SAN FRANCISCO— The ‘CAREN Act’ which stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies, was introduced on Tuesday July 7, by Supervisor Shamann Walton during a Board of Supervisors meeting.
The proposed legislation would make it outlawed to make racially biased emergency reports that are not actually emergencies.
The legislation got its name from the ‘Karen’ trend on social media, where social media names calls people, particularly white women who make racially biased 911 calls.
Walton posted a tweet on Twitter about the act and stated, “Racist 911 class are unacceptable that’s why I’m introducing the CAREN Act at today’s SF Board of Supervisors. meeting…”
Walton went on to continue to say, “This is the CAREN we need. Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies.”
This legislation is similar to a bill proposed in June by California Assemblyman Rob Bonta, which would make it unlawful to make discriminatory 911 calls motivated by an individual’s race, religion, sex, or any other protected class by designating such reports as a hate crime.
Bonta stated in a tweet on Twitter posted June 23, that “We must not allow people to weaponize law enforcement against Black and Brown communities. It is dangerous and unacceptable!”
Another similar bill was proposed earlier this year in New York City by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz or known as the ‘Amy Copper’ bill would make it a hate crime when 911 callers make a false accusation based on race, gender or religion.
Anyone who witness a local hate crime taking place (or have seen one prior) can report it by calling the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office hate crime hotline at (415) 551-9595.
