Monday, November 26, 2012

Generate shadow reports -- on New York City's stop-and-frisks -- and snail mail copies to everyone


To graphically illustrate how unbearably intrusive 24X as many stop-and-frisks per reported crime in New York City has become (4X less crime achieved by former mayors followed by 6X as many stops begun with the current mayor) innocent victims should generate shadow reports (mirroring cops’ reports cops) for every stop -- copies of which to be snail mailed -- as in paper form -- to your city council person or, if you don’t know who he or she is, to the speaker of the city council and to selected media outlets, etc.

This could potentially to generate over 2000 shadow reports daily – multiplied by any number of persons you wish to snail mail them to – potentially millions of shadow reports a year swamping mail rooms (700,000 stops a year multiplied by however many copies).  

If a victim is reluctant to go to the trouble of making out a paper report, neighbors or an advocacy organization may offer help (doing with other people is motivating – why they have walks to raise research money for cancer, etc.).  

Ideally, advocacy groups would create a standard shadow stop report form and pass out copies to be copied – listing whatever particulars on the front and perhaps listing useful snail mail addresses to on the back.

Jump start the shadow report blizzard by inviting everyone who has been stopped for no reason in the past to submit their shadow reports now – potentially millions at once.

Might add utility to post intruding cops’ names and numbers on a stopped-by-so-and-so web site to make stoppers feel just a little bit as uncomfortable as they make us feel. 
Graphically wake the world to just how maddening Mad Mayor Bloomberg’s stop-and-frisk (ethnic/low income-cleansing?) really is – by reporting each and every intrusion to as many listeners as possible.  It only costs a stamp -- to prove the pen is mightier than the sword.

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