Two tales – What’s the difference?
I got a message a couple days ago:
Subject = person’s name (yes, happens to be homeless)
There was a gun found outside of xxxxxxx this morning. The police have determined that it belongs to xxxxxxxxx. Anyone that sees [him/her] is to call the police immediately!
The next day I get this email:
xxxxxxx was at xxxxxxxx today and I called the police around noon. Two officers responded. One of the officers was also here yesterday when the gun was found xxxxxxxxxx by xxxxxxxxxx. There was no second gun found today, as I told some of you earlier today. I misread the email and presumed the gun in xxxxxxx’s memo was found this morning, February 11th. It was the same gun found yesterday by xxxxxxxxx.
The officer told me the gun is an airsoft gun, a bb gun, and the police did not determine that the gun belonged to xxxxxxxx. The officer stated it is not a crime to carry a bb gun. The police have had multiple contacts with xxxxxxxx but do not consider xxxx to be a danger to [him/herself] or others and unless [s/he] is actively causing a disturbance, threatening or hurting someone or breaking the law, they have no reason to talk with xxxxxxxxx based on any past behavior.
The bigger issue here is how we can get xxxxxxxxx some help to get [her/him] off the street and in a more stable situation. Please let me know your thoughts folks.
The original sender asks:
BB Gun? That’s interesting. I wonder why two police officers would come xxxxxxx last night and this morning looking for xxxxxxx if it was only a bbgun?
Interesting indeed. Think about how the first email would have been received and how that person would have been treated by the people receiving the email. Then consider the facts in the second email. What happened? Was it the police messaging? The way it was received by the person hearing the police statements? A rogue cop vs. more understanding cops? Why was the person targeted as the alleged owner? Why wasn’t it revealed it was a bb gun?
Also, if you look up the police reports, what will it say? Gun found? How will that look in the future when neighbors oppose various homeless projects because homeless people are dangerous. Unfortunately, people only remember the first part, the scary part, not the facts. So much fear, so much jumping to conclusions and labeling people. So little facts, relationship building and trying to understand and listening.
