Bill to end racially-motivated 911 calls

Sonseeahray Tonsall reports

THEY'VE COME TO BE CALLEDTHE KAREN'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA ORTHE BECKY'S WHITE WOMEN WHOPICK UP THE PHONE AND DIAL 911ON BLACK PEOPLE.WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOINGANYTHING THAT WARRANT SUCH ACALL FOR EMERGENCY HELP.

THEREWAS JUST A RECENT EXAMPLE OFTHIS OUT OF NEW YORK AT THEEND OF LAST MONTH WHENCHRISTIAN COOPER TRYING TOTELL A WOMAN IN CENTRAL PARKTHAT YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THEPOSTED SIGNS AND PUT HER DOGON A LEASH SHE HOPPED ON THEPHONE AND STARTED DIALINGPOLICE TELLING COOPER THAT SHEWOULD REPORT HIM FOR ATTACKINGHER AND HER DOG.

THE VIDEOFROM THAT SITUATION WENTVIRAL.

A FEW YEARS AGO OAKLANDCALIFORNIA GOT THE NATION'SATTENTION WHEN A FAMILYCOMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING 911CALLED ON THEM FOR BARBECUINGWHILE BLACK.

THEY WERE USINGAN UNPERMITTED CHARCOAL GRILLA VIOLATION.

YES, BUT THERACIAL EPITHETS HURLED AT THEMAND THE RUSH TO CALL POLICESUGGESTED TO THEM.

THE CALL INTHE CONFRONTATION WERE ABOUTSOMETHING ELSE.

THOSE ARE JUST2 EXAMPLES, QUESTIONABLESCENARIOS LIKE THIS HAVE NOWHAPPENED SO MUCH ACROSS THECOUNTRY.

THE CALIFORNIAASSEMBLY MEMBER ROB BONTA HASSAID THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHERLAW ONE AGAINST THOSE KINDS OFCALLS NOW HE IS WITH US THISMORNING TO TALK ABOUT AB 1550GOOD MORNING ASSEMBLYMAN.MORNING SINCERE THANKS FORHAVING ME DEFINITELY KNOW WHATBOTHERS YOU MOST ABOUT THESITUATIONS THAT WE JUSTREVIEWED YOUR DISTRICTDISTRICT, 18.COVERS ALAMEDA OAKLANDWHERE THE BARBECUE SITUATIONHAPPENED.WELL THEY'RE UNFAIR ON JUSTTHEIR THE RACE PACE AND RACISTAND THEY PUT.

LIVES IN DANGERAND THEY THAT THEY ARETANTAMOUNT TO DEATH THREATSWHEN I DON'T WANT IS CALLED WEKNOW THAT THERE ARE MANYINCIDENTS.

HERE IN CALIFORNIAAROUND THE NATION WHERE NOCRIME IS BEING COMMITTED.THERE IS MOST A SUSPICIONABOUT INFRACTION OR AMISDEMEANOR AND A POLICEINTERACTION WITH ANAFRICAN-AMERICAN INDIVIDUALYOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THEHARM OR DEATH AND SO WE NEEDTO I'D BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUTHOW WE USE 911 AND MAKE SURETHAT.

RACE-BASED MOTIVESHARASSMENT.

INTENT TO DO HARMARE NOT PART OF THE EQUATIONWE'VE SEEN TOO MANY PEOPLE GETHURT.

IT'S UNFAIR AND WE NEEDTO END IT AND IT'S IMPORTANTTHAT THE LAW BUT FLIPPED THATVALUED THE THAT THE LAW SAYTHERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY THEREWILL BE CONSEQUENCES BOTHCIVIL AND CRIMINAL.

IF YOUKNOWINGLY CAUSED 911 BASED ONSOMEONE'S PROTECTED STATUSSUCH AS THEIR RACE.AB 1550 WOULD BE ADDED TOTHE HATE CRIME STATUTE MAKINGFALSE EMERGENCY CALLS THAT'SALREADY A MISDEMEANOR BUT YOURBILL ADD SOMETHING EXTRA ADIFFERENT LEVEL OFACCOUNTABILITY YOU'RE ABLE TOSUE CIVILLY.THAT'S RIGHT AND JUST TO BECLEAR KNOWINGLY CALLING 911 ISA MISDEMEANOR.

WE HAVE BEENCALIFORNIA CRIMINAL LAW NOW WEALSO HAVE A HATE CRIME STATUTEIN THE CRIMINAL LAW BUTTHEY'RE NOT CONNECTED.

SO WEARE EXPLICITLY CONNECTING.

ARACE-BASED.

RACIALLYWEAPONIZED AI 1, 1, CALL TO TOBE ENHANCEMENTS THAT COME FROMTHAT THE HATE CRIME STATUTE.WE ALL IDENTIFYING A PASS FORA CIVIL REMEDY WHY WE'RE DOINGTHAT BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S ACRIMINAL LAW THE PROSECUTORSDID DISTRICT ATTORNEYS CANDETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEYWANT TO BRING A CASE THEY MAYNOT BUT IT STILL MAY BEAPPROPRIATE.

FOR THEINDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO HAVEA PATHWAY FOR JUSTICE THATWOULD BE THE CIVIL REMEDY THATTHEY CAN BRING IN COURT SUINGIN CIVIL COURT, THE INDIVIDUALWHO ALLEGEDLY MADE HER ACTRACE TASTE, 9, 1, 1, 9, 1, 1,CALL AGAINST THEM THAT THATPUT THEM IN DANGER AND THEYCOULD SEEK DAMAGES I WOULDEVER HARM.

ENDURED AS WELL ASPOTENTIAL FOR STATUTORYDAMAGES AND ATTORNEY'S FEES.YOU SEE THIS BILL WILLPREVENT THE WEAPONIZATION OFLAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINSTCOMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

SOSENDING A MESSAGE THEN VOTE TOLAW ENFORCEMENT AND PEOPLE WHOMIGHT PICK UP THAT PHONERIGHT.ABSOLUTELY THAT IT'SHAPPENED TOO MANY TIMES IN TOOMANY PLACES.

IT'S NOT OKAY TOUSE 911 TO HURT OR HARM.

WESAW YOU KNOW JUST JUST LAIDBARE IN AMY COOPER, CHRISTIANCOOPER CASE, HOW THAT WAS USEDCHRISTIAN COOPER WAS CALM ANDCOLLECTED BIRDWATCHING WHILEBLACK IN IN IN GRAND CENTRALPARK IN NEW YORK.

AND I'M AWOMAN WHO ELSE WAS OFFENDEDTHAT SHE WAS IT WAS POINTEDOUT THAT SHE WAS.

NOTFOLLOWING THE RULES NOT HAVINGHER DOG ON A LEASH SHE SO THATYOU CAN CALL 911 AND TELL THEMTHAT AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MANWAS THREATENING HER LIFE ANDBY DOING THAT SHE THREATENEDCHRISTIAN COOPER'S LIFE WHICHIS UNFAIR AND THE NEED TO BECONSEQUENCES FOR THAT SO ITCAN'T BE SOMETHING WHERE ALLRIGHT, I'M THE ONE COLORDECIDE THEY WANT TO DO IT.MAYBE VISITS HARM.

ON THEINDIVIDUAL IT'S IT'S A ROLL OFTHE DICE WHETHER THERE COULDBE SERIOUS BODILY HARM ORDEATH AND NOTHING HAPPENS TOTHE COLOR THERE MUST BECONSEQUENCES FOR THE COLOR,BOTH CIVILLY AND CRIMINALLY.AND THE GOAL OF COURSE IS TOREDUCE AND AND THESE TYPES OFCALLS IN OUR SOCIETY.ALL RIGHT THANK YOU SO MUCHFOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.