There has been a lot of talk this year about abolishing the police. But if we defund the police, what happens when you really need them most? For example, last September I marched into my local precinct with an emergency: I was being stalked. I knew who my stalker was. I had a record of her behavior both online and in person. I was ready to get help. And I do not know where I would be if Officer Riker hadn’t sat me down and reassured me, “There is nothing we can do, Jessica, until she makes a move.”
I have talked to Officer Riker six times now about Amy’s escalating behavior, and he provides me with the consistency I need every time by saying that she hasn’t technically broken any laws yet. Though one time she did break into my car, which I thought was against the law, but thankfully Officer Riker told me that it wasn’t worth the paperwork since she didn’t steal anything of value. I would be so lost without him!
If we replace the cops with social services or mediators, they might want to do something like question Amy about her behavior or set up ways to keep me safe, instead of the important work Officer Riker does. When I recently went to the police to report that Amy keeps messaging me online and coming to my job asking coworkers for my address, Officer Riker was successfully ineffective by telling me, “I don’t know what a finstagram is, but I can’t do anything about that. Just block her on the Facebooks.”
Officer Riker also helps me put things into perspective. I was scared when Amy would drive past my house three times a night, but Officer Riker said he used to do the same thing with his ex wife and it just means she wants to make sure I am safe at all times. He’s great at giving me the silver lining to any dangerous or abusive behavior that she is doing.
I worry about Officer Riker and the whole team of guys down at the station. I mean, I assume they didn’t have the funds to help me with a protective detail like they do on Law and Order: SVU. If they had the funds, there would be no reason not, right? No thanks to the protesters, their budget has been slashed by a full $1 billion. I don’t know how they are going to survive with just the other $6 billion they have yearly. I think that’s what these protesters don’t get. They need their full budget so they can keep telling me, “Ma’am please stop bothering us with this.”
