Video proven to Denver South college students: Don't name the police in case of racist assault

This piece was initially printed by the Denver Gazette. It's republished with their form permission.

College students at Denver's South Excessive College had been proven a video that explicitly warned in opposition to calling the police within the case of a racist or transphobic assault, claiming regulation enforcement officers have been educated to view members of minority teams as "perpetrators of violence."

"Armed police presence usually escalates, quite than reduces, the chance of violence in a scenario," the video's narrator says. "As a result of police have been educated to see individuals of shade, gender nonconforming of us, and Muslims as criminals, they usually deal with victims as perpetrators of violence."

The narrator provides: "So, if the sufferer hasn't requested you to name the police, don't — I repeat — don't name the police."

The video, titled "Do not be a Bystander: 6 Suggestions for Responding to Racist Assaults," was proven on Tuesday, the primary day of college, to college students huddled inside a fitness center.

In an announcement, the Denver Police Basis criticized faculty authorities for displaying the video to college students, calling it "dismaying" and "reprehensible."

"Whereas it's commendable of college administration to teach college students relative to doable responses to racial assaults at college, it's reprehensible of them to incorporate a tip that particularly states to not contact police whereas concurrently telling college students they need to put themselves entrance and heart of the trade," the inspiration mentioned.

"Sharing this recommendation is irresponsible as, initially, there are bias-motivated acts which can be necessary report conditions and delayed reporting causes extra hurt to the sufferer. It additionally places college students in conditions they don't seem to be educated to deal with. Moreover, it discourages cooperation of the sufferer, probably resulting in no accountability of the offender and their habits, and lastly, it portrays officers as the issue within the scenario."

Rachel Goss, the college's principal, acknowledged the video was shared with college students in a message posted on the college's web site.

"I'm scripting this be aware to emphasise that the intention behind the video was to supply empowerment for individuals who could witness these kind of assaults, to not have any type of unfavourable impression on the longstanding relationship between the Denver Public Faculties and the Denver Police Division," Goss wrote.

Goss mentioned the video "affords strategies for doable interventions that don't embody contacting regulation enforcement."

"As Principal of Denver South Excessive College, I stay dedicated to working with and proceed to strengthen this partnership between our faculty and members of regulation enforcement. Please know that, as a college group, we're intent on making certain the protection of all although partnering with the DPS Dept. of Security and Denver Police," Goss mentioned.

"South is devoted to fulfilling all duties of being necessary reporters of suspected mistreatment, together with abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation. Our efforts embody our continued partnering with and reporting to the suitable entities."

The incident is the newest in a tumultuous relationship between Denver Public Faculties and regulation enforcement. The DPS Board of Training voted in 2020 to take away faculty useful resource officers from campuses.

On its web site, Denver South describes itself as dedicated to being "anti-racist" and to "dismantling systemic and structural racism in schooling, creating tutorial entry, and facilitating success to Black and all College students of Colour."

The video has been considered roughly 43,000 occasions because it was posted on YouTube in 2017. Produced by the Barnard Heart for Analysis on Girls, the video's creators mentioned it affords an "an abolitionist method to bystander intervention that doesn't depend on the police."

Based in 1971, the New York Metropolis-based heart says it brings students and activists collectively to advance "intersectional social justice feminist analyses and to advertise social transformation."

The video begins by saying the USA has a "lengthy historical past of violence" in opposition to individuals of shade, the disabled, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBTQ people. It additionally exhibits photos of historic discrimination, resembling a white girl pointing to an indication that claims, "JAPS KEEP MOVING. That is A WHITE MAN'S NEIGHBORHOOD," and pictures of police arresting black ladies.

The video affords a number of tricks to bystanders who witness a racist or transphobic assault, resembling speaking to the sufferer, not scary the perpetrator, and documenting the incident whether it is protected to take action and the sufferer does not object.

The video additionally suggests supporting the sufferer by "sticking round."

Tip No. 4, the video says, is to "keep away from the police."

The Denver Police Basis known as Denver South's resolution to point out the video to its 1,700 college students and staffers "capricious."

"Exhibiting a video that states 'police have been educated to see individuals of shade, gender nonconforming of us and Muslims as felony' and that 'they usually deal with victims as perpetrators of violence' will not be solely a blatant misrepresentation of the coaching obtained by the Denver Police Division and regulation enforcement as a complete, however it additionally encourages anti police attitudes," the group mentioned.

"South Excessive needs to be a frontrunner in DPS faculties, educating their college students on easy methods to be accountable stewards in the neighborhood. As a substitute, as we speak, administration selected to perpetuate a poisonous, harmful and probably violent rhetoric. College students, mother and father, workers, administration, and the group needs to be appalled by this habits."

Goss mentioned the protection and well-being of scholars and staffers is the college's "prime precedence."