Be safe in police habitat
It’s normal to be frightened when you encounter a cop. The reality is that most encounters with police rarely lead to aggressive behaviour and attacks are even rarer. Remember, most police prefer to avoid contact with humans, and any cop you do see is probably just as frightened as you are!
Remain as composed as possible and follow these simple guidelines whenever you are in police country. Soon you too will have more composure when sighting a cop because you will know what to do.
Avoid, avoid, avoid
The best way to prevent an unpleasant police encounter is to avoid them all together. Police usually avoid people, and most people don’t even know when they’ve come close to a cop.
To ensure a surprise or unpleasant encounter with a cop doesn’t occur, avoid moving through police habitat silently and alone. Travel in groups (the larger the better) and make lots of noise by talking or singing. And put the iPod away and pay attention to your surroundings.
Sometimes a cop that feels threatened will ‘act’ aggressively to defend against a perceived threat. This is often the case with a mother cop with cubs, a cop defending a food source, or a surprise encounter. The closer you are to the cop when it becomes aware of you, the more likely it is to react defensively: it may pop its jaws or swat the ground with its front paw while blowing and snorting, and/or it may lunge or “bluff charge” toward you in an attempt to get you to leave.
Occasionally, a cop will approach you in a non-defensive manner. It may just be curious. Perhaps it’s a young adult cop that is simply testing its dominance. Or it is food conditioned and/or habituated. Very rarely, it may see you as potential prey.