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The English language is a funny thing.
This "lawful contact" thing that has come up is actually a very simple concept, but it looks as if some people are interpreting the words in, well, a kind of funny way.
The "lawful" part of "lawful contact" does not mean contact that is "law-ish" or "full of law," or "having to do with the law," or contact "so that the officer and the person being contacted can talk about law-related issues." If someone was interpreting the phrase in that way- the way the Republicans and Teabaggers seem to be doing- one might conclude that such "law-full contact" would require a person to have done something wrong that required the police to talk to them.
I have to admit, that someone might read the phrase in such a way does make me laugh.
"Lawful contact" is very simply any contact a police officer has with a civilian in compliance with the restrictions placed on their contact with others by the law, while on duty, or in their role as a police officer, which are minimal when they are not detaining or arresting someone. Police officers, while on duty, have lawful contact with others all day long, every time they talk with someone, and maybe even more often than that, if someone considers observing people on the street contact by an officer.
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