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Emergency Response PolicyProblems at the Grove CircleWhere we should call the ambulance and police for the emergencies that most people normally think of there is also another situation that the Grove may be called upon to deal with. There should be very little tolerance in our Grove for incidents involving basic religious hate. There are various legal remedies in place in our society that should be used. The use of controlled force to detain and identify suspects is spelled out in statute and law. We are members of a larger community and should respect the systems that are in place. Public attention to injustice can be a very good thing when resolving this issue. The big thing is to identify the persons involved in any incident. In all cases, call the police (911 if the vandals are still around). Document all the damage yourself even if the police initially minimize the incident. CCTV, video and photos with a newspaper are excellent ways to date and show the damage to persons and property. Hospital reports go far as well. Assault can, at a minimum, be verbal slurs. Battery is a physical contact involvement. A one sided physical involvement generally lands the aggressor in jail for a time. Vandalism in the desecration of a "church" can be considered a hate crime if the persons are caught. Our Grove Circle can be considered one as it is being used as a 501(c)3 religious site. Police may confuse the issue as being a domestic incident as the site is private property. Explain the situation clearly and concisely for them and show them physical evidence. You may have to repeat it several times for several officers and investigators. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY. Get a police case number and ask for the assigned detective or the squad assigned. Keep tabs often to maintain an active file. Notify newspaper reporters as a method of keeping activity on the case in a political arena. A newspaper article is worth much in enlightening the public and getting the case resolved. In some cases, calls from lawyers can be effective. Anti-Defamation and Civil Liberty OrganizationsAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network (ERLAN) Alternative Religions Educational Network (AREN) © Copyright 2007 Coast Oak Protogrove, ADF. All rights reserved |