re: #411 JustMyView
re: #417 Last Mohican

Caller: Help, there’s a robber in my house, and he’s holding my husband at gunpoint!

911 Dispatcher: Please try to calm down, ma’am. Is the mugger Black, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian or Pacific Islander?

Caller: He’s Black. Why is that important?

911 Dispatcher: I’m sorry ma’am, in that case I won’t be able to dispatch an officer to your house. This Department does not engage in racial profiling. I suggest that you try to escape through a back door if possible.

Caller: Racial profiling? But I don’t understand. I’m Black too!

911 Dispatcher: That makes no difference to us, ma’am. It’s your husband who is being held at gunpoint, not you.

Caller: But my husband is Black too!

911 Dispatcher: Ah! You should have said so! In that case, I’ll send an officer right over. Just as soon as we can locate an officer who is also Black. There aren’t any Black officers in your neighborhood right now, and we can only send Black officers to respond to crimes being committed by Black perpetrators. Otherwise, there would be an unacceptable risk of racial profiling. I estimate you’ll have to wait about 30 minutes or so for the Black officer to arrive. If the robber does shoot your husband before he gets there, then you may at least take comfort in the fact that the shooter was not racially profiled. Have a nice day!

And Sotomeyer would rule in favor of the dispatcher.