When Quickly Calling 911 Is Perpetuating the Problem

I had a post scheduled for today. It was a short frivolous piece about a couple of dates with a family friend. But I don’t feel right about posting it. Not now. I don’t want my personal stories to draw attention away from the profoundly significant fights currently being fought in this country.

Instead, I want to take a minute to talk about my post from last Wednesday. I published it before reading the news and learning about the horrifying video that surfaced of George Floyd’s death.

In the scenario I described in my story, I witnessed a man assaulting his girlfriend and I joined a group of people trying to help the woman. I called the police and the man I was with gave a statement when they arrived.

The timing of this post could not have been worse. I realized this almost immediately.

To anyone who may have been triggered by my reference to calling the police: I am sorry. It is unacceptable that calling the police in modern-day USA can mean ending a black man’s life. It is unacceptable that doing things like going for a run or sleeping in your own bed can be dangerous if your skin is a certain color.

To anyone faced with the decision to call the police in a future situation: if the person you are calling about is a person of color, please consider race and the role it plays. Consider your own racial bias and the racial bias of the police. Think before you dial “911,” and then think again. And again. If you don’t, you are perpetuating the problem. (Alternatives to calling the police to follow.)

In my story, the man assaulting his girlfriend was white, but the story still should not have been published that day. It was insensitive and tone-deaf and I’m sorry. Everyone should have been focusing on the unjust murder of George Floyd that, tragically, has become the latest in a long list of similar events.

I can do better. We can do better.

Alternatives to calling the police:

• If you need to make a police report, consider driving to a police station instead of calling officers to your location.
• Check yourself and your instinct to call the police; is someone being harmed?
• Investigate community resources (e.g., hotlines, safe houses) in your area to manage situations, particularly those involving people with mental illness, medical conditions, intellectual disability, etc.
• Talk to your neighbors to care for one another and settle disputes.