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Wicca and The Police
Author:
Posted: January 26th. 2002
Times Viewed: 16,020
I had intended, by means of this article, to shed light on what kind of training a police officer received regarding occult crimes and dealing with Wiccan and Pagan communities. Using this information, Wiccans and Pagans would have an idea what to expect. The results were less than satisfactory. Seven departments were contacted in my area. One had an officer who professed to have such training. He was self taught.
The Situation:
Fortunately New Mexico has a relatively low incidence of occult related crimes. The larger communities are liberal and tolerant. Wiccans and Pagans celebrate openly in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque as well as Los Alamos. Even little Taos is noted for its annual Green Man Festival.
The same cannot be said for the majority of the small villages in northern New Mexico. The Roman Catholic Church is deeply entrenched. To be a non-Catholic is to be suspect. To be a Witch is to follow Satan, and to open yourself to danger, although even the parish priests avoid the wrath of the Bruja.
The Problems:
To date, as far as I have been able to determine, neither Santa Fe nor Albuquerque have experienced any crimes against their relatively large Pagan communities.
Los Alamos, too, has been free of trouble, though there have been a number of ritual type crimes. In the mountains and canyons, blood covered altars have been found. The blood has been determined to be animal, usually that of cats. The Wiccan community in Los Alamos, numbering around 50, is quite active in explaining the religion, thus avoiding blame for the crimes.
Even little Pecos, New Mexico has been the scene of a large number of animal sacrifices. The people of the village blame witches and satanists. At least they differentiate between the two.
My own area, Rio Arriba County, and more specifically the Chama Valley, is the site of crimes that some attribute to cult activity. These take the form of cattle mutilations. They also occur in Taos County. "Cult" is the word being used but "witches" are also mentioned. "Witch" is used generically.
The Cops:
None of the departments in the areas mentioned have trained investigators. One, Los Alamos, has an officer who claims to have knowledge. He is self taught and seems to have an open mind, perhaps due to the aggressive action of the largest of the several covens in that city. The officer's views do not extend to the hierarchy of the department. The Chief of Police is quite closed minded on the subject.
At the risk of being branded heretical, the fact remains that many police officers are conservative and right wing. If they aren't when they start, they eventually drift that way. Police officers, as a rule, live in a closed society. Though most have friends and acquaintances outside the job, it is believed that civilians cannot understand the nature of the work. Officers are not as liberal or understanding as portrayed on COPS; those men and women are well aware of the camera and the fact that a national audience will be watching.
Dealing With the Police:
Witches should be aware that in reporting a crime they may have to spend time explaining their religion to the responding officer. Harassment is harassment and discrimination is discrimination regardless of the victim's religion. A satisfactory resolution to the problem is what you are after. By taking time to explain Wicca, if necessary, you are more apt to achieve that resolution.
The same may be said of violent crime. If you are injured, the attitude, "you got what you deserved" might be the opinion of the responding officer.
Should there be property damage or theft, be prepared to patiently explain each item and to stress the fact that your athame is NOT used in sacrificing anything. This may sound ridiculous. To most non Craft members a knife is a knife. An athame does not look like a butter knife.
What if your department is anti-Wiccan or Pagan? Here we have a genuine problem with, unfortunately, no single solution.
Should you be subject to harassment, there are steps that can be taken. Information concerning your rights is available on Witchvox. Wicca is a recognized religion. As such it is protected under the First Amendment.
I would suggest a common sense approach:
- Keep a log, including dates, and times of the offenses. Attempt to get the unit number of the patrol car.
- Contact the chief of police and explain the situation. Often this will be enough.
- Contact your city attorney with the information.
- Notify the local ACLU. Don't be surprised if they refuse to help. They tend to prefer high profile cases.
- If all the above fails and you feel the situation warrants the expense, find a lawyer, preferably a Pagan friendly lawyer for consultation and possible representation.
What You Can Do:
You are a Witch. You know your religion better than anyone else. Make yourself available to your local law enforcement agency in an advisory capacity. Even a novice will be aware that a blood covered altar is NOT Wiccan. If the police are aware that a crime scene is not Wiccan connected, they can narrow the investigation.
Most departments conduct yearly in-service training. If they are open to the suggestion, offer to present a class explaining Wicca - its basic philosophy, traditions, structure, ethics, beliefs, and holidays. The officers will certainly appreciate the break from the monotony that is in-service training.
For goodness sake, if you are invited, don't dress witchy. You won't win many hearts and minds showing up dressed like a "witch" - what they expect one to look like.
Have information ready to pass out. The Covenant of the Goddess, PO Box 1226, Berkeley California 84701, has an excellent brochure on Wicca.
What if you're turned down? Try again next time! Our Lady of the Woods Coven, in Los Alamos, has been attempting for three years to present a seminar to the Department. They'll be back again this year.
I will go so far as to suggest inviting individual officers to your open rituals. If even one attends and finds out that you really are human, word will spread.
At Yuletime bake some goodies and take them to the department. This way you bypass the brass and hit the officers right in their stomachs. And chances are the Chief will be there to grab his share, too. An army travels on its stomach and a cop can't pass a donut shop. Bribery with food? You bet!
The above are a few suggestions, warnings, and ideas. Certainly there are many others. The fact remains that throughout this large land, most police officers have never met a Witch and carry with them the prevalent attitude towards us. It is up to us to change that opinion. No one else will. I hope this has been of help.
(Charles Barone has twenty years law enforcement experience and worked five years in various levels of private security prior to deciding to devote himself to writing. Chuck has one novel and several articles that have been published. The Witches' Voice is honored that he has graciously contributed articles for our site.)
Chuck Barone
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