Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Shamann Walton announced that he would be introducing a bill called the CAREN Act that would make it unlawful for individuals to make racially biased 911 calls.
Walton tweeted: "Racist 911 calls are unacceptable that's why I'm introducing the CAREN Act at today’s SF Board of Supervisors meeting. This is the CAREN we need. Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies. CARENact SanFrancisco."
Racist 911 calls are unacceptable that's why I'm introducing the CAREN Act at today’s SF Board of Supervisors meeting. This is the CAREN we need. Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies. #CARENact #sanfrancisco
— Shamann Walton (@shamannwalton) July 7, 2020
Walton has partnered with Oakland's Rob Bonta on the bill. Bonta expressed his support: "Excited to announce our partnership with Supervisor Shamann Walton ! Today, we unveiled our two-prong strategy to join forces and stop discriminatory 911 calls: #AB1550 and the #CARENAct. Using 911 as a tool for your prejudice towards marginalized communities is unjust and wrong!"
Excited to announce our partnership with Supervisor @shamannwalton ! Today, we unveiled our two-prong strategy to join forces and stop discriminatory 911 calls: #AB1550 and the #CARENAct. Using 911 as a tool for your prejudice towards marginalized communities is unjust and wrong! pic.twitter.com/NBfBaLe6x2
— Rob Bonta (@RobBontaCA) July 7, 2020
The press release states that Walton will "be introducing an ordinance known as the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act to amend the San Francisco Police Code to making it unlawful for an individual to fabricate false racially biased emergency reports..."
This comes after a white woman called the police on a black birdwatcher in New York, who is now being charged with falsely reporting. This could lead to a year's jail time for the women colloquially known as Central Park Karen.
This ordinance would only go into effect within the state of California.
