California Passes Bill Making Fake, Racist 911 Calls a Hate Crime

On August 31, California passed a bill that would make fake, racist 911 calls a hate crime that could result in fines and even jail time. Lately, there have been documented instances where predominantly white people have called the cops on people of color for doing everyday activities like bird watching or having a barbecue in the park. Women who make these calls, usually middle-aged white women, have been jokingly referred to as “Karens.” Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) is the legislator who introduced this bill. He said, “You can make jokes about it. But it’s not a laughing matter. An individual could lose their life in the wrong situation. I was watching more and more people being adversely affected by it as this administration gave license for someone who was bigoted to target Blacks and Latinos.” The bill, AB 1775, was passed in the California Senate and Assembly. The only step left to make this bill law is a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

A few months before this bill was passed in the California legislature, there was a video that went viral where a white woman named Amy Cooper said she was being threatened by “an African-American man.” The man, Christian Cooper (no relation), was bird watching. He recorded the incident and posted it on Twitter. She was charged with a misdemeanor for filing a false report.

Similar recent incidents abound. A Hispanic man was reported for stenciling “Black Lives Matter” in chalk on his own house. In 2018, a white woman called the cops on a group of Black people because they were using a grill in the park which she said was illegal. In the same year, a Black student at Yale University was questioned by campus police because a white student had reported the student for taking a nap in the common room. The Black student had fallen asleep while working on a project.

According to the Los Angeles Times, this bill, if passed would make a false phone call to harass a member of a protected class, which includes “race, color, ethnicity, religion, nationality, country of origin, ancestry, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation” a misdemeanor that could result in spending up to a year in county jail and a fine of at least $500. Also, making phone calls to harass others not considered a protected class would be a misdemeanor that could land a person in the county jail for up to six months or hit them with a $250 fine. These penalties would not apply to 911 calls made by people with disabilities if their disability causes them not to understand the consequences of their actions. This bill would also give more rights to those who file a lawsuit in civil court seeking damages for being the subject of harassment for these types of phone calls.

It is currently illegal to call 911 under false pretenses. However, according to the bill, "The current punishment for making a false police report does not address the growing number of cases of peace officers being summoned to violate the rights of, for example, Black and Brown individuals for doing day-to-day activities-essentially living their lives." If this new bill passes, then hopefully it will make people think twice before making these calls. Not only are these types of calls racist, but they are diverting time and resources away from real emergencies.