Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

When the police come, they bring with them a nonzero chance of violent, deadly force. Especially if the caller says one of a few magic phrases like “I fear for my life” and “I’m not sure if he has a gun but he might” and (in some areas) “Black male, six foot two.”

Calling the police on someone is like mailing them a bomb with a 0.1% chance of exploding. You have no idea if you are summoning a calm, experienced officer or a power tripping monster with an ego.

 help



When people feel threatened, it is almost always better than they call the police than that they engage and try to resolve the threat themselves.



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: