If the guy had been apprehended, you'd have some obligation to occasionally keep tabs on his disposition, to see if he was being treated fairly by law enforcement, including the judicial system. Was he roughed up unnecessarily? Did he get a harsher sentence than young white males - or females! - with similar records of prior convictions, if any? See where I'm going?
No one can force you to, but if you're going to vote on people who can affect such things, you should know how it's being done, and by whom. In general, you should expect to get that information from the media and, hopefully, from government reporting, but when you're personally involved you should feel a heightened sense of obligation.
It wouldn't even take that much time out of your life, really. In total, likely not even an hour over the course of months or even years. But if everyone did such, the country - the world - would probably be a better place.
3
Call the police. To treat the perpetrators differently because of their race by you or anyone else is racist, this should be obvious.
39
The question about the potential thief breaking into cars is unfortunately the natural result of the state of what I'll call race relations perception. I'll say perception because I don't know if relations (especially with police) are any different (better or worse) than 10, 20, 40 years ago. I am confident, however, in saying that the perception is that relations have deteriorated, in no small part due to the 24-hour news cycle and social media. Our opinions and perceptions have an obvious bias based on the news and media we are exposed to (and can remember). We now hear about all the high-profile cases (particularly white cop shooting or mistreating black suspect), but does this coverage accurately convey the reality - and did past coverage accurately convey the past reality?
However, trust in the police is critical to expecting someone to report to the police. If the consequences of calling are much worse than the crime being committed, it is reasonable to not call. While unqantifiable, I would consider it as taking the course of least injustice.
"I feel an obligation to my family and my neighbors to report crimes."
I think you handled it well -- you scared off the would-be thief, and then called the police. And you told the neighbors about it, so they can also keep an eye out, and not leave valuables in their car to attract thieves.
8
With regard to the condo seller, perhaps real estate laws vary from state to state but in states where I have owned condos, I was under no obligation to accept any offer, ever.
7
I didn't accept an offer on my home in a hot market from a family with children. Yes, a violation of Fair Housing but my neighbors next door entertained after the bars closed on weekends and I knew a family would find that disruptive. The boys next door had always been helpful to me and I didn't want to set up a situation where they would be oppressed. Justified in part by it not being the first offer. Sometimes you have to do what's best for the neighbors.
5
The first situation put me in mind of my first wedding in 1970. One of my guests, a black NY City policeman, used a slim jim to open the locked door of our rental car so other guests and family could put gag stuff into our luggage. He often laughed at how that must have looked but no one thought to call the police.
4
I would have yelled at the guy as LW#1 did and posted about it on the neighborhood site but I wouldn't call the Cops. I would hesitate to call the Cops on any POC for a minor property crime given the racist climate of our Country right now.
As for LW2 she is on a slippery slope and possible an illegal one at that.
5
In response to the second issue, I say that it is not the responsibility of the seller to determine (or judge, in this case) the moral fortitude of the buyer. Nobody has the ‘right’ to have only nice neighbors. And nobody has the ‘right’ to only see their property values go up.
4
I think no. 2 is a slippery slope. The seller does not know if he/she positively identified the buyer as the alleged perpetrator and/or if the allegations are/were true. The realtor was correct.
4
Hi, if you see someone commit a crime, their race should not play a factor whatsoever in you deciding whether or not to call the police. Also, the amount of black men dying at the hands of the police, while at a lower quantity but higher rate than white men, is still a miniscule number compared to the population and the amount of police interactions that actually don't end in calamity. If you see someone break into your neighbors home or car and don't call the police, then you are definitely not a very good neighbor and possibly quite negligent.
32
Most sexual assault offenders repeat.
9
That must be some sort of editing mistake in the Ethicists response, right? He closes that paragraph by saying the” recidivism rate of sex offenders means they pose a greater risk than do people taken at random”.
4
@mike yes I was quite surprised at the ethicists comment that the people who sexually assault do not repeat, what? Huh? Yes they do! Keep your neighbors safe do not sell to this man! You will ruin a woman’s life! There is no cure for them!
5
Of course you were right. Are you crazy ? He is in the process of commiting a crime. Why wouldn't you call the police because he is black? Ask yourself if he was white would you call the cops? I would and I think you would to. So do the right think stop having black fear.
25
Preventing and discouraging crime is a civic duty and a moral responsibility. Race of the offender or victim should not enter into the equation, either on the part of the citizenry or the police and courts. Misbehaving police are not an excuse for tolerating, thereby encouraging crime. That is a call for retrainng the police, not encouraging criminals.
17
I think I would not have called the police, for the reasons the writer stated in her letter (that the police are more heavy handed with people of color). But beyond that, do I understand Kwame Anthony Appiah correctly that one reason why it was OK to call is because "the perpetrator" (who, as someone else has already pointed out, may be a fleeing victim) may have found a gun in the car and then committed some other crime with that? Quentin Tarrantino comes to mind, but if that did ever happen, isn't the fool who left a gun in an unlocked car somewhat responsible, maybe more so?
2
I no longer call the police. Complicity with a fellow officer’s wrongful conduct is conspiracy. I have been attacked on the street and I have seen neighbors in need, in neither event have I called police, because I do not trust them.
Why call the police? Because it makes you feel better that you have done something, rather than sit by in silence? Unfortunately, the current criminal justice system does not work, and calling the police will not make the neighborhood any safer, nor would the prison system reform the perpetrator, were he caught.
Why not accept the challenge of improving the system that time has proven does not work? The “feel good” sensation may not be as strong and immediate, as shooting the criminal or “calling the cops on him” but the effects on the generations that follow us will be more lasting.
2
@Reg.G. There have been times in my life when I would have had a tough time choosing between buying food and repairing my vehicle if it was damaged by a thief. So, if my call to the cops results in a thief being roughed up, I'm not going to lose any sleep. I've been dirt poor a few times, but I NEVER considered stealing to solve my problems.
14
I never said that I condoned what the thief did anywhere in my comment. Roughing up “ or “punishment” as a basic premise of criminal law has never in worked the past, nor will it work in the future. I’ve worked in the justice criminal system and taught courses in criminal law. Other countries have better solutions.
I would never purchase this paper if I knew that reporters covered up each other's mistakes and failed to route out the bad reporters. I will not call police, either, so long as they support misconduct on the premise of fraternalism. I do try to help my neighbors in need, I simply do not call police.
2
The response to situation #1 missed for me on several levels, though it's an interesting thought experiment. The attempt was to enter an car, not an occupied home. Assuming a gun is involved is a little skittish for me. As well, why is the report of the race in the crime important? We're active purveyors of harm when we use media like Nextdoor to parade wrongdoings of minorities. Take a photo, share, move on. I live next to unhomed, poor people by a freeway and I'm a black male homeowner. Maybe because the people opening my cardoor on the street are white, I don't see the need to mention the races of the homeless on Nextdoor or reports to the police. In a world of extreme inequalities, I don't even see the need to remind neighbors about securing their cars. I agree with the sentiments however let's improve our communities positively in a little and big ways. Writing and discussing issues like this is a start. (Buy books featuring black characters, support affordable housing, ban Cops show from TV, ask more from the evening news. There are so many options I start laughing when folks ask what to do or say they feel overwhelmed. ) It's not a necessary first step to reform the organization meant to protect us from our biases.
2
2nd letter: Hooray a hundred times for a seller who thinks of neighbors when selling a condo. That is fairly rare these days, and as an escapee from a condo loaded with abusive neighbors, I am glad to read there is a considerate seller in the market. It will preserve property values in your complex, too. Word gets around quickly about abusive owners, and in our case we had to sell way below market to get out of it. I particularly appreciate that a possible sex offender was not allowed to buy your unit; thank you for your ethics.
12
"But I’d rather have my car broken into than have a person’s life ruined by my 911 call." The truth here is that, regardless of the young man's race, if his life is ruined because of this incident it's not because you called 911. It's because he made the bad choice to do something he had to know was wrong and break into a car.
28
If you called 911 on someone breaking into a car it is their actions not yours that have potentially ruined their life. In what world do we not want people arrested robbing from our neighbors. I can't imagine anything more ethical than watching out for my neighbors and them doing the same for me. The writer seems to have confused the very disturbing issue of calling the police on young black men simply walking through a neighborhood and this case where they were almost certainly committing a crime.
27
In response to the first letter writer, I wouldn’t have called the cops, and not because the perp was black. The writer did his/her civic duty. The guy ran off. No harm, no foul. I definitely would’ve told the neighbor. What person in this day and age leaves their doors unlocked?
4
@AlNewman.. so we are blaming the victim for not locking their car door? Maybe it's a nice safe neighborhood?
9
Sometimes I'm flabbergasted by what I read. Political correctness has gotten out of hand and it turns me off to so called liberalism. This is a case in point, and depressingly common.
15
LW2 is selling a condominium, and so if there is a condominium board that will have to approve any sale, it is reasonable for the seller to consider how that board may view the prospective buyer. LW2 doesn't discuss it, but if he or she has any knowledge of how the board operates, that may also factor in the sale.
2
@Cradle Episcopalian Co-op Boards approve the seller. Most condos do not require an interview or vetting by the Board. A condo may have first right of refusal but generally that option is not exercised . Buying and selling a condo unit in most cases is independent of the Board.
5
A warm night on West 3rd Street, Sullivan to Thompson, sometime in the 1980s.
I was walking down the street, past the "Fire Patrol" firehouse.
I heard a shout from inside, "Hey, Joe! Someone's in your van!"
I looked across the street and sure enough, a van in the "No Parking - Fire Department Only" area had a man inside of it (I'm pretty sure it was a black man).
Instantly, about half a dozen big firemen ran out of the yawning firehouse door toward the van. One grabbed the handle of the driver's door, pulled it open, and climbed in. The man inside, looking terrified, lurched for the back doors, but another fireman was outside, holding them shut. The van rocked and bounced on its springs for several minutes before it was over.
I felt glad that justice had been done.
As far as I'm concerned, if this story makes you feel bad, rather than good, you are no better than the criminal.
If you fail to call the police when you observe a crime in progress, you are complicit in the crime, and a traitor to your entire neighborhood, and to your country, and deserve prosecution.
14
Once again, an unconscious case is made for voluntary separation of the races. The letter writer's worry over moral guilt is laughable. I confess I didn't read the response.
8
L1 This cannot be a serious question. Reads more like someone trying to bait folks over politics. Judge by content of character.
14
This should not be that difficult. If you see a black person walking down the street in your neighborhood, don’t call the police. If you see a person of color in your local coffee shop, purchasing or not purchasing coffee, give a smile and a nod and go about your business. If you see an African American napping in the common area of your dorm or heading up to her apartment, don’t ask for ID or call the cops. These should be the same responses you would have if the people you see are all white, blond and blue-eyed.
On the other hand, if you see a black person breaking into your neighbor’s car, you should call the cops. That’s what you’d do if the car burglar was white, right? The police should not treat a car burglar like a homicidal maniac just because he is black, but neither should you by omission treat him to your neighbor’s possessions for the same reason. It’s not that difficult.
31
The idea that one shouldn't call the police when seeing a crime being committed b/c of concern regarding possible consequences for the perpetrator, is beyond absurd. I would submit it would be at least as likely, if not more likely , that if the perpetrator would have been able to take the car, he/she would be more likely to hurt someone with the car . The supposition that most cops are racists is bizarre.
12
"The best response, however, isn’t to turn a blind eye to property crimes. It’s to get involved in campaigns to reform policing and prosecution."
The suggestions of Campaign Zero (https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision) are a good place to start.
Yes, of course, you were right to stop a guy trying to break into a car in your sight, whether he be white, black, brown, or purple. Your liberal handwringing over his race is foolish. He certainly doesn’t care what race the owner may be of the car he steals. Focus on behavior rather than race.
16
Strangest thing I've read in a long time. This writer is confused, big time.
6
A few years ago while walking with my wife to get an ice cream cone, I was mugged by three young black boys. One hid behind a bush and jumped out as another ran up from behind and threw himself at me. The third stood back and waited for the first two to get me to the ground. I went down, but got up and at that moment a police car rounded the corner. My wife, thankfully untouched, let loose a scream that stopped traffic and got the attention of the police. The muggers ran but the police got them. Because they were black, I refused to press charges. I thought that because my wife and I were ok, it would be unfair to ruin their lives with a criminal record, as if it were imposed on them by a biased system. The police were livid; called me a “bleeding heart” and one said I was contributing to an environment of permissiveness and no accountability that will only promote more crime and produce more victims. I’m older now and have been robbed and threatened again. I’ve seen too many friends and neighbors victimized by crime. I’m tired of always being on guard. Its incredibly corrosive to all neighborhoods - white, black and like mine, mixed. And it does nobody any good to hold young black men to a lesser standard of behavior than we would expect of our own kids. I later learned that they had priors. I should’ve pressed charges; you did the right thing calling the police.
33
If it had been a young Chinese man or a young Hispanic looking man trying car doors would you have had all those guilty thoughts after reporting it? Sometimes there seems to be a reverse bias where we let certain people off the hook because of skin color. This guilt doesn't make any sense. Crime is crime. Report it.
16
What is the world coming to, if you have a moral dilemma with reporting crimes? What is this topsy turvey clown world?
15
@Lydia It is a topsy turvey world. Haven't you noticed how many times black people are harrassed, apprehended or even shot? To assume that the police will answer this call by stopping only the guy who was trying to enter the car is ridiculous. And yes, the many young, innocent black men who are stopped and questioned by the police usually eventually go on their way peacefully, but they are threatened, nonetheless.
2
The Ethicist could not be more wrong about recidivism of sex offenders; research over many decades has demonstrated that the majority to reoffend, and that convicted sex offenders are resistant to reform.
15
Regarding the condo sale, I agree with the advice given but I’m curious about something. Can he reject the offer simply saying he chooses not to sell to the guy? Because if he must give a cause and the cause is that his asking price was not met isn’t it likely that someone offering 95% on the first day might up the offer to 100%? What then? Does he lie and say someone else jumped in with 100%? That could be problematic as the eventual sale’s true price will be a public record.
2
@Filmteknik. It could be rejected on the basis that the seller preferred a conventional loan, rather than the FHA financing offered.
3
@Maryellen Simcoe And if cash?
For the 2nd letter writer, I think you did the right thing.
Our family has bought and sold properties and we also own rental properties. In the case of the latter, there are clearly rules to protect discrimination against certain classes of people based on sex, religion, disability status, etc. but as far as I know criminals or alleged criminals are NOT a protected class. We have rented out once to someone before who was a convicted felon -- a decade after he had been out of jail. We run background checks on all applicants -- they know this happens when they apply to rent -- and the company we used to run the check told us there was no rule and it was up to us to make the decision.
In terms of selling a house, I think similar rules also apply but even more than the rental market, there is less transparency about who one picks to sell the house too and in renting. I do recall one positive case of discrimination: at one point, during a very hot market, my real estate agent told me that one seller was leaning towards me because his father has been in the same profession I was in.
7
@ms
The concept of protected classes is a legal, not ethical concept. Ethically, such classes should not need protection because everyone is acting ethically. However, that does beg the question: Ethically, who may I choose not to do business with? Especially as a private citizen (though that shouldn't matter).
Please. If you see anybody breaking into a a car which is not theirs, it's a problem, and yes, a crime. Of course you report it. If it is locked or not is neither here nor there. What you are asking amounts to "if I call the cops, this person may be mistreated, and then I'll feel guilty (if I ever find out about it, or make a scenario up in my head) because I called the police."
Some police are racist. Not all. Crime is crime. No one comes out ahead.
I am trying to find a nice way to say this is the most ridiculous question I ever heard. Living in a neighborhood where car break-ins and thefts have risen 300% over two years, often as part of gang initiations and bonus! finding guns, let me tell you, it might be coming to your world soon. Please find another way to help prevent crime rather than feeling guilty for reporting it.
80
@jean valliere
It's not a ridiculous question since the letter writer is not concerned about whether it was just to intervene if we presume the police would react to the alleged perpetrator in a way that matched the seriousness of the crime (stealing things out of unlocked cars, apparently). The writer is concerned that the potential "punishment" would not fit the crime for the perpetrator. As a society we recognize and presumably have some consensus around the idea of different punishments for different crimes. The writer, in light of this possibility based on real cases, is considering what role she should play. I agree with the answer given in the column, but think it is a good question to ask.
I recognize that in your neighborhood that question might make less sense. However it is always good to ask the question--even if the answer comes back as absolutely call. As an aside, I would say that gun owners who leave unattended guns in glove compartments are irresponsible and contribute to making the neighborhood more dangerous. Maybe it's not a thief next time. Maybe it's a kid playing around who comes across it.
2
Perhaps many commenters have missed the goodness of the first letter writer's thinking. I am happy to note her social conscience. I think she rightly called the police, but her ethics did not stop there.
30
Hmmm, how would she react if she saw him breaking into HER car? Mmm, yeah, that’s what I thought. Not only is she a racist but she is also a hypocrite.
7
@Thomas Zaslavsky, I think you missed the point many commenters made or implied, that the writer’s so-called goodness was wrong-headed. And that it came from the wrong place.
4
Everyone is Liberal until it happens to them. That’s my point.
6
Situation #1
What if the attempt to break into the car was an attempt to flee a crime committed prior? What if he was trying to flee a crime being brought upon himself? You could be preventing a crime from happening or slowing down an already dangerous individual after the fact. We are surrounded by a lot of "Could've, Would've and should've." Choosing one is a step in the right direction. Maybe Ask Kitty what she thinks?
10
In the selling the condo situation....this man's accusation was made once (apparently) by one woman....therefore its a he said/she said scenario...there is no pattern of offenses. I would have met with him and probably sold to him, barring any other negative information about him. (Yes, I am a woman).
To the person who saw a young man attempting to break into a car....you're WAY overthinking it. Would you want someone to be allowed to break into your car or home based on the same shaky concerns you had?
20
Does anyone remember Kitty Genovese? You know, the young woman who was murdered outside her apartment within sight and earshot of dozens of witnesses, none of whom could be bothered to report the crime.
Is murder the same as breaking into a car? Of course not. But society has laws in order to protect everyone, and many lawbreakers cannot be identified and captured without the assistance of those who report crimes.
Race has nothing to do with it; crime is crime. Report it. Help stop it.
49
That story isn't true. Actually, three different people that night called the police. The urban legend has grown ubiquitous.
12
Situation #2
Was this person actually convicted of the crime? If not, it was absolutely wrong for you to squash the deal.
14
Golly! It's not easy breaking into a car and selling a condo at the same time!
9
Really! No matter what race the perpetrator was--if he or she were breaking into your car would you want someone to call the police? This is not an ethical dilemma.
59
I believe how absurd the first question is. If that young man had walked into your home through an unlocked door — “broken Into” your home — I am certain you would not have been so filled with white guilt that you would have hesitated to phone the police. Or regretted doing so after the fact. Perhaps you allow yourself to feel guilty about reporting him because it was not your car he broke into? A thief is a thief, no matter his race or (presumed, by you) hardships. Any description of someone breaking into a car, and trying doors on other vehicle, is useless without a physical description. If you feel bad for the guy, why not leave your car door open and put some cash in the glove box for him? Because he’ll be back, I assure you.
47
If you are accurately reporting what you saw, it would be racist to not call the cops, because you are holding Black people to a lower standard.
71
I agree that calling the police was reasonable.
But as for your argument, not exactly. The writer would not be holding the suspect to a lower standard but rather be acting with awareness of the double standard of the criminal justice system.
12
Would it be wrong if it were a white man breaking into the car?
24
Not the point, whatsoever.
3
There would not be the same fear that the police would inflict violence on him.
4
The issue with the car is not whether or not she should call the police, but what is her responsibility after. She should call the police, give her name and wait for the police to arrive. The police should not go hunting for someone who may commit a crime, which is often the case when the caller provides inexact descriptive details. The fact is the police harass Black men. Plain and simple. Yes, a citizen should be respectful of the police, but respect goes both ways. If the officer is afraid to speak to a person who they suspect for good or false reason, then they should get another job or get better training. Too many of The police are an occupying force in this country, not friends or here to protect everyone.
8
It is your condo. Sell it when you want - to who you want. The rest is just over think. Follow your instincts and personal guiding principles. Don't like the buyer? Pass. There are a zillion reasons to turn down an offer.
Sell it. Or if the buyer does not meet your needs, don't.
If you think there could be personal liability, engage an attorney.
6
@Bob Bruce Anderson There are illegal reasons to deny a buyer such as not wanting your neighbors to have to live next to an African-American, or a single mother with children, or a a follower of Islam. These are illegal reasons to deny selling property. You can't just sell "to who you want". Aren't you invading a buyer's privacy by investigating aspects unrelated to a transaction?
9
@Bob Bruce AndersonDepending on where you live and the bylaws of the condo association, the condo association may have a right of refusal. My condo HOA requires buyers fill out a purchase application and submit to a background check. They have the right to refuse a sale to anyone who doesn't meet the financial requirement or has a criminal background or upcoming court case.
9
@Tom Prodehl
Totally agree with what you said and agree with the laws. But read what CCC said.
Re: LetterWriter2
"[T]he presumption of innocence is a legal standard: The state shouldn’t punish someone unless it can prove he has done something beyond a reasonable doubt, and that isn’t established until a conviction is secured. We can make reasonable judgments as individuals, however, on the basis of the total evidence available to us."
Prof. Appiah, please repeat this information every time a legal issue comes up. Too many people believe that someone who is not convicted is innocent in fact. There are endless reasons why that might not be true. We all have to make decisions balancing numerous factors. It may even be necessary to take an action against the interests of a person who might not even have done what he or she is accused of, because how great the potential harm could be to others, particularly children, if it turns out the person did the wrongful act. I am not sure what I would tell the LW in this case, but I agree completely he has a right to make a decision independent of the court system.
14
On the car case, she did the right thing. An apparent crime ws in progress and when that happens the police are the ones to sort out the situation. The only other step she could have taken to try to further ensure no unwarranted actions were taken by police was stress to the dispatcher multiple times (if, as it appears from her letter, this is correct) that the indivudual was using only his hands to try to enter the cars and that there was not anything in his hands or visible in his pockets or waistband that would be a danger to anyone. The only problem there would be if the dispath center had a disitracting or loud call at an adjoining console which blotted out a key word like no, not, only, etc. It all goes back to the need to rebuiding trust between police and those they are sworn to protect, and for dispachers (especially when centers are often overworked and understaffed) to be allowed enough time to ask for clarification of such questions so the officer in the field has the best possible inforation when arriving at the call.
6
If you refuse a valid offer on a house, you’d better be sure you do so for reasons you can defend — legally, not morally. I suppose the seller here could have claimed he or she wanted to wait for a better offer, or a less-difficult financing arrangement. But 95% of asking price is a good offer in any market. Depending on the contract the seller had with the real estate agent, that refusal could have violated their agreement. And the potential buyer could claim discrimination. It can be a messy business selling a home.
In busy real estate markets it is very common these days for a would-be home buyer to submit a letter to the seller, making a case for taking their offer over others. Some sellers use these letters to cherry pick buyers that are the “right kind of people” for their neighborhoods. I’ve seen it happen.
13
@Passion for Peaches You misunderstand the rules. If the prospective buyer had made a full price offer with no contingencies, the seller would be obligated to either sell the condo, or pay the agent and then withdraw the condo from the market.
Turning down an offer of 95% of the asking price is NOT a problem no matter who the prospective buyer is.
12
Only if you were sure he wasn't part of the 1%. Then you may have really gotten into trouble.
5
Yes to ALL. If the thief appeared to be Asian you'd report that, He may not ghave got into this car, but until he's caught, he'll keep trying, What possible reason could you NOT have for protecting yourself and your community by not notifying the police and warning your neighbors to jeer their cars and windows and glove compart
ments firmly locked.?
25
There is nothing that could have been stolen from that car worth more than the young black mans life. You stopped the crime by simply making your presence known. Why call the cops and risk exactly what you feared? Sadly all people are not treated equally or fairly in this country especially by our cops and ‘justice’ system.
10
@Pink_Sweater Before perpetuating the false idea that the police pose some outsized risk to the life of innocent or even criminal black men, I'd encourage you to do some research. The Washington Post tracks police shootings and what they've found is that in a typical year, there are just over 1,000 police shooting fatalities. The majority of those killed are white. However, even if we assumed that all roughly 1,000 were black men and that all of the shootings were not unjustified, it would still be an incredibly low risk factor compared to say gang shootings, car accidents, or drug ODs.
We should absolutely push for police reforms, but the media attention on the handful of controversial police shootings each year is somewhat akin to the fixation on violent crimes committed by black offenders (for example Willie Horton). The sensationalism creates a perception of outsize risk that poisons any chance at a rational conversation, much less real reform.
The police deserve the benefit of the doubt as much as any other group.
24
@Pink_Sweater Would you expect neighbors not to call the police when they see someone break into your home simply because the guy breaking in ultimately took nothing? Would you even expect them to wait and see?
24
@Pink_Sweater:
so, you are ASSUMING the police would have automatically just shot the man?
What if it was your car he broke into? What if he broke in, got in the back seat and hid there until you got into the car?
What if he broke into your home?
18
No, because black people are allowed to commit crimes, she said sarcastically. Honestly, the lack of a moral compass for seemingly most people in today's society is a real problem. PS, the black person who owns the car the black man was breaking into thanks you for caring.
57
LW1--When the man cut across your yard, that was trespassing. You need to do something. You call the police, and you give as much information about the location and the description of the person as possible. People do have other attributes in addition to skin color.
To me, the ethical question is whether you should yell "Hey you!" given the not unreasonable concern the guy may pull a gun and either shoot you or come after you. Perhaps a bull horn would be useful in your neighborhood.
11
" And really, people should know better than to leave their cars unlocked." I hope you don't also think that women shouldn't wear short skirts because it will cause them to get raped... I don't lock my door because my car was once burgled, and I had to replace a broken side window for them to find nothing (I never leave anything of value in the car). Now, I leave nothing of value in the car, but I leave it unlocked - it's a better solution.
36
Didn't we used to hear the slogan, “If you see something, say something” repeatedly endlessly after 9/11?
27
We still hear it.
Apparently it’s okay to say something, but not if the person is a minority. Because that could be construed as discrimination.
Ugh.
19
The question is absurd. What if the car he entered belonged to an African American? What if the potential thief had a mother in the hospital? What if the police officer arresting the man were an African American? What if the thief went to jail and someone in the jail didn't like his hair so beat up him up? What if it were YOUR car rather than someone else's car? Would you then feel less guilty about calling the police?
You can make up all kinds of stories in your head about potential outcomes to excuse yourself for not doing your civic duty.
54
A cop once helped me understand that a person is not suspicious, behavior is. Before you call the cops you ask yourself what has the person done that is suspicious. Black man walking down the road minding his own business or barbecuing in a park is not suspicious. A black man breaking into a car locked or unlocked is certainly suspicious and grounds for calling the cops. Your black neighbors will thank you too.
95
@Sallyb That cop needs to talk to other cops.
35
See something, say something. It was your responsibility to call the police. End of story.
31
Letter #1: Of course you should call 911. You were witnessing a crime. It's that simple.
Letter #2: What data do you have that says that 'most sex offenders don't reoffend'? If there is any lesson to be learned from the clerical abuse scandals that are continuing to come to light is that, indeed, sex offenders do reoffend...sometimes dozens and dozens of times!
56
@MA Harry Was going to ask the same. Literature I have read from this study indicated that many convicted of sexual violence do reoffend. Davis Lisak and Alan Berkowitz have done some extensive work on these topics. Would recommend the columnist review.
2
LW#1 Lacks common sense. Yes you should call the police, whether the offender is black, white or purple but shouting out of your door at the offender does nothing but help make you a target.
LW#2 I think you owe it to your neighbors not to saddle them with a bad apple if you can avoid it. I don't think it is discrimination not to sell to a criminal.
24
@Marti Mart I see nothing wrong with shouting out the door, it scared the thief away, and the cops would likely not have been able to get there in time to prevent the theft of the car or valuables left in the car. Presumably the observer locked her door before she called the police, so I don't think she became a "target".
4
"I’d rather have my car broken into than have a person’s life ruined by my 911 call."
"But what if he had been arrested? I also shudder to think how many young black men vaguely matching his description were harassed by officers after my call."
Wow. Assumption built on assumption built on assumption. How do you know the person's life would have been ruined even if ultimately arrested and convicted? For a simple car break-in? And you 'shudder' to think about how many young black men would have been harassed? Could the answer be zero?
I wonder how your neighbors would feel about having their cars broken into while you just look the other way? You seem to think you owe a criminal more than you owe you neighbors, which is a curious way to think.
50
Has it reached this point where you question your judgement to report a crime because of the race of the alleged perpetrator? I have met the enemy and it is us.
67
I can hardly recognize the country where I was born. With the proliferation of guns, the police are so overcome by fear that they shoot first, and they have to use racial profiling to survive. Won’t be going back any time soon.
4
Though the Missouri writer's call seemed justified (it's curious to me, however, that she questions her actions solely because the 'misbehaver'--who she assumed was a man--appeared to be a black person), the ubiquitous social insistence that "if you see something, say something" has resulted in much unreported wrong-doing. When my daughter was three, she desperately needed a nap around noon but would fall asleep only if I drove her in the car. Daily, I put her in her car seat, drove her around for five minutes, and after she was asleep parked the car in my driveway under a big shade tree, rolled down the windows, loosened her seat belt, and proceeded to read for the fifty minutes that she would nap. One day, I looked up to see three very big policemen coming up my drive, fingers fondling their holsters. "We've had a report that a child is left unattended in a car," I was told. Seems the kindly neighbor lady, with the number of the police hotline installed in her new cell phone and a very limited view of the situation from her second-floor window, found it far easier to press a button and "say something" than to walk down a flight of steps to find the child's father patiently sitting seven feet away. I estimate that were the police paid by the hour, the incident would have cost the taxpayer no less than $200. Responsible action? I guess.
8
@Dan
And if, like some fathers in the news, you had totally forgotten your child and she could have roasted to death in the car, would you have been grateful for the "nosy" neighbor?
15
"It’s possible to understand why so many police officers appear to be willing to turn a blind eye to misconduct by their fellows (solidarity develops naturally among people who face danger together)" This is one of the most successful long cons in America. Per year, a cop's chance of being killed on duty is about the same as an American's chance of being killed in a traffic accident. To listen to them whine about it, you would think they were security on Capt. Kirk's Enterprise.
12
@Richard Brandshaft Well, while whining about it might be a bit strong, it is a job with inherent dangers that most of us don't face. BUT, they also took the job, and we need to do something about the "shock and awe" over-reactive response that has become a standard police tactic when they scream at people to obey a command and sometimes start shooting if they don't get instant obedience (and sometimes shoot anyway). This did not used to be the standard police response. Makes me wonder, also, if the fear that everyone they see out there might have a gun plays a role in it all.
18
@Richard Brandshaft I just reread the story to be sure, and I still didn't see any evidence of anyone whining about anything.
Will you be sharing your thoughts with your local police department.
No, I didn’t think so. It’s easy to sit on your high horse until you actually need police assistance.
5
No it’s not ok for someone to open someone else’s car and that should be agreed to by all. The person did the right thing by calling the police. The fact that this person had qualms following their call says volumes about the direction our society is headed in. We are returning to the period of the KKK’s reign and the mass lynching’s of the Black minorities in the south. For the past 50 years we as Americans have fought racism and largely won. Now suddenly due to circumstances that I would not like to articulate here, we are reverting to past racist activities that were not only overlooked but frequently condoned in our society. Just recently two separate police officers were tried in deadly shooting incidents and the white oficer, with perfectly good visibility, who shot a black teenager in the back was aquitted, while a black officer was convicted of killing a white, affluent woman was convicted. Make your own conclusions.
14
LW1: Do report and report promptly. #1 I believe commentators jumped on you without evidence. In your narrative you said "black" as that explained your question. It is quite likely that you gave a much much fuller description to the police. We should credit you with that assumption. #2 Ignoring the break in will help your community go down the path of San Francisco, where only 1% of auto break ins, including broken glass result in apprehension and prosecutions, much less convictions. The good citizens of California voted in a proposition making these non-felonies. And messaged to the police to let them be. Result for many citizen's including myself is a broken window, 10 am good business neighborhood, and quite a few hours and $250 to repair. Over and over and over again. And a lesson to the criminals that if they can do this with impunity they can do much much more with equal impunity.
12
Where I live, the criminal activity seems to be racially integrated. I also spent a several years working in night-time small store retail. Good people come in all sizes and colors.
So do the criminals. LW1 saw somebody acting abnormally , didn't recognize the person as part of the neighbor's household, and acted appropriately. I would hope that LW1 was able to give the 911 operator a more detailed description the burglar than "young black male."
9
I follow nextdoor dot com in my neighborhood and people are infuriated when someone mentions a crime, but doesn't call the police. There is no excuse for not calling the cops. They may have bigger things to deal with at any given moment, but sometimes they get lucky and they're nearby when a thief is still doing his thing.
15
We live in an awesome multi racial area where we ALL look out for each other, and we ALL post on our area Facebook page about attempted or successful break ins, simply to give a heads up.
And we don't care what race, gender the person breaking in is, the sheriff gets called.
Now we did have one neighbor who at 10 pm posted on our Facebook group, and called a few of us ,to noted that their son and husband had locked the keys in the car and would be outside trying to get in the car.
27
Some condo associations require would-be purchasers to meet with and be approved by the association board. That was our experience when we bought a condo in Florida.
We are currently selling a townhouse In Missouri, and the buyers’ inspector in his report actually recommended that they check with police whether any sex offenders live nearby. I don’t know what remedy would have been suggested when they did so. I don’t think that would have been a justifiable reason to pull out of the deal.
Definitely the seller was acting ethically by refusing the offer. But it does raise the question of how a registered sex offender can prove or demonstrate that he has changed his life. Maybe some requirement in a sales contract of evidence that the would-be buyer has undergone therapy or character references?
4
Whether the doors are locked on a car or home if it was my home or car I would appreciate my neighbor calling 911 regardless of who the person was breaking in. A crime is a crime.
On the second question I can say that just b/c you googled someone doesn't mean it's actually them. Someone tried to serve papers on my husband b/c he had the same name as someone else and our name is very rare. NEVER ASSUME.
32
The fact that you had to ASK if it was the right thing to do is HORRIFYING.
Has society gone so wrong that we have to first pass a Social Justice "Litmus Test" before confronting those who are committing crimes? What about the victims? you know, the people who actually help society and civilization run?
What is WRONG with people?
250
@Mike She did the right thing, without hesitation, and then worried about the man she reported because of the horrible statistics of people of color being mistreated by police. She worried that the wrong black guy could be confronted and harmed because she knows that happens to black guys in a much greater number than to white guys. So she has a conscience, wants to be sure she is doing the right thing. There is nothing wrong with people who are concerned about the profiling and brutality that people of color face. What IS wrong is the profiling and brutality that people of color face.
39
How right your are.
"What is WRONG with people?" Yes, it is Horrifying to realize the extent to which some people have become
brainwashed. Wow ...
17
@Pam
Thank you for repeating essential facts that sometimes a commenter fails to notice.
5
Calling the police when reporting a crime is a civic duty. Identifying the suspect in such a broad, unhelpful single term is where this letter writer should look inward. If police receive a description of “black male,” is that helpful to first responders or investigators? Would it be helpful if she reported a “white male” description to police?
If police gain nothing from the description, what will people on the Neighborhood app gain? What will they lose? What do the vast majority of people who fit that description - “black male” - gain or lose?
21
Regardless of the color of the person's skin, if he/she is committing an criminal act and you see it, call the police. If the police is not notified when crime is committee, then it makes their job more hectic. Calling the police helps stamp out crime.
8
@C Dovi I have noticed, in my home-town newspaper, that when there is a story about a person of color allegedly involved in a crime, that person is identified as a "black" (man or woman). If the person is white he or she is not identified as a "white" (man or woman), just a man or woman.
11
@C Dovi, What the police gain from a simple description like “a white man”, or “a black man” is the opportunity to rule out possible suspects who may be seen near the crime scene but are of the opposite color. Not a home run, but helpful, nonetheless.
9
Consider the deterrent value of sending a few rounds over the break in artist's head.
8
@Jaffo Nerr A farmer in an adjacent county fired a round over the head of three of his grandchildren; he'd spotted them hunting deer on his land and he'd warned them not to hunt on his farm. They were 200 yards away. One bullet arced down into his 20-year-old grandson's chest and he died on the scene. Fortunately for grandpa, he escaped manslaughter charges. Unfortunately, he'd killed his grandson.
25
@Jaffo Nerr And that, Sir, is why America and too many other countries are in such deep moral decline; it’s easier to pick up and fire a deadly weapon than to imagine the long term consequences of doing so.
21
@Jaffo Nerr. And where will the bullets from those few rounds actually land?
12
Yes - you were right to call the cops about the crime you saw taking place. Good Lord.
157
In fact, entering an unlocked vehicle is not a crime in some places, but it doesn't matter. What you witnessed was not innocent behavior. Don't get tangled up in the issue of police brutality. To be against police brutality is not be in favor of criminality. You can be against both.
181
As long as you are doing your civic duty..don't second guess yourself. I understand the consequences to many of these "presumed" guilty arrests (I am African American) but I would want my neighbor to report such an instance and share his or her information with her neighbors. It's all of us looking out for all of us. don't beat yourself up....you did the right thing.
92
I leave my doors unlocked so that I can avoid paying for a new window that would be less than my deductible. I don't leave anything else in my car to be stolen. Don't put the burden of preventing crime on victims. The burden belongs on those who commit the crimes to not do it.
71
Occasionally, Google your own name, lest some lowlife similarly monickered spoil others first impression of you. At least you can warn folks away from false conclusions.
8
@Charlierf
Yes, but it is also depressing to see how many other people have the same name who aren't you, but who people will probably THINK are you if they google you.
5
I hate it when people say "you should have locked the doors." Am I really the only person in the world who occasionally forgets to do this? 99 times out of 100 I lock the car, but every now and then I forget to hit the button. I find it impossible to believe that I am the only one to ever do so. I also find it appalling that this somehow means it's okay for strangers to just go into my car and help themselves to my belongings. Not that there is anything of worth in my car, but again, that's not the point. People aren't perfect, and silly mistakes on the part of the victim shouldn't excuse the behavior of the thief.
121
@Robbie
Agreed. Also think that just because a girl may have been foolish enough to get herself in a bad situation, doesn't mean she's responsible for her own assault. Just because it was easy to commit a crime doesn't make someone any less responsible.
51
@Robbie
Yes, people make stupid mistakes which leave them vulnerable, but recognizing that it was a mistake does not absolve the criminal from taking advantage of it. Why would you think it does?
Nobody says it makes it ok. Forgetting to lock your house door does not make it ok for a burglar to rob you. Putting your wallet in your back pocket, or sticking out of your backpack, does not make it ok for someone to steal it.
But advice to be careful not do to that does not mean condoning the theft, either.
35
@Robbie
Sorry dearie but how do you NOT remember to lock your car doors?????? You cannot complain if your car gets broken into if you do. There IS NO EXCUSE. PERIOD.
6
This demonstrates perfectly the absurdity of the identity fixation.
140
If you were unable to neutralize the person, of whatever color, gender or creed, breaking into somebody's car, you would have done your civic duty and your good deed of the day by calling police.
42
LW1 saw a kid actively trying to enter other peoples property. And then she goes on to blame the victim for leaving their car unlocked.
Unless she knows the kids parents and can chat with them, calling the police was the only course of action.
69
Let me ask LW1 a very simple question. If the neighbor whose car you saw this man try to break in were African American and also witnessed the attempt, do you think he/she would call the police?
78
@JerseyGirl Or if the person doing the breaking in was white would LW1 call the police with no guilt? Then he/she should feel the same way here.
13
You wrote, "It's the case that most sex offenders, so far as we can tell, do not reoffend;" and then in the next sentence, wrote, "So the recidivism rate of sex offenders means they pose a greater risk than people taken at random. The two statements contradict each other, and I certainly would challenge your statement that most sex offenders do not reoffend. We've read too many accounts of victims assaulted and abused repeatedly by the same offender over long periods of time.
87
@FromTheWest
It isn't contradictory.
It may be that MOST do not reoffend, but MANY will, i.e. are more likely to commit an offence than people taken at random.
E.g., if it is 30%, or 10%, that is less than "most", i.e. 51%, but still substantial, and more than the random population. (I don't know what the actual figures all, am just dealing with the logic involved.)
32
@AG
I think if you don't have the actual figures at hand, you shouldn't be throwing those "most," "many" and "some" descriptors around. You can't argue logic without facts.
25
I was also baffled by this. It was my understanding that most sex offenders - like predatory uncles, priests, etc. - are repeat offenders. Maybe he means most do not reoffend AFTER they’re finally caught.
Personally I don’t intend to sell our house to anyone who plans to renovate the kitchen we painstakingly redid ourselves. You can refuse to sell your house to anyone so long as it’s not based in bigotry.
38
LW #1 You have the ethical right, if not the ethical requirement, to protect yourself, your neighbors, and your property from criminal activity. What if your comments to the robber didn't deter the theft? Even if you frightened him from your neighborhood, how does that protect the people and property on the next block? An occupational hazard of a criminal life is a probable encounter with law-enforcement. That is on him, not you.
56
@Roger that!
3
I get rather cynical when the police and critical neighbors keep admonishing people to "lock their cars." Yes, our neighbors did that and ended up having to replace their car door. We had our cars rifled through a couple of times, but the umbrella, box of kleenex and windshield scraper were not stolen. Even if they had been, replacing them would have been a lot cheaper and less of a hassle than a car repair. Don't leave anything valuable in your car. That's the only real protection you have in some city neighborhoods.
40
@cowalker
When I owned a convertible and parked it in NYC I definitely left it unlocked. Too easy to slash the top to get inside.
2
To name withheld in Missouri:
The fact that break-ins are common in your area would seem to indicate that not enough people are calling the police. I am fortunate to live in a low-crime neighborhood. It is where I grew up, and, after living in Philadelphia for many years, in a variety of neighborhood situations, where break-ins and street crime are the norm, I now live in the same town where I was raised. Often, I don't lock my car; sometimes, I don't lock my front door. If a kid leaves a bike on the lawn, no one steals it. This should be the norm, not the other.
I was a white man living in a poor black neighborhood, not as a gentrifier. It was what I could afford. I gained a few friends, and a deeper perspective. I have transcended racial prejudice, and have "grown out" of media-induced white guilt. If you had my experiences, you wouldn't be so torn. People are people. But a criminal is a criminal. If the guy you saw had been white, would you be so introspective now? What if a black cop came?
Yes, there are egregious problems between some African-American men and some police. But we hear about these through media sources, and media is in the business of reporting extremes. It may be true that 50% of AA's report being mistreated by police because of their race, but that doesn't mean it was true."It wasn't my bad driving! It was my color!" It is hard to look at our own failings. Any of the times that I have been stopped by police I always feel angry, wondering "why me?"
66
"Breaking the close" is opening the door or window, even if it is partially open and is pushed further open.
6
I would like to know the source of the statement "most sex offenders, so far as we can tell, don’t reoffend."
I have serious doubt that is true.
148
@Lisa
I suspect that it’s true and it’s false, depending on the nature of the offense.
6
@Lisa - There is quite a bit of good research on this topic. And there are nuances to it, there is no homogeneous category of sex offenders -- some sex offenders (eg. males who chose young male victims who are strangers to them) re-offend at a higher rate than other sex offenders (eg. incest perpetrators). Look for research by Canadian Dr. Karl Hanson, who is one of the preeminent sex offender researchers internationally.
7
Lisa, by now you've likely searched for "sex offender recidivism." The low reported rates provide part of an answer but do not account for repeat offenders who are not convicted.
1
If you see a crime in progress, report it. Criminals of all races, creeds and genders need to be stopped or caught.
118
While the first letter sounds rather elaborately scripted, it does ask a decent question.
Calling the police is fair if you truly think a crime attempt occurred.
Posting on NextDoor? I wouldn’t. If it’s anything like the one in my neighborhood it would bring out a lot of ugly attitude about “Those People” and a lot of bragging about hypothetical confrontations, without actually accomplishing anything. Bob who’s not a racist but, would go out and teach the guy a lesson like they did in the good old days. Sure, Bob.
36
@Di
" Bob who’s not a racist but, would go out and teach the guy a lesson like they did in the good old days."
LOL. There must be a Bob in every neighborhood.
I know, it's not funny if you're the guy he's reminiscing about teaching lessons to. When I look at our neighborhood facebook page, I just can't believe some of these people are living in the 21st century, and they're all around me.
5
@Di - if your NextDoor leads aren't doing a good job of monitoring and removing racist or political rants, perhaps you should volunteer to help in that area.
1
If someone breaks into a car in my neighborhood and I see them doing it, I am most definitely calling the police. It is condescending to vary your response based on the race of the perpetrator. You are not responsible for this man’s life course and you do not know what will happen to him if you do call the police. Based on what I have seen — and I have seen the outcomes of a lot of cases in the past few years because I cover court proceedings for a paper — the trend is towards a deferred sentence or presumptive probation and fines rather than jail time for property crimes. That’s assuming the police investigate or the prosecutor decides to prosecute or the case isn’t pleaded down or away. You are not obligated to suffer being the victim of crime at this man’s hands because someone mistreated people of this man’s race. And, by the way, it is indeed against the law to open someone else’s car door and paw through their car, even if they don’t take anything.
164
When you choose to commit a crime, you choose to risk the consequences. Instead of opening car doors in a residential area, the thief could have knocked on doors in the business area and applied for a job.. The only risk in filling out a job application is that you might get hired. Isn't the unemployment rate at a 50 year low 3.6%?
42
@Oclaxon
The school system may not be good enough to educate kids well enough to get a job....and I mean educate in productive social interaction and the necessity of showing up on time as well as the Three Rs.
LW: I have hard evidence someone cheated on a test!
Dr A: don’t tell it could cost you social standing.
LW: someone maybe committed a crime, but was not criminally convicted, but might also just have the same name.
Dr A: go ahead and deny them housing.
Great ethics, Dr A!
24
LW2, thank you for putting the safety of others in front of your financial desires. More than not doing something wrong here, you did something right. You set a great example with your strong moral compass on this issue.
37
Equality is expecting the same honest behavior from everyone. You did not force the man to try to break into a car. You observed a crime and you called the police, which was the correct thing to do. It was the black man's decision to try to break into a car knowing that black men are more often not well treated by police. That doesn't give him a free pass.
As for the sex offender, it is your right not to sell to him. The idea of innocent till proven guilty is taken too far in our country. The media refers to the "alleged" shooter at mass murders even when there is no doubt who is doing the killing. Especially with sex offenders, they get away with a lot of offenses before and after they are caught and convicted for the one which puts them on the registry. Luckily, there is no law that you can't discriminate against a low-life creep who preys on the vulnerable.
21
For #1 crime is crime and should be reported. Race should not be a factor or an excuse in it. You did the right thing.
34
Lw#2: Heck, go ahead and sell it to the guy. Sounds like you've got a future Supreme on your hands, and while you might have some current blowback, they will thank you in the long run.
5
"The federal government, in 2016, warned that a blanket policy against providing housing to people with criminal records could violate the Fair Housing Act, because of its disparate impact on minority applicants. That’s presumably not the issue here."
Why is this presumed? It very well could be illegal to discriminate against this person, under this law.
6
@ck
I believe that if you're selling/renting your property yourself, without using a realtor, you can discriminate all you want. If you hire a realtor, they must abide by the non-discrimination laws.
2
I would question the statement that most sex offenders don’t reoffend. I don’t think there is very reliable data on that point. A number of years ago I worked at a treatment program for individuals with convictions for sex offenses. Many of them had only a single conviction but most had a pattern of multiple incidents that preceded their conviction for which they weren’t caught. In general, past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.
137
@NY MD
Unfortunately recent get-tough on sex offender laws have too often left the nineteen year old who had willing sex with his seventeen year old girlfriend with the same lifelong sex offender label as the 35 year old man who tried to lure an eleven year old girl into his van.
40
LW2 reminds me of many years ago, long before Google was on anyone's horizon, when I owned a rental property. Two young women wanted to rent it. One had very recently written a bad check at the business where I happened to do the books. Needless to say, I didn't need any further character references for her. I rented instead to two neonatal nurses.
36
@Cathy K.
Not an unreasonable decision, but I would point out two things..
First, this was a rental, so you were legitimately concerned about whether or not this person would be able to pay the monthly rent on time and consistently; in the case of selling, however, you will get your money to complete the transaction as a one and done deal - no need to worry about the future financial status of the buyer.
Second, you knew that the check was bad, not suspected. The writer was not suspected or accused but still undetermined as to whether or not they had done that - they had, factually. But LW2 does not yet know if the allegations are actually true, in whole or in part.
7
As described, both writers had not just the right, but an obligation to behave as they did, and I don't see any ethical questions.
40
@wschloss
For once, I actually see the issues presented as ethical ones. They’re just not very hard questions.
The answers are (or should be) very clear, so it almost seems as if these are so much questions of ethics as they are questions of common sense.
15
I share many concerns about policing with many in our town due to historical evidence of racism in policing. This was clear after a recent incident in our 'hood where two persons decided they wanted to shoot-up a neighbor's home early one morning. A meeting afterwards was suffuse with such concerns, but they were misplaced.
I happened to be awake when I heard the shots - one of which ended up inside a home about 6" from a kid's head. I also have a CCTV system that caught the car speeding down the street - and then turning into a dwelling on the other side of my home.
The scanner quickly heard the dispatch, so didn't call in myself. I tend to let the police handle such things, but they searched inconclusively for evidence and began clearing when I flagged one down and suggested he look at the video. The officer concluded there was enough for a search warrant and a few hours later the SWAT team showed up and cleared the apartment he'd obviously gone into.
With nightvision, I couldn't see the race of the driver, but he did go into a spot where I knew a black family lived. By the time that became clear, it was past time for me to decide. We're located right between the victim and the driver of the car (the other person went elsewhere) so random shooting threatens us. No gun was found. Other evidence was. Results still uncertain, but I feel better with this person on ice. Visual evidence of guilt outweighed my concerns about profiling. The courts will decide this one.
34
Two writers, both of whom overthink a situation and ladle in lots of modern day assumption and communal guilt. LW1 did absolutely nothing wrong with calling the police. Are we now to pause before reporting a crime or, at the very least, clearly suspicious behavior lest we put the potential offender in harm's way? LW1 is not qualified to fill in the scenario beyond what she sees with imaginary woes. (Not imaginary in the general sense of troubled police/minority interactions, but as to the specific individual and their specific conduct - regardless of race.) Trying to offer excuses (not "sure" if it's even a crime if the doors are unlocked) does not help anyone.
LW2 errs along a similar line - making assumptions that the charges against the person must necessarily be true. Admittedly, as Mr. Appiah points out, that is a legal standard, but it is a standard because it is supposed to reflect a moral societal standard, that we do not assume someone is guilty because they are accused or charged with a crime an punish them based just on the allegation. If the writer was falsely accused of a serious offense and people took actions against him such as refusing to sell him a house (a totally unconnected issue) I dare say he would ave a different take on it.
35
While I admire the LW's thoughtfulness, I think she/he is overthinking this. To me, the important point is that the prospective buyer is apparently in the financial position to buy real estate. That means that he is clearly not an economically disadvantaged person threatened by homelessness. I would feel differently if this was about a rental unit in a market where hundreds of people compete for a single apartment. But somebody with means will always find a place to live. So you can sell the place to someone else in good conscience.
And do stop feeling guilty for the realtor! If you got an offer within 24 hours, other offers will follow soon, maybe on the same day, and the realtor will make a goodly amount of money with little effort.
43