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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGrand Rapids Could Become First City To Punish Racist People Using 911 Against Black People
https://www.essence.com/news/grand-rapids-911-law/Grand Rapids, Michigan may be the first city to make it illegal to call the police on a Black person for breathing while Black or doing anything mundane while Black to be honest.
How would this work? To elaborate, Grand Rapids is in the process of planning an ordinance that would classify the abuse of 911 as a criminal misdemeanor. This means that people would actually get in trouble for calling the police on Black people just trying to live their normal, daily lives. This would be accomplished through the hypothetical bias crime reporting prohibition and would also build upon established protected class definitions, outline a referral and compliance process, and identify four main potential areas of discrimination that such callsand abuse of a public servicecould fall under.
We in the community have had various conversations over the last few years about disparities that exist in Grand Rapids, Jeremy DeRoo, executive director of advocacy group LINC Up, said.
This comes after the community has seen a spike in Grand Rapids police offers being dispatched in situations that have clearly been influenced by discrimination or implicit bias (i.e racism). This became particularly clear after a nasty incident in 2017 where someone called the police on a Black graduation party.
The proposed ordinance would be broken up into sections (focusing on things like public gatherings, employment practices, etc), would be punishable by up to $500 per day that such an incident occurs, and would be prosecuted by the city attorneys office.
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Grand Rapids Could Become First City To Punish Racist People Using 911 Against Black People (Original Post)
Demovictory9
Apr 2019
OP
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)1. Good. These incidents are so disheartening and heartbreaking and we are seeing them more and
more frequently it is appaling.
tblue37
(64,982 posts)2. Good. nt
marble falls
(56,371 posts)3. Good.
NYMinute
(3,256 posts)4. Great idea and a good start n/t