By Suzie Ziegler
WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. — Being pulled over can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but it’s especially scary for new drivers. That’s why Detroit-area cops held a special clinic to teach teens how to respond if they get pulled over.
On Thursday, multiple law enforcement agencies came together to hold a mock traffic stop clinic, according to WDIV. Local teenagers practiced sitting in the driver’s seat while officers simulated a traffic stop.
“It’s basically proper conduct during police encounters with an emphasis on traffic stops because that’s where we see a lot of things go wrong that should not go wrong,” said Sheriff Raphael Washington to WDIV.
Jeremiah Williams, 16, said he felt the event was a good way to bridge the gap between officers and citizens.
“We can have a better understanding of both sides and come together as one tribe,” Williams told WDIV.
Washington says this was the first time the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department has held such a clinic, but he hopes to do it again.
“You shouldn’t be afraid of police, and police should be doing it the right way,” Washington said. “For the large part, police are getting it right. But there are some instances where we don’t, and that’s why we’re talking to officers as well.”