Don't Call The Police

Yesterday Susan and I attended a training session of the Racial Justice Allies. The training was in bystander interventions. That is, if you are a bystander when someone gets attacked (usually verbally) because of her color or religion or sexual orientation, what should you do? What can you do to deescalate the situation and not make it worse?

I am still somewhat uncertain what to do, but one warning about what not to do will stay with me. Don’t call the police (unless the person being harassed asks you to). For many individuals the police may be more dangerous than a civilian cursing them for being Latino or black or Muslim or gay.

I understand that, but of course there are situations where calling the police is right reaction. 

One thing you can do is say, “Does everyone see what is happening here?” In an intervention, you need allies. My idea, which I didn’t have the nerve to voice—among these serious people—was that as a bystander you might start to sing in a really loud lunatic style, disconcerting everyone.