How do you explain to a child the difference?

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Through your entire grade school years, you are taught by parents, teachers and all that you trust that the police are your friends and to always tell the truth.

Now this is true, the police are our friends and are there to help and protect all but there may come a time when a child, your child who happens to be 12 or 13 years old and is picked up by the police for whatever reason. Hell, they may only be a witness to a crime and whatever they may say can be used against them if the interviewing officer gets his/her spidie senses tingling.

How do you tell a child how to distinguish between the police are there to help you and the police are going to trap you and make you slip up?

I've told my kids that under no circumstances are you to talk to police unless YOU need help and only when you need help you are to have the police call me. If the police pick you up for any reason and they start to ask questions, all you are allowed to answer is that you want them to call me and that you want a lawyer. Do not give them anything else except for my phone number.

I took my experience out, it don't add anything but shed the police in a bad light