“Good Neighboring in an Age of Police Brutality”: Bonnie Kristian

“Good Neighboring in an Age of Police Brutality”: Bonnie Kristian August 5, 2016

at AmCon–on race, power, being a good neighbor & being a good newcomer:

But nuisance and an easy remedy are not enough to justify dialing 911 in an age of police brutality. Calling the cops is not guaranteed to be best for our block.

After all, is the very real risk of undue escalation—even violence—worth it to turn off music? To catch the originator of that weed smell? To address a housing code violation, like unshoveled sidewalks or trash strewn across the alley? Again and again my answer has been “no.”

more (I strongly suspect that body cameras will do a lot less to reduce police violence than reducing police/civilian encounters. Decriminalization is one way to do that officially (making less stuff illegal) and actually talking to your neighbors and earning their trust is one way to do that unofficially. …Also, some of the comments mention recurring problems with mentally ill people. If you can’t talk to someone yourself and be understood, try calling the nearest shelter and asking their advice. If you can find mental-health resources for the indigent in your area you can call them too. I know not everybody has access to those services but try those before the cops unless there’s genuine, imminent danger of violence. Mental health care is not really the police’s job.)


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