Politically correct descriptions of perps

[iris lilies]

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechc...ofiling-online

This npr article tells how Nextdoor, the web system that supports online communication in neighborhoods, is working to shape communications about crime so that they do not offend.

For those of you who dont know Nextdoor, it is a system where each poster is verified and invited by someone in their neighborhood. There are no anonymous accounts. Each person who posts has his first and last names and his street name appear by his posts.

So Nextdoor is workng on an algorithm to address " racial profiling" when posters give crime reports. Mentioning the race of the perp up front has always been a problem in my land of left leaning neighbors, so after watching several neighbors be castigated by social justice keyboard warriors for failng to list descriptors in the correct order required by the politically sensitive, I learned the lingo.

This is incorrect:

Neighbors, beware of two black youth who are walking West on Carroll Street. They are peering into cars. One has a red shirt, the other is wearing a grey sweatshirt. Both are around 15- 18 years old. I have called 911 to report.

This is correct:

Neighbors, beware of two youth who are walking West on Carroll Street. they are peering into cars. One has a red shirt, the other is wearing a grey sweatshirt. Both are around 15-18 yers old. They are black. I have called 911 for police to come and check out this situation which may be benign or may be a problem.

But guess what, two black youth peering into automobiles is a problem, it is never benign. They are looking for items of obvious value. So many neighbors get ramped up about watching and reporting problematic activity! Jesus Joseph Mary, the cops arent going to arrest anyone, they will (if they even get here in a timely way, which is doubtful) make inquiry as to what the kids are doing. Kids will learn "when we think about clouting a car on this street someone is watching us and calling the cops." Win.

[Ultralight]

Could be two drunk college kids who accidentally left their cell phones in a car they are having trouble finding in order to call the DD at their frat.

[jp1]

Iris, your neighbors are calm compared to San Francisco. Someone here actually posted on nextdoor that people shouldn't be calling bike thieves criminals. After all, it shows a lack of sensitivity, doncha know? I realize I lean pretty far left but, man, even I don't get this one.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/P...al-6598509.php

[iris lilies]

Could be two drunk college kids who accidentally left their cell phones in a car they are having trouble finding in order to call the DD at their frat.

In my neighborhood you have to play the odds.

The odds of what you describe are 100:1 unless it is Mardi Gras week when the odds change to 5:1.

I once offered to drive a kid around the neighborhood the next morning after the Mardi Gras bender to help him find his car. He was too embarassed, but now i wish I would have insisted.

But whatever the activity, cops will sort it out.

[iris lilies]

Iris, your neighbors are calm compared to San Francisco. Someone here actually posted on nextdoor that people shouldn't be calling bike thieves criminals. After all, it shows a lack of sensitivity, doncha know? I realize I lean pretty far left but, man, even I don't get this one.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/P...al-6598509.php

How I Love the Cyrils of the world on Nextdoor. Not. She is ridiculous.

[sweetana3]

I find it fascinating that some on our Next Door system will complain about security pictures or video footage being posted because it is not totally crystal clear. It at least let others make their own decisions. And it is amazing to me the number of cameras in our close neighborhoods that are getting info for the police.

We also had the sort saying we should understand the "criminals" and that they came from a bad background. Really? No one knows the background but the acts are still criminal.

[CathyA]

It bugs me when our local news stations don't give the "color" of the perps. Many times, if they are white, they will say white, but they seem to intentionally avoid saying "black". To me, it's the easiest way to differentiate a possible suspect, if you're trying to be aware of them. It would be like saying someone stole a child in a car and they won't give out the color of the car. Giving the skin color seems to be a very quick way to zero in on who you're looking for.
Being PC is getting ridiculous. I think the news people think it will prevent blacks from objecting to their saying that. Why else would they omit that, if they usually give the color for white perps? And placing their color further down in the description, to me, is silly. I would want the most visually important info first.......not all the other stuff being reported, in order to avoid saying Black.

[creaker]

It bugs me when our local news stations don't give the "color" of the perps. Many times, if they are white, they will say white, but they seem to intentionally avoid saying "black". To me, it's the easiest way to differentiate a possible suspect, if you're trying to be aware of them. It would be like saying someone stole a child in a car and they won't give out the color of the car. Giving the skin color seems to be a very quick way to zero in on who you're looking for.
Being PC is getting ridiculous. I think the news people think it will prevent blacks from objecting to their saying that. Why else would they omit that, if they usually give the color for white perps? And placing their color further down in the description, to me, is silly. I would want the most visually important info first.......not all the other stuff being reported, in order to avoid saying Black.

I guess it depends on how you look at it - another way to look at it is that they aren't saying "black perps" because they are projecting it as the assumed default, while "white perps" is used because they want to project it as something more unique.

[iris lilies]

I guess it depends on how you look at it - another way to look at it is that they aren't saying "black perps" because they are projecting it as the assumed default, while "white perps" is used because they want to project it as something more unique.

Some years ago I was outside observing cops who were trying to apprehend a perp. The cop called in his description as "medium skin tone" and etc such as 5'9" red shirt etc.

I thought to myself, what, are we assuming he is a black man? There is a lot of difference between Caucasian medium skin tone and African AMerican medium skin tone.

But in reality, it is a bit of a relief here when we have white perps. They arent common. There is a truckload of white suspects driving around alleys stealing tools this week. For a moment we get to step,away from the constant dance of appropriate race-speak.

As for terminology, I remember how bent out of shape Loosechickens got when I used the term "perp." She couldnt stand it and always responded withi a story about some relative of hers who was incarcerated for a white collar crime blah blah blah and how disrespectul that term is. So I try to make an effort to use it often. Another Cyril.

[JaneV2.0]

"Alleged perp," to be fair.
Assuming no trial yet.