Are these precautions necessary for this NP work?
December 23, 2020 9:13 AM Subscribe
Next year, I will be piloting a non profit that is direct service to the public in open, outdoor settings. Specifically, I will be offering drivers in neighborhoods with a much higher number of police stops than the county statistical average (usu. consisting of higher numbers of poor and residents of color), the opportunity to have burnt out taillights replaced. The purpose is to reduce the reason for police interactions which, in the past, have led to confrontations resulting in the use of deadly force. I posted the idea, CNBSeen, to Metafilter projects earlier this year.
But with all of the vitriol, hate and violence directed against any kind of social justice work, not only by people who are politically opposed to such work, but by people who should be for it but who exhibit their own senseless violence, I have been thinking a lot about either having an off-duty police presence or wearing a vest or both. I have also read of people who feel it is reverse discrimination to offer this to people in selected neighborhoods and not offer it to people in all neighborhoods, which gives those so inclined another reason to feel unfairly treated. Though I will offer the service to anyone, I will conduct these bulb exchanges only in those targeted neighborhoods since those are the ones the police themselves identify as over represented. Anyway, I don't want to be extreme about this. And I am tying to connect with the community, not work while fearful of it. But, it seems like a question I should at least give some thought to. What do you think?
But with all of the vitriol, hate and violence directed against any kind of social justice work, not only by people who are politically opposed to such work, but by people who should be for it but who exhibit their own senseless violence, I have been thinking a lot about either having an off-duty police presence or wearing a vest or both. I have also read of people who feel it is reverse discrimination to offer this to people in selected neighborhoods and not offer it to people in all neighborhoods, which gives those so inclined another reason to feel unfairly treated. Though I will offer the service to anyone, I will conduct these bulb exchanges only in those targeted neighborhoods since those are the ones the police themselves identify as over represented. Anyway, I don't want to be extreme about this. And I am tying to connect with the community, not work while fearful of it. But, it seems like a question I should at least give some thought to. What do you think?
There are many organizations that already do this exact thing — the DSA notably among them but also lots of small local groups. You haven't exactly invented anything new, and if you reach out to some of these orgs they will probably give you some idea of how high-risk this is and what you can do to avoid getting the wrong kind of attention.
Definitely get in touch with your local BLM chapter, groups working on police accountability, etc. Definitely do NOT have an off-duty police officer there, THAT'S SUCH A BAD IDEA. Maybe take a minute to think about why bringing a police officer into this situation might be bad, and do some reading on police abolition, before you go out into these communities and start doing this.
posted by 100kb at 9:34 AM on December 23, 2020 [13 favorites]
Definitely get in touch with your local BLM chapter, groups working on police accountability, etc. Definitely do NOT have an off-duty police officer there, THAT'S SUCH A BAD IDEA. Maybe take a minute to think about why bringing a police officer into this situation might be bad, and do some reading on police abolition, before you go out into these communities and start doing this.
posted by 100kb at 9:34 AM on December 23, 2020 [13 favorites]
This is ask metafilter, and so I'm going to try to problem solve your problem. I'm having a little trouble narrowing down what the issue is exactly, but I'll still give it my best go.
Problem #1 - you worried about violence against social justice work.
I can't imagine why your service would be considered "social justice" adjacent. It sounds like you are going in to specific neighborhoods and helping people fix tail lights on cars. Social Justice is a method of wealth redistribution, among other issues.
There are of course stories of retribution against anyone on the internet - but in real life, I've never heard of a non-profit being targeted or harmed for helping people without an ulterior motive. Is there a racial or social-justice aspect to your work that you haven't mentioned?
Problem #2: You are thinking about hiring off-duty police or wearing a vest (I assume a bullet proof vest? Or like a bright yellow Penny Vest?).
That seems counter to your intended purpose of less police involvement in that community. Most poor communities don't just randomly target non-profits to shoot with guns. However, if it's especially poor there could be homeless people nearby, so maybe some mace would come in handy eventually. I would think that you could start out with nothing, and adapt as you actually carry out your plan. However - if you sold this idea as a way for police to do outreach themselves, maybe you could get the "good apples" in the police department to help people stay out of trouble. They already do things like this in some communities.
Problem #3 - you've read that some people don't like your idea and call it reverse discrimination.
It's a tough world out there. Sometimes if you believe in an idea, you just have do it even with criticism. I bet the person that said that is 1: on the internet and under the guise of anonymity, and 2: the minority. There's tons of programs that focus on poor neighborhoods.
Problem 4: You are trying to connect with the community without being fearful of it.
For that to happen - you really have to immerse yourself in it the smallest amount. Go there. If there's a neighborhood board, visit a meeting and ask what would be most helpful and how to reduce all police stops. Talk to some people. Ask around at the nearest gas station if people think it's a good idea. Everyone in those communities are people too, most have jobs and families and just want to live normally.
Unsolicited advice:
I don't think replacing taillight bulbs will make an impact on the number of police stops. When a police officer wants to pull over a car, they almost always can find a reason, and can make up fake reasons and almost always get away with it. From not stopping fully at a stop sign, to not indicating a turn, to "swerving within the lane" - police, if they want to, can pull over cars for tons of reasons.
What I would do if I wanted to help people, is I would post on craigslist and facebook marketplace for the neighborhood "free taillight repair" with what you are doing. That way, instead of having to sit still, you would be able to schedule and complete your taillight repairs at people's houses. You could extend this service further to other small tasks. You could ask local nonprofits or community centers or churches to participate as well - often they have a "day of service" or "day of caring" - maybe they would be interested in the taillight problem.
Or, if you wanted to stick with the side-of-the-road suggestion, you could do a multi-point inspection. Check their license plate expiry date, their windshield for cracks, their taillights and headlights, and any thing else a police officer could possibly use to pull someone over. Maybe you could expand to scheduling windshield replacements... they aren't insanely expensive.
Anyway - just my 2c - maybe you disagree, and think clean taillights would reduce traffic stops by 10%, which would reduce violence by 1% - maybe saving a few lives. All power to you! I still think that my answers to Problem #1, #2, #3, and #4 still apply.
posted by bbqturtle at 9:36 AM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Problem #1 - you worried about violence against social justice work.
I can't imagine why your service would be considered "social justice" adjacent. It sounds like you are going in to specific neighborhoods and helping people fix tail lights on cars. Social Justice is a method of wealth redistribution, among other issues.
There are of course stories of retribution against anyone on the internet - but in real life, I've never heard of a non-profit being targeted or harmed for helping people without an ulterior motive. Is there a racial or social-justice aspect to your work that you haven't mentioned?
Problem #2: You are thinking about hiring off-duty police or wearing a vest (I assume a bullet proof vest? Or like a bright yellow Penny Vest?).
That seems counter to your intended purpose of less police involvement in that community. Most poor communities don't just randomly target non-profits to shoot with guns. However, if it's especially poor there could be homeless people nearby, so maybe some mace would come in handy eventually. I would think that you could start out with nothing, and adapt as you actually carry out your plan. However - if you sold this idea as a way for police to do outreach themselves, maybe you could get the "good apples" in the police department to help people stay out of trouble. They already do things like this in some communities.
Problem #3 - you've read that some people don't like your idea and call it reverse discrimination.
It's a tough world out there. Sometimes if you believe in an idea, you just have do it even with criticism. I bet the person that said that is 1: on the internet and under the guise of anonymity, and 2: the minority. There's tons of programs that focus on poor neighborhoods.
Problem 4: You are trying to connect with the community without being fearful of it.
For that to happen - you really have to immerse yourself in it the smallest amount. Go there. If there's a neighborhood board, visit a meeting and ask what would be most helpful and how to reduce all police stops. Talk to some people. Ask around at the nearest gas station if people think it's a good idea. Everyone in those communities are people too, most have jobs and families and just want to live normally.
Unsolicited advice:
I don't think replacing taillight bulbs will make an impact on the number of police stops. When a police officer wants to pull over a car, they almost always can find a reason, and can make up fake reasons and almost always get away with it. From not stopping fully at a stop sign, to not indicating a turn, to "swerving within the lane" - police, if they want to, can pull over cars for tons of reasons.
What I would do if I wanted to help people, is I would post on craigslist and facebook marketplace for the neighborhood "free taillight repair" with what you are doing. That way, instead of having to sit still, you would be able to schedule and complete your taillight repairs at people's houses. You could extend this service further to other small tasks. You could ask local nonprofits or community centers or churches to participate as well - often they have a "day of service" or "day of caring" - maybe they would be interested in the taillight problem.
Or, if you wanted to stick with the side-of-the-road suggestion, you could do a multi-point inspection. Check their license plate expiry date, their windshield for cracks, their taillights and headlights, and any thing else a police officer could possibly use to pull someone over. Maybe you could expand to scheduling windshield replacements... they aren't insanely expensive.
Anyway - just my 2c - maybe you disagree, and think clean taillights would reduce traffic stops by 10%, which would reduce violence by 1% - maybe saving a few lives. All power to you! I still think that my answers to Problem #1, #2, #3, and #4 still apply.
posted by bbqturtle at 9:36 AM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
I actually think you are working the wrong end of this, given the kind of service you are offering which is valuable but not time-essential.
I think you should develop a guidebook of clear policies around delivery of your service including:
- what you need on-site safety-wise (first aid kit, means of communication, how many volunteers minimum, etc.). If it's just you, that may not be the best way to go but at least choose your location wisely.
- guidelines for any situations where you would pack up shop, including how your clients would be able to check that. For example, you might have a Twitter or Instagram feed where you say "check this feed before you come down" and you post "we're open!" and "we're closed!" or you might have a sign out on the street that's up when you're open and down when you're closed, if you think your community wouldn't have cell access. (Or both!)
- clear guidelines for yourself &/or volunteers for when you would close up shop - more than 2 protestors, fewer than three volunteers present, 2 visits by police in one afternoon, etc. You should definitely empower your team to make those decisions on the ground.
- clear guidelines for how to manage crowds, if you are expecting them - for example, rather than having clients wait in line (which can cause a commotion and draw police), you could have one volunteer tasked with "reception" and booking specific times for people to come back, as well as letting people know at the point you're fully booked for that time period. Pre-booking could be a barrier to entry but could also be a way to manage this.
- what you need on-site for tools, etc., and how those will be stored - I mean if it's just a box of lightbulbs and a screwdriver that's not huge, but I'm not sure what all you have/need. If you need to be sure you/your volunteers can leave quickly and minimize damage you could have a rule about only having X equipment outside of a locked vehicle at any time.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:57 AM on December 23, 2020
I think you should develop a guidebook of clear policies around delivery of your service including:
- what you need on-site safety-wise (first aid kit, means of communication, how many volunteers minimum, etc.). If it's just you, that may not be the best way to go but at least choose your location wisely.
- guidelines for any situations where you would pack up shop, including how your clients would be able to check that. For example, you might have a Twitter or Instagram feed where you say "check this feed before you come down" and you post "we're open!" and "we're closed!" or you might have a sign out on the street that's up when you're open and down when you're closed, if you think your community wouldn't have cell access. (Or both!)
- clear guidelines for yourself &/or volunteers for when you would close up shop - more than 2 protestors, fewer than three volunteers present, 2 visits by police in one afternoon, etc. You should definitely empower your team to make those decisions on the ground.
- clear guidelines for how to manage crowds, if you are expecting them - for example, rather than having clients wait in line (which can cause a commotion and draw police), you could have one volunteer tasked with "reception" and booking specific times for people to come back, as well as letting people know at the point you're fully booked for that time period. Pre-booking could be a barrier to entry but could also be a way to manage this.
- what you need on-site for tools, etc., and how those will be stored - I mean if it's just a box of lightbulbs and a screwdriver that's not huge, but I'm not sure what all you have/need. If you need to be sure you/your volunteers can leave quickly and minimize damage you could have a rule about only having X equipment outside of a locked vehicle at any time.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:57 AM on December 23, 2020
Don't have an off-duty cop there, and don't wear a bulletproof vest. Those are not good ideas. Instead, have one or more people accompanying you while you do this work. Ideally this would be somebody known to the people in the communities you hope to serve, somebody who is comfortable changing automotive light bulbs, or both.
If you want to wear some kind of hi-visibility vest, it might make you look more like you know what you're doing.
There's another element I'm a little worried about--there are many, many types of automobile light bulbs, and changing them ranges from removing a little cap and twisting the bulb holder to, like, removing the whole fixture. You'll need a decent range of tools and a wide range of bulbs if you're hoping to be able to accommodate all comers.
posted by box at 11:29 AM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you want to wear some kind of hi-visibility vest, it might make you look more like you know what you're doing.
There's another element I'm a little worried about--there are many, many types of automobile light bulbs, and changing them ranges from removing a little cap and twisting the bulb holder to, like, removing the whole fixture. You'll need a decent range of tools and a wide range of bulbs if you're hoping to be able to accommodate all comers.
posted by box at 11:29 AM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'll repeat this because I think it's an important point--you do understand that fixing tail lights won't fix racial profiling by police wrt motor vehicle stops? I think it's necessary to approach this sort of work with an understanding how the community you want to help experiences policing. What baseline assumptions/social conditioning are you bringing to these interactions you will have with community members? The whole idea of "safety" as an outsider to a community is a lot to unpack!
It's a little bit different, but I've helped hand out bike lights to cyclists who lack them. It was organized by a bike advocacy org. The org brought a set up that included signs in English and in Spanish. They also made sure to have volunteers who spoke Spanish because there are a lot of Spanish speaking cyclists in the community. We all wore hi viz safety vests loaned to us by the org. The whole set up made it clear we weren't trying to sell people anything. We knew what sorts of lights/reflectors a bike should have to be legally compliant and let riders know if their bike was compliant (apart from the lights we were handing out). Bikes take up a lot less space than cars, it's easy to slap on these lights and this was pre-covid, so that part of logistics was simple.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:58 AM on December 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
It's a little bit different, but I've helped hand out bike lights to cyclists who lack them. It was organized by a bike advocacy org. The org brought a set up that included signs in English and in Spanish. They also made sure to have volunteers who spoke Spanish because there are a lot of Spanish speaking cyclists in the community. We all wore hi viz safety vests loaned to us by the org. The whole set up made it clear we weren't trying to sell people anything. We knew what sorts of lights/reflectors a bike should have to be legally compliant and let riders know if their bike was compliant (apart from the lights we were handing out). Bikes take up a lot less space than cars, it's easy to slap on these lights and this was pre-covid, so that part of logistics was simple.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:58 AM on December 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
The risk of some troll on the internet finding you and targeting you for your brake light clinic is vastly lower than the risk of you duplicating another organization's efforts (it looks like you're in Portland?)
Seconding that you should check out the local DSA chapter and see if you can volunteer through them.
posted by kingdead at 1:06 PM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Seconding that you should check out the local DSA chapter and see if you can volunteer through them.
posted by kingdead at 1:06 PM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Do not bring the police to an event that is supposed to prevent people participating from interacting with the police (also: the police here are exhausted and I wouldn't assume you'll be able to hire an off-duty officer). Have you talked to people / community groups in these neighborhoods about whether this is something they would find helpful and how to do it?
If replacing taillights is the right thing to do, another option would be to identify some (minority owned?) auto repair places in these neighborhoods that are willing to work with you and pay them to do taillight replacements. They are responsible for managing stock of parts, liability, etc., people can have their taillights replaced at a time convenient to them, and you get to support small businesses. You can also select businesses that among them can accommodate a variety of preferred languages.
Also, reading the answers: Yes, there will be homeless people near most places in Portland. Some of them will probably want their taillights replaced. Please don't mace people for being homeless, WTF?!
posted by momus_window at 3:00 PM on December 23, 2020 [7 favorites]
If replacing taillights is the right thing to do, another option would be to identify some (minority owned?) auto repair places in these neighborhoods that are willing to work with you and pay them to do taillight replacements. They are responsible for managing stock of parts, liability, etc., people can have their taillights replaced at a time convenient to them, and you get to support small businesses. You can also select businesses that among them can accommodate a variety of preferred languages.
Also, reading the answers: Yes, there will be homeless people near most places in Portland. Some of them will probably want their taillights replaced. Please don't mace people for being homeless, WTF?!
posted by momus_window at 3:00 PM on December 23, 2020 [7 favorites]
Response by poster: The BLM movement in Portland is diffused - https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2020/12/who-speaks-for-the-black-lives-matter-movement-in-portland-it-s-complicated. I learned in July that DSA has a booklet for people who want to do their own a taillight replacement. Even though Socialism is subject-non-grata on both sides of the political spectrum right now, it's a good guide. I'm working directly with neighborhoods and they are receptive and encouraging. But I appreciate the advice about not including the police. That is good, and I'll take it to heart.
posted by CollectiveMind at 3:52 PM on December 23, 2020
posted by CollectiveMind at 3:52 PM on December 23, 2020
You might contact the DSA anyway, for information if nothing else. You don't need to call yourself a socialist, approve of socialism, or expect your future clients to approve of socialism. You can just ask their advice as an org who knows about this sort of work.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:42 PM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:42 PM on December 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
but in real life, I've never heard of a non-profit being targeted or harmed for helping people without an ulterior motive
That'll really cheer up our executive director next time our public phone number is DOS'd with death threats naming her address.
posted by bashing rocks together at 7:25 PM on December 23, 2020
That'll really cheer up our executive director next time our public phone number is DOS'd with death threats naming her address.
posted by bashing rocks together at 7:25 PM on December 23, 2020
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