The siren sounds and you spot the lights in your rearview mirror. Your stomach tightens. Your mind races. Your anger rises. And you are faced by what could be the most significant few moments of your life. It could change everything forever.

What do you do?

As headlines continue to raise the issue of profiling, shootings and alleged brutality, parents are worried about what to tell their kids to keep them safe. In the coming week, Patrol Borough Queens South will hold its first sit- down between beat cops and teens in Jamaica’s 113th Precinct. Part of a program being initiated by Assistant Chief Lawless and funded by the Police Foundation, the idea is to have the teens and the cops "break bread together" for dinner then talk about what they think about each other.

Sgt. Penny Walthall, commanding officer for Borough Community Affairs, explained that at a Brooklyn North meeting of this kind, one teen wanted to know why cops always put their hand on their guns when they get out of the patrol car. An officer explained that their belts shift when they are driving and needs adjusting.

"We see things sometimes in two totally different ways," Walthall said.

The 113 sitdown between officers and teens will be held on June 27 and the same kind of meeting will be held in every precinct of Patrol Borough Queens South, Walthall said. Teens interested in getting involved should contact their local precinct’s community affairs officer.

"Some parents are worried," said Walthall. "People are saying ‘I’m afraid for my son walking down the street . . . what’s going to happen to him?’"

The sergeant said her best advice to teens is to "listen. They need to keep a calm head and try to cooperate." Walthall admitted, "There is a lack of respect on both sides sometimes. But try to listen and if an officer asks for your I.D., give it to him, don’t throw it on the floor. If you feel a cop is wrong [in what they do], make a mental note of their name and badge number and tell an adult. Try not to create more tension."

Sgt. David Grinage, of the Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs office at police headquarters, spent five years as a trainer in the Internal Affairs Bureau. He told the PRESS that the "types of things cops would have gotten away with" a year and a half ago when he arrived at the office are no longer being tolerated.

Grinage said that the Community Affairs Deputy Commissioner is in the process of setting up a partnership with the Board of Education to have cops talk to teens in school and encourage a dialogue.

"My concern has always been that teens and rookies cops have a lot in common," Grinage added, "they both think their always right.

Grinage said the following are the "rights and responsbilities when you are arrested and taken to the precinct":

• Police officers must read you your rights if they want to question you about a crime you may have been involved in.

• The Police may remove some of your personal property for safekeeping; however, you are entitled to a receipt.

• Your lawfully possessed property will be returned to you if it is not vouchered for foreiture proceedings, arrest, or investigatory evidence.

• If you are under arrest, the police are entitled to ask your name, address, and number without reading you your rights.

You have a right to file a complaint against a police officer, Grinage reminded local residents.

You should get as much information as possible: name, badge, description of car, license plate number, description of officer, i.e. scars, tattoos, height, weight, etc. and the names of other witnesses.

For complaints of unnecessary use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or offensive language, you should notify the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) at (212) 442-8833.

If you want to file a complaint against the police for misconduct or corruption, you should notify the Internal Affairs Bureau at (212) 741-8401.

In a world where first impressions can influence the outcome of one’s future, it has occurred to me that we should always strive to put our best foot forward when we interact with others. This is particularly important when dealing with today’s youth.

At no other time in our history has it been more crucial for them to be able to communicate their thoughts and feelings to those of us they feel misunderstood by. Especially their views concerning police officers.

The sight of a police officer in years gone by would have elicited a certain degree of respect from youths hanging out on corners or playing loud music in the parks; but not today’s youths. They see police officers as intimidating intruders who abuse their authority every chance they get, a bully sent upon them for no other reason than to harass, annoy and to impose their will upon them.

Nothing could be further from
the truth.

I feel that through education and cooperation on the part of the New York City Police Department and various civic associations, clergy and the local schools, we can begin the task of building a friendlier relationship with the young people of this city.

As a police officer, I have found that when I come in contact
with a group of young people, it is very important to explain why
I am doing what I am doing. If I see a group of kids hanging out at a location that is known by my precinct as an area prone to criminal activity, I express that fact to the group when I request them to leave the area. And in most cases, that is all that is needed.

As long as they feel they have the respect of the officer, they’re more than willing to listen to what he has to say. The main thing that the youths have to remember is that if they are approached by police officers they should not do or say anything that may be perceived as a threat to the officer. If you are requested to produce identification, do so.

If at any time you feel you have been treated unfairly by an officer, go to your local precinct and lodge a complaint. It doesn’t help a situation when you choose to engage a police officer in verbal warfare over something as minor as an I.D. card.

I am not saying that in all instance it is the youth who is at fault when dealing with the police. It is my opinion that there is a great need on the part of the NYPD to train officers better to deal with youth issues.

Not everyone is cut out to deal with young people. But those who are should be encouraged to talk to kids not only in formal settings but in informal ones as well.

Maybe if our young people saw us more on a human level instead of that robotic one, we could go a long way in bridging the gap that seems to widen with every negative event that takes place in this city involving police officers.

After 17 years of being a police officer, I still believe in the basic good of all people. Everyone, no matter what age group, wants to be shown a certain degree of respect. And it is something that is sometimes taken for granted. Respect is a two-way street. I feel that with the pressures of everyday life we sometimes lose focus of the things that we all have in common and focus, instead, on the things that tend to drive us apart.

Not every youth on a corner is a drug dealer. Every kid hanging out in front of his house with his music blaring is not a troublemaker. And sometimes kids are late, not truant from school. If we neglect to take an active part in the development and growth of our children today, our hopes for a better tomorrow will fall to those least prepared to achieve it.