want individual rights and a healthy democracy (or constitutional republic, or whatever you want to call it). In fact, some employees actually chose criminal justice BECAUSE we believe in individual rights and because we are proud to be the defenders of them. Talk to us and ask us about our motivations; you’d be surprised how much perspective we can share.

Yes, it can seem ridiculous, but it’s not personal. For law enforcement community liaison departments, that can sometimes be the government designation or “sector” that operates such outreach. Thus, even if the label is uncomfortable for us or completely inaccurate, the program can still be the best way for you to develop a partnership (for now), and there is information within those programs that could help make your organizations and your members safer – both in the physical and cyber security worlds. We can help navigate these situations.

Criminal justice employees often have a strong sense of mission and purpose. They don’t do their jobs because they need praise, but being appreciated and having a sense of community does boost morale, and we are human just like everybody else. We aren’t all robots like in the Matrix (most of us, anyway).

Law enforcement is a very rewarding profession, but at times it can also be a very isolating one. You spend a lot of hours on the job; it’s not easy to talk to others outside the job about the stress and challenges; and the profession isn’t always appreciated. Like many other stressful careers (or any job, for that matter), it can be just as important to take care of one’s mental health on a regular basis as it is to put on that bulletproof vest before a tactical operation. Because of this, one way to build bridges with your local agency is just to show appreciation for the good work that is often done but doesn’t make the daily news headlines.

That is fine. Having an open line of communication does NOT mean that you always have to call. A law enforcement partnership is a resource, not an obligation. Proactive outreach just means that the communication line is open if you need it, and the person on the other end of the phone isn’t a stranger.

These are ALL valid questions (we get discouraged by daily news headlines as well). In short – yes, the benefits of reporting still exist, and our own team can discuss concerns with you confidentially in any political climate.

Investigating a hate crime, for example, is usually very reactive in nature because the crime has, in most cases, already taken place. For terrorism, of course – whether it’s international or domestic – the goal is PREVENTING an attack before it happens. Reporting from the public is essential in mitigating both types of threats.

In our very humble opinion – no. 🙂 It always helps for freethinkers be professional, constructive, and thoughtful in our actions – but we’ll be damned if we’re going to be intimidated into lowering the visibility of the secular community (we won’t be actually damned, of course, but you know what we mean).

Other safety threats are of course extremely timely and important (like terrorism, fraud, organized crime, child exploitation, cybercrime, etc.). However, our specific initiative emphasizes hate crimes because there is already so much information about those other threats already available online (although, in some cases, it’s not as easy to find). If you are a freethought organization and have questions about a different crime or threat, feel free to contact us, and we’ll be happy to discuss it.

There is no concrete data (that we are aware of) which associates criminal vulnerability with religions belief. Personally, we think that our community members ARE better prepared, particularly against schemes of deception, due to our naturally skeptical nature. However, you shouldn’t get a false sense of security just yet. A skeptical mind won’t necessarily protect you from an active shooter, of course, and we’ve also seen some very intelligent, practical people fall prey to basic fraudsters.

You should contact both your local police department and the FBI. Before that, however, we would be happy to speak with you about hate crimes in general; talk about your specific situation; discuss the different options you may have; and give you additional guidance for whatever choice you make to report or not report. The ultimate reporting decision will always be YOURS. Your story and your voice matters.

Legally, hate crimes consist of a crime plus a motivation based on bias (according to a list of protected classes defined by decades of legislation at the federal level). Hate crimes can be against property, NOT just people, and in some cases when a person wasn’t injured but when buildings or vehicles were vandalized, the incidents were still prosecuted.
Free speech is rightfully protected by the Constitution, but specific types of harassment and threats can qualify as hate crimes. However, it is beneficial to report ALL hate incidents for a variety of reasons, and they can be reported to secular activist organizations, to law enforcement, or to both.

It depends (that’s the great legal answer, right?). A better question is “should I report that?”. If we report, we don’t know whether it will make a difference (in terms of prosecution). But if we don’t report these crimes at all, then we KNOW we aren’t making as much of a difference as we could.

Both options have benefits and drawbacks; it depends on your situation. Both options take time – after all, law enforcement IS government, and sometimes with government service comes bureaucracy. But FS3 can help you navigate that bureaucracy and – equally important – make sure you are heard.

Because lawyers love when the law is confusing! (actually, most of them don’t). The different laws are actually a reflection of the progress that has been made since the 1960’s, in terms of additional legal classifications of minorities (race, gender, religion, etc.) being protected, and what they are protected FROM. But, yes, having multiple legal statutes – instead of a single, comprehensive one – makes the explanation not as straightforward as it could be. Suffice to say that prosecutors DO have tools to address crimes against the defined protected classes (including for religious beliefs, or the lack thereof).

When reporting a crime, 911 still should be the first call for an assault, an active shooter, or anything that involves a person’s immediate physical safety. In general, however, when reporting a hate crime to law enforcement, it’s best to contact both local authorities and the FBI because of their different roles. Local police can bring criminal charges against the subject, and they are going to be your most direct option for physical protection and crisis response. Most states have their own hate crime laws, and many violations are actually prosecuted at the state or local level.

For reporting purposes, however, it is still the FBI that takes the lead, and the summary that the FBI publishes – the Uniform Crime Report – does have a religious bias category specifically labeled “Anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.”.
The FBI also takes referrals, analyzes data nationwide to connect the dots, compares trends, and investigates cases that some local departments can’t or won’t handle (they can also work with local authorities in a joint investigation).

No. If a survivor prefers to contact only the FBI, that is fine, and the FBI has helped a lot of people directly.

None. You don’t have to be lawyer: 1. To recognize hate; 2. To report a crime; or 3. To have your rights protected.

Despite the urge to delay a referral, it can help investigators to report hate matters early (even at the level of a verbal or online threat) before it potentially escalates into something else entirely. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (the one made famous for its serial killer profiles) has found time and again that violent people usually don’t become violent – or radicalized – overnight (as illustrated in their publication titled “Beyond Belief”). Extremism and violent behavior is often a progression, and a progression with signs from the person that can include hate threats. Law enforcement has prevented many violent incidents just by knocking on a suspect’s door and talking to them – but it needs the public’s help in seeing and reporting those red flags.

We completely understand, and that’s one reason why we can explore all options during our initial discussion before you make the decision whether to call law enforcement.  From experience, we know that reporting a crime can have many benefits that aren’t immediately obvious, including:

•          establishing a pattern of behavior for a suspected individual or group; a potential prosecution of the suspect;

•          the intelligence value of hate incident referrals;

•          the mental health benefits of reporting;

•          the inspiring ripple effect that an individual or community can experience when combatting hate crimes. 

Reporting a hate incident (or any crime) can help both the current victim of the crime and the many people might be the NEXT victim.  Your actions can turn the negative ripple effect of a hate crime into a positive one.  However, before making the decision to report, it can be useful to talk with somebody else first, which something we can assist with.

Again, the above questions are just a starting point.  If you know of an area of concern specific to the secular community that is not listed here, contact us at fs3@ftsociety.org.  We’ve discussed many issues with folks that are more individually specific in nature.  Also, if you have expertise or experience in any of the above areas, we would love your perspective!   There are always gaps between the public’s understanding of a group (or profession) and the realities of it.  Our aim is to reduce those gaps when it comes to the freethought community’s perception of law enforcement (and vice versa).  Your input and support can help.