Ending The #Wypipo Fever of Falsely Making #WhileBlack Reports | Blog#42
The last couple of months have seen an increasing trend of false reports by employees, neighbors, and park and pool-goers on random Black people they happen on. We’ve had #PoolPatrolPaula, #BBQBecky, #StarbucksPhiladelphia, #WaffleHouse, #PermitPatty, just to name a few. Each day now brings at least two or three new incidents.
Today, there were three. A Columbus, Ohio, woman called the police on an 11 year old boy on his first day delivering papers:
A Subway restaurant worker called the police on a family of diners in Newnan, Georgia. She “called 911 because she believed the family visited the restroom a “suspicious” number of times. On the call, she said she thought the family planned to rob the restaurant.” Yahoo! Lifestyle reports the employee is now on leave.
Then, in Indianapolis, Indiana, a Black man who was at the pool in his own apartment complex was told to leave by an off-duty police officer working as a private security guard even though the complex staff told her the man is a resident.
https://twitter.com/HollywoodShayne/status/1015368214673608704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1015368214673608704&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fblogs%2Fblog-briefing-room%2Fnews%2F396601-black-man-asked-to-leave-his-own-pool-by-cop-in-viral-video
The manager of the complex has been placed on leave, according to The Hill based on published reports in local media. It is unknown what, if anything, is being done about the police officer. That officer, in my opinion, should be fired from the police department she works for and prevented from working in any other police force. Case in point? The Hill reports:
“A Colorado police officer who was fired last year after being caught on a body cam calling a crowd of African-Americans near the site of an officer-involved shooting “Alabama porch monkeys” was rehired by the city over the objections the police chief who fired him.”
That Colorado police officer is Charles DeShazer. He was heard saying, “We got the Alabama porch monkeys all contained” on bodycam footage.
De Shazer has no business being back on the job. He is a danger to the community.
Racists being placed on leave is unacceptable. People losing their jobs due to their racist behavior isn’t good enough as far as punishments go. Most if not all of them will simply find another job, with almost no consequence for actions they took out of malice and in contravention of federal and state law.
Making a false police report is a crime.
“Most jurisdictions (California Penal Code § 148.5, for example) charge an individual who knowingly files a false police report with a misdemeanor. Under California law a conviction can land you in county jail for up to six months, in addition to fines, possible probation, counseling, and/or community service. But judges have some discretion with sentencing and will likely consider such factors as the defendant’s criminal history, motive for making the false report, and the consequences of the report (Was an innocent person taken into custody as a result?).”
While it may not be a felony in every state, it is still a crime, even if it is deemed a misdemeanor. Pressure should be applied on businesses to file charges against employees who engage in these behaviors on the job, even if they are fired. Firing a racist employee just pawns that problem onto the next employer and does nothing to protect the next victims from potentially dangerous situations in which police are called onto the scene.
False accusers should be prosecuted for the crimes they commit. Large numbers of District Attorneys filing charges will become widely known and may well have the effect of stemming a growing tide. Successful prosecution of making a false report also enables the victims to file civil charges against the racists who victimized them.
Simply blaming this on the current political climate isn’t enough. We must all take some time and our part to put an end to these cases. See something? Say something. Stay on the scene. Be a witness. If you are considered a part of the incident, make it known that you want charges filed and will testify in court.
Make sure something is done. These incidents are crimes under the law. Make those in authority apply the law,
Related:
https://www.rimaregas.com/2018/04/15/how-the-media-reports-starbucks-apology-implicitbias-on-blog42/