Policing, New York-Style

There has been an outbreak of "attempts" of sexual assault, mostly "groping or grabbing," in Brooklyn, NY. The Wall Street Journal reports

Lauren, a South Slope resident, was walking home three blocks from the gym on Monday when she was stopped.The 25-year-old, who did not want her last name to be used, was wearing shorts and a T-shirt when she claims a police officer asked if she would stop and talk to him. He also stopped two other women wearing dresses.

According to Lauren, the officer asked if they knew what was going on in the neighborhood. When they answered in the affirmative, he asked if they knew what the guy was looking for."He pointed at my outfit and said, 'Don't you think your shorts are a little short?'" she recalled. "He pointed at their dresses and said they were showing a lot of skin

."He said that such clothing could make the suspect think he had "easy access," said Lauren.She said the officer explained that "you're exactly the kind of girl this guy is targeting."Asked whether officers were warning women against wearing shorts or skirts, the New York City Police Department responded in no time.

The Police Department has a response-sort of.

"Officers are not telling women what not to wear—there's a TV series that does that," quipped Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne in an email. "They are simply pointing out that as part of the pattern involving one or more men that the assailant(s) have targeted women wearing skirts."

Not having ever been involved in sexual assault, I cannot say for sure whether the likelihood of commission of such a crime is affected by what a woman wears. But a couple of decades ago, police departments and sheriff departments commonly posted in their public area posters advising people how to avoid becoming victims of crime, especially of burglary (that pretentiously called "home invasion" now). It was wrong then, and it's wrong now, when done in such a manner as to suggest that full responsibility does not lie with the offender. The message sent- inadvertently or intentionally- was that the perpetrator was not alone responsible for his crime but that the victim shared responsibility.

Of course, there is an additional problem. As Lauren told the Wall Street Journal" Where do you draw the line? I can't wear shorts? Besides the fact that I wasn't wearing anything that was inappropriate or provocative….I don't think that should be part of the problem. At all."

When one cannot tell except by glancing at the masthead whether an article comes from a straight news source or from the Onion, there is a problem, and it's not with the women wearing skirts.

Share|