Crime San Francisco officials propose "CAREN act" to criminalize false 911 calls

Phisher

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False reporting is already a crime in every jurisdiction. It's just selectively enforced because DAs usually don't want to waste resources on prosecuting these case.

This is kind of funny, but it's just grandstanding to capitalize on media hysteria. Kind of like all of those "blue lives matters" laws that made attacks on cops punishable as "hate crimes" even though uniformed government officials were already a protected class as far as criminal law is concerned.
 
LoL at them acting like the cops do anything other then write parking tickets out there .
 
I will give them props on the name, its funny. But really, is there any data that shows this is an actual problem? Like how much 911 resources are wasted on frivolous calls vs. the potential impact of dissuading people from calling 911. Like I saw one, I think it was in San Fransico actually, where a couple told a black guy who was graffiti the wall in front of his house with "BLM". They didn't know it was his house, and actually asked him if it was and told him they were fine with it if it was his house. Basically, just a couple looking to report a vandal. Of course, they were cancelled and fired and whatever. So now this creates a pressure to not report people graffiting things. What is going to be the impact of that?
 
Th lawmaker who came up with this should be punished.
the law already exists and this person, or group of people is wasting taxpayer time when they could be trying to do something important.
 
I'm guessing they won't go after the false rape accusations though...

#BelieveHer
 
Cant call the cops on people that want to harm you and cant defend yourself against them either without getting arrested. What a great country
 



False reporting is already a crime in every jurisdiction. It's just selectively enforced because DAs usually don't want to waste resources on prosecuting these case.

This is kind of funny, but it's just grandstanding to capitalize on media hysteria. Kind of like all of those "blue lives matters" laws that made attacks on cops punishable as "hate crimes" even though uniformed government officials were already a protected class as far as criminal law is concerned.


It's not necessarily about false reporting though. It seems to be about racially motivated calls.

A few years ago a cop relative of mine and a minority relative of mine were having a conversation about why minorities are harrassed constantly kinda no matter what they do. The interesting thing to come out of it was my cousin (the cop) said it's not so much that cops see a minority and can't wait to come bother them for nothing. It's that if they get a call they HAVE to go check it out. He said they get calls all the time even on the emergency line about "there's a black man walking through my neighborhood, he looks suspicious" and if you press these people on what's he doing that's so suspicious it's like "well he's walking around and he doesn't belong here". And the cops are still obligated to at least check it out.

Granted, that was probably 10-15 years ago, I don't know if anything has changed, and IDK it the cops are obligated by law, or policy, or for liability resons.

I'm all for stopping people from using the police to do their harrassment for them, but it has a huge potential to backfire.

BUT If I lived in a place with that law, I wouldn't call the cops about anything non life threatening or without some hard evidence. If I did call I'd be real hesitant to describe the person I saw. I'm sure as shit not going to assume anyones gender or describe hair, eyes, or skintone. You are one mistake away from ending up on the news for a hate crime.
 



False reporting is already a crime in every jurisdiction. It's just selectively enforced because DAs usually don't want to waste resources on prosecuting these case.

This is kind of funny, but it's just grandstanding to capitalize on media hysteria. Kind of like all of those "blue lives matters" laws that made attacks on cops punishable as "hate crimes" even though uniformed government officials were already a protected class as far as criminal law is concerned.


If you’re not busy tonight, let’s go shoot up in the Drug Free School Zone.
 
Seems dumb as it's got to be easier to prove that someone made a false call to 911 than to prove it was due to racial animus.
 
Although I agree there have been a lot of false alarms dealing with race, I don’t see the solution provided by this act ending well.
 
It's not necessarily about false reporting though. It seems to be about racially motivated calls.

A few years ago a cop relative of mine and a minority relative of mine were having a conversation about why minorities are harrassed constantly kinda no matter what they do. The interesting thing to come out of it was my cousin (the cop) said it's not so much that cops see a minority and can't wait to come bother them for nothing. It's that if they get a call they HAVE to go check it out. He said they get calls all the time even on the emergency line about "there's a black man walking through my neighborhood, he looks suspicious" and if you press these people on what's he doing that's so suspicious it's like "well he's walking around and he doesn't belong here". And the cops are still obligated to at least check it out.

Granted, that was probably 10-15 years ago, I don't know if anything has changed, and IDK it the cops are obligated by law, or policy, or for liability resons.

I'm all for stopping people from using the police to do their harrassment for them, but it has a huge potential to backfire.

BUT If I lived in a place with that law, I wouldn't call the cops about anything non life threatening or without some hard evidence. If I did call I'd be real hesitant to describe the person I saw. I'm sure as shit not going to assume anyones gender or describe hair, eyes, or skintone. You are one mistake away from ending up on the news for a hate crime.

The problem is when the officer shows up and instead of having a cordial conversation with the subject of the call, they start demanding id and threatening arrest if they don't "comply". A lot of cops seem to think that getting that call gives them reason to detain someone and that is not the case. They have to suspect you of a crime. Someone calling and saying you are suspicious is just hearsay and isn't grounds for detainment.

This case from 2015/2016 comes to mind. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/cop-who-injured-indian-man-returns-work-n645126
Guy was visiting his son from India and walked the neighborhood daily while he was there. Somebody called police saying a black man was looking into open garages.

This CAREN Act, while funny, is pointless since there are already laws on the books for it.
 
The problem is when the officer shows up and instead of having a cordial conversation with the subject of the call, they start demanding id and threatening arrest if they don't "comply". A lot of cops seem to think that getting that call gives them reason to detain someone and that is not the case. They have to suspect you of a crime. Someone calling and saying you are suspicious is just hearsay and isn't grounds for detainment.

I honestly think the fact that they are obligated (be it by policy or law) to harass people over nothing is more concerning to me than whether they want ID when they do it.
 
I honestly think the fact that they are obligated (be it by policy or law) to harass people over nothing is more concerning to me than whether they want ID when they do it.

Agreed. I think a good review of department policy and how it aligns with citizens rights would be a good start. I mentioned the id because it seems a lot of departments have a policy to id anyone they come in contact with for their report, most people comply, which I think gives them the idea that it is required in all circumstances.
 
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