Thanks for asking for clarification, Bob -- I was definitely speaking in general terms, not specific to the Riverdale police force.<div><br><br>On Saturday, October 10, 2015, bob smith <<a href="mailto:sfmc68@verizon.net">sfmc68@verizon.net</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br>
Miss Heather,<br>
I am confused by your note, specifically para 3.<br>
<br>
Can you explain to us on the list whether you are talking in general<br>
terms when you are referring to the police in that paragraph or if you<br>
are talking specifically about the Riverdale Park Police Department when<br>
you use the phrase "But when the evidence overwhelmingly points to<br>
police bias and when too many of my friends report police harassment on<br>
a regular basis," ?<br>
<br>
Thanks<br>
Bob Smith<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 10/10/15 9:27 PM, Heather Cronk wrote:<br>
> I appreciate the background, Sarah. Unfortunately, the idea of calling<br>
> the police under the policy of, "If it looks weird, give us a call"<br>
> doesn't make me feel any better.<br>
><br>
> The problem is that a community policing effort that relies mostly on<br>
> subjective standards still relies on an individual's perception of<br>
> danger, or even on something being "askew." I'm all for community-driven<br>
> solutions that supplant a police force -- but the type of effort you're<br>
> describing still sounds like it's grounded on individual perception.<br>
> That individual perception is, of course, also grounded in systems of<br>
> oppression that many of us learn at an early age.<br>
><br>
> I know that we all want to believe that "our" police force is different<br>
> than those that flagrantly abuse their power and harass people of color<br>
> for little more than walking down the street (as in the case of Eric<br>
> Garner in NY) or rolling through a stop sign (as in the case of Sandra<br>
> Bland in TX) -- and I hope that's true. But when the evidence<br>
> overwhelmingly points to police bias and when too many of my friends<br>
> report police harassment on a regular basis, I would really rather not<br>
> call the police unless I observe someone in immediate danger.<br>
><br>
> I appreciate the conversation and hope that our police force is<br>
> "listening in" via email. I haven't yet been able to attend a community<br>
> forum with the police chief, but I hope to do so soon. And unless we're<br>
> hearing from the police chief that the Riverdale police force has<br>
> undergone extensive cultural competency training and has an explicit<br>
> commitment to de-escalation, I'll remain skeptical of calling the police<br>
> in anything but overtly dangerous situations.<br>
><br>
> -Heather<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Friday, October 9, 2015, Sarah Wayland <<a href="javascript:;" onclick="_e(event, 'cvml', 'sarah.wayland@gmail.com')">sarah.wayland@gmail.com</a><br>
> <mailto:<a href="javascript:;" onclick="_e(event, 'cvml', 'sarah.wayland@gmail.com')">sarah.wayland@gmail.com</a>>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> This is an important point, Heather. Let me provide some explanation<br>
> & clarification, in the interest of starting a dialog.<br>
><br>
> I used to think exactly what you wrote. Many years ago (wow, I think<br>
> it's actually been almost 20 years now) crime was worse in our town,<br>
> and a group of us started up a Neighborhood Watch program. (our<br>
> current mayor, then a new resident of town, was actually one of<br>
> those primarily responsible for setting it up!) As part of our<br>
> training, we spent several hours getting trained by the police who<br>
> told us when to call and what to call about. This was before cell<br>
> phones were in common use, so we carried police scanners with us as<br>
> we walked through the neighborhoods.<br>
><br>
> I was stunned to learn during the training that the police *wanted*<br>
> us to call, even about little things. I had thought this would be<br>
> annoying to them, and that they didn't want to hear about random<br>
> annoying little things. It turns out that what seems "a little off<br>
> but not harmless" can often be the information that helps to the<br>
> police solve a crime. The rule the police gave us was, "If it looks<br>
> weird, give us a call."<br>
><br>
> I learned that things like "cars parked on our side street that<br>
> aren't usually there" might be a drug deal. I had no idea! Now that<br>
> I know what to look for, I'm sorry to say I can spot a drug deal<br>
> pretty easily now. They happen *fast*, as do most crimes.<br>
><br>
> Of course the problem with this is that it's a slippery slope. A<br>
> neighbor of ours was watching his friend's car while his friend was<br>
> away on travel. Another neighbor called the police about the<br>
> "strange car parked on the side street", and our neighbor's friend's<br>
> car got towed without even a notice! That's exactly the kind of<br>
> thing we don't want!<br>
><br>
> In the 20 years since we started that Neighborhood Watch program, my<br>
> car has been broken into twice, and my garage has also been broken<br>
> into. It was never horrible, just a slight violation. The time my<br>
> garage was broken into, a neighbor's shed was broken into just<br>
> prior, and another neighbor called me because she was very shaken<br>
> up, having just witnessed the shed break-in. Little did I know that<br>
> while I was talking to her on the phone, my garage was being broken<br>
> into!<br>
><br>
> That string of shed break-ins, by the way, was solved when a<br>
> resident called the police when he saw a guy jumping over a fence.<br>
> The police caught the guy in the act of stealing stuff from another<br>
> shed because they had a lead from someone in the community who<br>
> called right away.<br>
><br>
> Of course these folks usually commit their crimes when no one is<br>
> looking, and they operate quickly. It's hard to even know whether<br>
> you are seeing something weird, and I can personally attest to the<br>
> fact that sometimes you don't even realize how weird it is until<br>
> hours later.<br>
><br>
> To be clear, what I don't mean by "weird" is "someone who looks<br>
> different than me and my neighbors".<br>
><br>
> But what *is* weird? This write up on the City of Lonsdale (MN) is<br>
> quite consistent with what the police told us during our<br>
> Neighborhood Watch training:<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://www.lonsdale.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B8E39A899-29E8-4B18-AF14-ED1081ACCC6B%7D" target="_blank">http://www.lonsdale.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B8E39A899-29E8-4B18-AF14-ED1081ACCC6B%7D</a><br>
><br>
> I keep thinking about another neighbor whose home was broken into<br>
> while I was home. I heard a loud bang, but because of the noise of a<br>
> nearby construction site, thought it was nothing unusual. I didn't<br>
> call the police. My neighbors lost many things that were not only of<br>
> monetary value, but also of great sentimental value. I still feel<br>
> really really bad about that. I should have called.<br>
><br>
> -Sarah<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
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