Know Your Rights
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
It's important to know what you can and cannot do as an RLSH. This helps to empower you and make you feel more comfortable when you are out.
Your Uniform Will Not Get You Arrested
You will not be arrested simply for wearing your RLSH uniform. It's not illegal to wear a mask into a business, although a mask could possibly cause stress upon the workers of the business if, by first appearance, your uniform causes a negative reaction. By incorporating a logo and a bright or shiny color (even as trim) can help alleviate a negative reaction. There are some upcoming articles regarding uniforms and you may want to read up on Heroic Colors.
Patrols Won't Get You In Trouble
Patrols, the act of following a particular route through your city, won't (in itself) get you in trouble with the law. It's the actions you take or do not take that could cause an issue.
Always Save The Cat
Writers have this notion that they should "always save the cat" (symbolic of the innocent). If you are out on patrol and you see someone, an animal, or a property in trouble, you can do something about it. It's called "reasonable suspicion". It may be a person choking on a hot dog, it may be someone being mugged, or it may be some people doing a B&E - you have the power to act. In this case, your good intentions to help, based on reasonable suspicion, tend to be enough. Just be sure to call for official help (fire, ambulance, police) as soon as you are able. It definitely helps if you have a bodycam to help prove your reasonable suspicion. Also, "always save the cat" - if you have an injured civilian and the bad guy is getting away - STAY WITH THE INJURED CIVILIAN.
Photos and Video
You can totally take photos and video of people, places, and things, UNLESS there is a posted government sign that negates this (like some military/government bases). If you are taking photos and video, always be willing to hand it over to the authorities. This is a sign of goodwill and a helpful attitude.
This is the first fight from 'Kick Ass' and it's absolutely self-defense.
Defending Yourself
You have the right to defend yourself against an attack. Self-defense is the use of reasonable force to protect oneself or others from harm. It's used in legal terms for imminent threats, reasonable fear of harm, and in proportionate force to the threat. It can also be used to protect property from theft or destruction. When your force exceeds the threat, it then becomes assault - which is not legal.
Outreach & Activism
If you are doing outreach and activism work, it's not illegal. You may run into some mentally disabled, strung out junkies, and petty thieves; just be aware of your surroundings. On the flip side to this, if you help out the downtrodden, they may help you out later. Sherlock Holmes, while fictional, was known in his stories to utilize the downtrodden for information.
Actively Not Helping
You can get in trouble for actively not helping someone in dire need. This means that you are not stepping in and/or are not allowing others to step in and help the person in dire need, which can then lead to direct harm of that person in need. That person in dire need may be an absolutely terrible person, but if they are in need of help, you should give them at least the minimum assistance. By actively not helping, you could be charged with malicious intent. If you need a good example of this type of conflict, look no further than our favorite dark knight, Batman. Batman may get into fights with Joker, but if Joker is clinging to the edge of a building, Batman will always save him (or at least make an attempt). He has to believe that the system will eventually work with either jail time or therapy.
Vigilantism
Vigilantism is when someone takes the law into their own hands and punishes someone they believe has committed a crime, without going through the proper legal channels. Vigilantes in comics are like the Punisher, Deadpool, Ghost Rider, Peacemaker, Deadpool, Hellboy, Blade, and Spawn. This is not where you want to end up.
Stay tuned for more on these issues. If there is something you have a question about, please leave a comment. I'll get something written up about it.
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