Thursday, April 12, 2012

On Safety Town, Spending My White Privilege, and a Cambridge Policeman

The Young Irreverent Psychologist and Officer Sheppard
When I was a little boy my parents signed me up for Safety Town. I met police officers and firemen who helped me learn how to cross the street, how to ask for help, and quizzed  me about my phone number and home address. We learned as kids that policemen and firemen (and at the time, they were all men) were good people. We learned they were there to help us. They encouraged us to wave at police officers when we saw them. I always did. The officers always waved back to me. I remember being sad when I got older and police stopped waving back.

I recognize writing this that these were the lessons taught to little white boys and girls in my suburban neighborhood. Little brown, black, yellow, or red boys and girls learned radically different lessons. I've learned over the years from friends and patients that people of color learned to be afraid of police officers. They couldn't be trusted. They weren't friends.

Yesterday I had an experience that really shook me. Maggie the therapy dog and I were walking across Harvard Yard. In my  pocket was an envelope of banking material that was in a signed, addressed, sealed, and stamped envelope. Somewhere along the way to the post office that letter either fell out of my pocket or was removed from my pocket by someone.

I retraced my steps back through Harvard Yard, down Massachusetts Avenue, and to my office. I realized that the one place I didn't look was in the Old Burial Ground. On our way to the post office we stopped and played with a woman and her young child. That's where I noticed the envelope was missing. I  neglected to look carefully there and if it had fallen out of my pocket that was a good place to look.

Safety Town with Julie and Officer Sheppard
The envelope wasn't there. I headed back toward my office for my next patient. On the way there I noticed a Cambridge police officer sitting in his cruiser. Policemen are our friends, and they are there to help, right? I thought that there was a small chance that someone might have found the envelope and handed it to him -- I recognized that his car was there on my various trips back and forth through the Yard looking for my lost envelope.

A mother and son were asking him for directions to a museum through his car window. I offered the two some additional directions and then approached the officer.

"Officer can I ask you for some help?"

He responded "no" and proceeded to roll up the window of his cruiser and started to read the Kindle that was resting in his lap.

Now I could have needed all sorts of different kinds of help. I could have been assaulted or seen someone assaulted. I could have been robbed. I could have have witnessed all sorts of different crimes. Maybe I was lost and just needed directions. It doesn't really matter what I needed. I approached a public official in an uniform and asked for help. He said no. This is not acceptable under any circumstance, any time.

I was appalled, deeply offended, and beyond angry. More angry than I have been in years.

I shouted through his closed car window "really, you are going to close your window on me?" He didn't look up. He read his Kindle and ignored me. I was even more enraged, but quickly realized that he was a police officer and I was a civilian. Being angry, and banging on his window (which is what I wanted to do) was neither effective or appropriate.

I called the police dispatch line. I told them I had a highly disturbing interaction with one of their officers. In the course of the next 15 minutes I was put into contact with two very professional and responsible Lieutenants who asked me several questions, took me seriously, and apologized for the behavior of the officer that "did not appear consistent with what is acceptable."

My complaint would be taken up with the officer by his commanding officer. I also was given the option to make a formal complaint. I have chosen to make that formal complaint.

I was a middle aged white man, possessing two masters degrees and a doctorate, with a dog, walking through Harvard Yard. In many ways, I was the epitome of white privilege and power. At least I can pass as having that much privilege and power. I got to thinking about what other people might have experienced had they come to this officer asking for help. What might a young black male in a hoodie encounter? How about an immigrant that doesn't speak English? How about some future patient of mine that is psychotic, delusional, or manic? Would this officer  respond, protect, serve, and help? Would he have closed his window on someone with less power or someone who is more disenfranchised?

Safety Town Graduation with the Captian
This wasn't okay. This was reprehensible. This was wrong. How could an officer, in uniform, close their window and ignore a civilian asking for help?

I recognize the enormity of my privilege here. I recognize that I have the power and freedom to speak up, to respond appropriately, and to create change. I recognize that many in this same situation would not be able to make the choices I can  make.

With this in mind I am responding. I'm responding because I can and I'm responding because I know there are others who cannot. I'm responding because if I ask my patients to do the hard thing, I have to demand that I do the hard thing too. Most of all, I'm responding because I don't want to live in a world where requests for help are ignored.

It's not okay for a police officer to close their window on anyone asking for help so they can read their Kindle in peace.

UPDATE 4/25/2012

I had a fantastic conversation earlier this week with a high ranking official in the police department. I was treated with courtesy, respect, and felt like this issue was taken seriously. Presented with a multitude of options to seek address, I chose what I thought was most appropriate for this situation and am satisfied that my actions made a small difference to make the world a little better place.

The proud graduate, ready to look both ways before crossing


20 comments:

  1. What a horrible experience. At least the Lieutenants were responsive and professional. I'm a librarians and I don't get to read WHILE I'M WORKING. Yeesh...

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    1. Librarians can't read in the library? Who came up with that crazy rule?

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    2. well, it's not that we can't, but that we are busy doing a lot of other things...

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  2. sorry to hear your encounter, which i read through universal hub. two things i found weird:
    1. why did the officer help those other people and not you? im sure you wondered the same thing.
    2. why do you assume that because the officer didn't help you out, that he would discriminate against a "black youth in a hoodie". the fact that he didn't help you, a self-proclaimed epitome of white power with lots of degrees (no idea why you'd even mention that, unless you are holding a sign with your CV on it who can tell this from the outside?), points in my opinion to the fact that this officer does not discriminate between people based on their race, in choosing whom to disrespect. I think that if you had a real problem that needed help, like if you were assaulted (perhaps by a black youth?), you would have been more persistent in your appeal to the officer, and you might have received his reluctant attention. So this leads me to conclude that you are yourself a little prejudiced, projecting the cop to be a racist, when in fact he's being a jerk.

    Although i agree with you that the cop's behavior is unacceptable, i find your description of the incident a little strange.

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    1. Hi Anonymous. Thanks for taking the time to comment. As for your first question -- weird, right? I think you'd really need to ask the officer as to why he talked to the woman and her son and refused helping me. I can only offer conjecture and opinions. What is important here is that an officer in uniform really doesn't have the choice to close his window and refuse help to a civilian who makes a request for help. He could have told me he was busy, or whatever, or just answered my question, but he had idea whether I was in a middle of a life-threatening crisis or not. Your point about whether or not I should have been more persistent is really but a bunch of poppycock. It's a failure of duty to close the window. You're attempting to blame me, when the blame fully is with the officer. As for race--I think perhaps I wasn't clear that is is a discussion of power and privilege. If an officer felt enabled to ignore a request for help from someone who appears to carry a lot of power and privilege, how would that officer feel entitled to respond to a person with little or no power? I am likely to be someone who knows what is acceptable behavior, I'm likely to be someone who knows how to--and has the resources--to report unacceptable behavior. The black teen, domestic violence survivor, mentally ill person, or immigrant are all people who have little power, little recourse to address misdeeds. What would happen in this situations? I don't know -- but I know that it is my responsibility to spend my power and privileged in ways to make sure our system is fair, and to make sure people follow their own rules -- because just maybe this can help make sure that everyone is treated fairly.

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    2. hahahaha.. i have to say, it's very funny to read your reply.. i didn't know you had so much power and privilege, and i think the officer did not realize it either.. im sorry but i still think you are projecting. didn't the woman the officer did help have some power and privilege or were you absorbing all the power and the privilege at that particular moment? but let me make it clear for you, without further joking:

      you are ASSUMING that the officer ignored you while realizing what an important man you are (way more important that immigrants and blacks; mind you im not saying that YOU think you're important, im saying that you project the cop to think you should be perceived as such). You are assuming that the police officer made the same (weird) mental calculations you do. But as the guy didn't even talk to you, you really don't know if someone with less power would have gotten even worse treatment. Like I said, maybe the cop was just being a jerk at that particular time. hell, maybe the cop is married to a minority and gives them favorable treatment.

      and i do think that if you were really in a life-threatening situation, the cop would have (reluctantly) gotten out of his kindle (must have been harry potter) and off his donut :) no excuse, but that IS important.

      im sure you mean well, but you must be aware that mentioning your elated status as a powerful non-immigrant raises some eyebrows across the board. especially if you also mention your degrees. it makes you look like you feel entitled to superior treatment - as you say, because you are able to wield the resources to file complaints and stuff (although some of those things are free).. i believe you don't really think you are superior, but other readers might.

      anyway, you should let this one slide - it was over an envelope you lost yourself, not really a huge problem. i lost my ipod on the T and asked a MBTA cop about it; he just looked at me like i'd lost my mind instead of my ipod. But you WERE right; the cop was WRONG. greetings, from the same, now a little less, anonymous.

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    3. Tim -- you are 100% right, I do feel entitled to superior treatment in this culture. That's exactly my point of this blog post. That is white privilege is, and that is what so many people get tweaked about. I didn't ask for this privilege and I didn't do anything to earn it. I am given it because I am white.

      My point here -- and my point in this experience -- is that I have a choice as to how I spend this unearned privilege. Part of how I choose to spend it is by talking about privilege. Part of how I choose to spend it is by recognizing just how shitty the experience is for those who are systematically discriminated against in our culture. Part of how I choose to spend it is by working toward changing that system in any (small or large) way I can.

      I don't need to defend my thoughts, my actions, or the facts of the situation here. It's ironic that I say that, in that in saying that I am again relying on my privilege as an educated white man. Nonetheless, most of what you bring up here are just distractions from a very important conversation about privilege.

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  3. I agree the officer was rude, irresponsible and unprofessional. I'm certain I would have become angry if I found myself in the same situation. Even so, while reading this post, I wasn't connecting with it.

    After giving it some thought, I think I was thrown by how baffled you seem by the experience. Whereas, I guess feeling dismissed, irrelevant and unimportant is kind of my norm. The anger I could relate to, but the sense of injustice was lost on me.

    You are right. There are lots of people who can't, don't know how to, are afraid to, don't realize they should speak up against being treated like the officer treated you. So, I'm glad you've said something.

    Regarding your Tweet about someone stating that the "powerlessness you felt is what happens to people in psychiatric facilities," I can not stress how much I agree with this assessment! Not only are you ignored, you are forced to comply. There is nothing you can do to fight it. No one listens to you when you try.

    I'm glad you're fighting this though. It isn't right to ignore people <----- I think I found my sense of injustice! :)

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    1. Hi there Ms. Lunacy. :-) For me, the important thing here is exactly that you weren't connecting with my post and thrown by how baffled I was by the experience. I think you are in contact with the differences in position and power you and I share. I move about the world with a good deal of power and privilege. I am a white man, I have a professional job, am highly educated, and make a good living. Because of this power and privileged that I carry, it is rare that I encounter a situation in which I'm questioned, threatened, or told no. Women, people of color, people from other countries, etc. often encounter experiences like this each and every day -- take them for granted -- and would expect things like this to happen. From my perspective I'm shocked when things like this happen. This is a difficult dialogue to have -- about race, power, privilege, and sex. It tweaks people, especially people who don't acknowledge their power and privilege.

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  4. My reaction after having been abused/terrorized by several members of a law enforcement agency is relief that you were ignored and not targeted - which you may well now be. Perhaps the sliver lining in this heavy cloud is your newfound awareness that law enforcement of all ilk are adversaries, not friends, not advocates and not sources of assistance.

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    1. I'm very sorry to hear about your experiences, aek. For me, I worry about all-or-nothing thinking. Over the years I've had both friends and patients who are members of law enforcement agencies as well as day-to-day interactions. Most have been wonderful people. A few have offered some challenges.

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  5. Well written and thought provoking! Sorry you had this awful experience, but I'm proud of you for taking action and speaking up about it! I'm thinking you should receive a letter of apology in the mail any day. (And did you find your missing envelope??? :( )

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    1. Hi Melissa, thanks for taking the time to make a comment. It was an awful experience, albeit one that in the larger scheme of things was not too bad. What really bothered me is what this experience reminded me of -- how people with a lot less power and privilege get treated like this every day, and those folks often have (or feel) that they have no recourse. In the end I didn't find my envelope. I can only home that someone came across the sealed, stamped, and addressed envelope and put it in the mail. I'll know in a few days. The contents of the envelope can be replaced--with some effort--but the situation is one that can be solved.

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  6. I am curious what you were going to ask him? Did you think he was going to get out of his running ,v8 gas paid for by you cruiser, and go looking for your envelope with you?

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    1. Hi Boston Cab. Thanks for taking the time to post a comment here on my blog. It appears that you missed the part in my post where I wrote what I was planning on asking the officer. I wrote: "I thought that there was a small chance that someone might have found the envelope and handed it to him." It was a simple question--and a long shot--but worth asking since the contents of the envelope were of value.

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  7. Thank you so much for following through with this.

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Grimlocke. Follow through is important to me--we seem to live in a culture of complainers. It's easy to complain online or complain to friends, but sometimes much harder to follow through and complain in ways that count. A simple call to the police station (or a Senator, or Mayor, or...) can make a difference.

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  8. Yes, this is interesting, and you were right to follow up on it. I think that this even goes beyond a discussion of power and privilege, as well as beyond race.

    I've noticed that since 9-11,that police and many individuals exercising governmental authority of one kind or another, have become progressively more arrogant and unresponsive to the public's needs. I have a sense that they believe that they know what is good for us, and that's what were going to get, and not necessarily what we perceive that we want and/or need.

    In short, we have become a security state with a large population of security "officials" making us in many ways feel very insecure in our power and our privilege, about our race and perhaps our very humanity.

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  9. Sorry to hear your Encounter. The American Police ARE bringing this on themselves these days by their Draconian Practices. But trust me, this, although may be considered as a slight on your constitutional rights, does not come even close to what immigrants(legal or otherwise) have to go through.

    I am an Indian student studying in your vicinity. The Realtors and police have a close Nexus there. Once, The police have barged in our house which is properly maintained and paid rent for regularly. I also know of friends who have gone through similar experiences. All this "to ensure that the terms of lease are not being violated."

    They just want to spy on you and squeeze most money out of you.

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Anonymous. What you wrote, that this does not come even close to what immigrants (legal or otherwise) have to go through, is spot on. In the larger scheme of things, losing an envelope and having a police officer say no to my request for help is a minimal annoyance. That's part of what white privilege is--without asking for it or earning it, I get to move around the world with a minimum of annoyance. Seems like lots of folks have gotten all tweaked out that I mention white privilege, and I mention that I ought to consider that if I've got it, I ought to spend it wisely. I don't think for a minute that a single complaint to the police department is going to help a person with little power and privilege being harassed by police. I do think, however, if lots of people with privilege spend it wisely, complain when they see misdeeds done, and demand that we look at these issues, things just might get a little better.

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