Arrest-Proof Yourself by Dale C. Carson and Wes Denham

Arrest-Proof Yourself An Ex-Cop Reveals How Easy It is for Anyone to Get Arrested, How Even a Single Arrest Can Ruin Your Life, What to Do If the Police Get In Your Face by Dale C. Carson and Wes Denham

This book is a practical guide on how to avoid getting arrested. It describes what an arrest can do to you, from not being employable to losing your kids in a divorce battle. Being arrested is being put in an "Electronic Plantation." This "Electronic Plantation" is instantly accessible anywhere in the United States because of the internet, and will make you a permanent police target.

Dale C. Carson who was a Miami police officer, FBI agent, and now is a criminal defense attorney tells you that the job of the police officer is to hunt criminals. The more criminals the police officer catches, the more promotions and respect he receives. It is often not about the quality of the crime being committed, but the amount of people they catch.

I found the writing to be both sharp and entertaining. It also gives you practical advice on what to do when being approached by the police. There is a very interesting section on how to handle when a police officer incites you; yells at you, uses slurs, or possibly violence. It tells you to not reach up, this is called flailing it can create an assault charge, not to reach for belt, pockets, or ankles where weapons can be, don't touch the officer, and remain polite or completely silent.

The majority of people arrested according to this book are the clueless. They are people who can't be polite, don't show up to court on time, are dressed provocatively, don't maintain their car insurance and other paperwork, consume intoxicants in the great outdoors, and can't provide a proper home and business address. These people are continuously processed through the criminal justice system like a meatgrinder.

The book exhorts you to party at home and not put anything illegal in your car. The car is the place where most policemen make arrests. Traffic tickets are almost a secondary purpose for pulling people over. I like his car arrestibility quotient chart. (Car-Q.) It states that driving too slowly or carefully attracts the police. There are a lot of similar charts throughout the book.

There are a lot of useful tips in this book. For example if you find a gun, turn it over to a criminal defense attorney, they can dispose of it to the police without revealing where it came from. Always ask for a Notice of Appearance instead of being hauled into the police station. The reason there are so many arrests for domestic violence is that it cuts the murder rate for women in half. Also, arresting people for statutory rape prevents unplanned pregnancies.

This book is well written, straightforward and honest. There may be places where it can be offensive to some people because of content. He has some scenarios which are interesting. A young woman becomes trapped in the ghetto because she has her identity stolen and a good young man buys some hip hop clothes, then panics when the police stop him.

I especially liked the section on how to search your car for contraband if it was stolen or lent to someone who uses drug or is involved in illegal activities.

This is a practical book that is worth reading. There is an index, black and white photographs, and charts. I don't think you will find it reviewed in Library Journal or Publishers Weekly. I was surprised to see a review from School Library Journal on Amazon. This would be a very useful addition to a public library.