JUST SAY ‘NO’! Educate your family on NOT answering police questions or consenting to searches

Governor Pritzker’s so-called Protect Illinois Communities Act requires existing owners register their defensive semi-auto, magazine-fed rifles and other defensive firearms by December 31st.

Given the current non-compliance rate of 99.7%, clearly there are potentially millions of banned guns out there still unregistered.

Will police knock on your door? That’s very unlikely. Unless of course someone phoned in a “tip” that you’ve got banned guns that remain unregistered. Got a vindictive former spouse or former romantic partner? Maybe you have a “woke” family member or neighbor who viscerally hates guns, gun owners and anyone who doesn’t want to bow down and kiss Gov. Pritzker’s feet as our Lord and Savior. They might just drop a dime on you.

How do you handle police at the door when you didn’t call them for service? We’ve covered it repeatedly the past few issues of GunNews. It’s easy: Don’t talk to the police. Don’t answer any questions. Don’t consent to searches and we’ll tell you why…

First and foremost, nothing you say or do can help prove your innocence in court. But anything you say can and will be used against you at trial.

So you know why it’s important to not talk with the police, to answer questions or consent to any searches, but…

What if someone else answers your home’s front door?
What happens if a well-trained, slick-talking Illinois State Police investigator chats up your spouse or child at the door?

Will your spouse or child unwittingly say something that might later be used against you in a court of law? Even worse, would they maybe consent to a search thinking either (a) police officers are their friends and/or (b) your family has nothing to hide?

Remember, that LEO has undergone countless hours of training and has conducted thousands of “interviews.” Cops call them “interviews” because that’s so much less intimidating than calling them by what they really are: interrogations.

How do you educate your family about how to protect their rights while interacting with police?

Pull up the YouTube video from Regent University Law Professor James Duane entitled, “Don’t talk to the police.”

PRO-TIP: Sit the whole family down to watch that video. Popcorn is optional. It’s entertaining and incredibly educational. (See his follow-up video “You have the right to remain innocent” as well.)

Emphasize with your family that what your family has when it comes to guns is not open for discussion to anyone but close friends in the proper environment.

It’s sort of like educating your family about not asking you if you’re wearing your gun while you’re out in public.

Along those lines, educate everyone not to be afraid to answer the door if police knock. They may have important information. But if it’s a criminal investigation, like asking about whether you’ve registered some guns (or not registered some guns) decline to make any statements then ask them to leave.

This goes for minor children too. Do you think for a moment that an overzealous investigator with orders to get results would decline accepting a consent to search from a minor living there when mom and dad aren’t nearby? Even if the search gets tossed (and it may not, depending on circumstances), your pals at ISP are still gonna keep your confiscated stuff.

Make sure everyone there knows to just say “no!”
Teach everyone in your home to protect their right against self-incrimination, even accidentally.

Tell investigating cops that you can’t speak with them without an attorney and to leave.