Last year, NYC was one of the places that decided to defund the police and they did it in a big way. Mayor Bill Deblasio “shifted’ a billion dollars out of the NYPD’s 6 billion dollar operating budget off the table. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work out very well. The city had 462 homicides, which was their highest number in a decade and the number of shootings doubled from the previous year to 1500.
This year crime is still completely out of control in the Big Apple. Shootings are still high, burglaries have increased and violent crimes targeting Asians have become a big problem.
However, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray has a solution to one of those crises, and it doesn’t include the police. She wants bystanders to intervene in violent crimes against Asians. She gave people a series of steps to follow in a long string of tweets.
As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn.
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021
Fear is a normal feeling when stepping into a confrontation, but being prepared can help. I’ll share @iHollaback's 5 D’s, which are easy to remember tactics that we can all use to de-escalate a situation.
D is for Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct.
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021
2. Delegate: Scan a situation to assess risk and determine how to best intervene, and delegate tasks.​​
Take a look at your surroundings. If you can, find someone in a position of authority, tell them about the situation and ask if they can help.
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021
3. Document: Support a person in crisis by recording on your phone or writing notes, but please don’t share a video without the consent of the person being harmed.​
Say the date and time, and show the location if you can. Most importantly, keep a safe distance!
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) March 6, 2021
5. Direct: Respond directly to the aggressor or physically intervene and only after assessing the situation. Be confident, assertive, calm.
This is risky, but sometimes all we can do is speak up. If the harasser responds, try your best to focus on assisting the person targeted.
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) March 6, 2021
So, as someone who has gotten some professional firearms training and who regularly trains in Muay Thai, I am not against potentially intervening in a violent conflict. That being said, it is dangerous business because intervening can lead to them turning their attention to YOU. Maybe you will be the hero and stop the whole thing, but it could just easily end with you having your head being slammed into the pavement over and over again if you can’t handle yourself or you getting shot or stabbed if you can. In fact, on Feb 26 in Brooklyn, a man by the name of Yong Zheng was stabbed to death trying to intervene in a robbery. They’re calling him a hero now and he was, but life isn’t a video game. The reward for being a hero can be dying in a dirty street.
This is one of the many reasons that we have a police. They are equipped, trained, armed, and have the legal authority to handle these situations. Additionally, if they get in trouble, they can call for back-up. Like most liberals, McCray isn’t going to admit that the policies she’s supporting are getting people killed, but that’s what’s happening. She shouldn’t be asking the public to intervene, she should be demanding that her husband get that money back into the NYPD’s budget. That is really how they’ll reduce crime in NYC.
John Hawkins is the author of 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know and you can follow him on Parler here.
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