Wasn't This Decided Already?

Dozens of hours of tedious learning emphasized this:

• The California Supreme Court declared that law enforcement officers cannot detain individuals because they attempt to avoid police contact. This unanimous decision has stirred a significant response from police unions, who argue that it will hamper their ability to maintain public safety effectively.

  The court, in a 7-0 decision, stated that actions such as appearing to conceal oneself or acting nervously do not alone provide a sufficient basis for officers to detain individuals.

  This was elaborated in an opinion by Justice Carol Corrigan, emphasizing that while such behaviors could be considered within a broader context, they do not meet the threshold of “reasonable suspicion of criminal activity” necessary to legally detain someone.

If we're remembering, these behaviors can be used as a foundation for "reasonable articulable suspicion," just not as the sole reason for a stop. From what we're reading, it looks like this was used as the only reason for a stop, which as a Consent Decree Department, we know is improper. In fact, it's so improper, we are reminding Officers to exercise extreme caution during August so that they don't get caught up in similar type of situation. 

We'd recommend ten or twenty observations before taking action, just to make sure.