New York City’s first lady Chirlane McCray encouraged residents to “intervene” in violent situations after rallying support to defund the police last year.
“As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn,” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife tweeted on Saturday.
As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment. I know that can be frightening when you aren’t sure what to do or say, but you can learn.
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) March 6, 2021
McCray issued follow-up tweets outlining how to deescalate a violent situation, by using a “5 D” method to “Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct.”
“Fear is a normal feeling when stepping into a confrontation, but being prepared can help. I’ll share @iHollaback’s 5 D’s, which are easy to remember tactics that we can all use to de-escalate a situation,” she tweeted.
DE BLASIO WIFE CHIRLANE MCCRAY TASKED WITH DECIDING FATE OF WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON STATUES IN NYC
1. Distract. Take attention away from the person causing harm, the hate crime or incident survivor, or situation itself.
Just try interrupting it. Ignore the harasser and engage directly with the person who is being targeted by asking a question like, “What time is it?”
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) March 6, 2021
McCray’s tweets come after rallying support for the defund the police movement that swept the nation after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last Memorial Day.
“That would be like a nirvana, a utopia that we are nowhere close to getting to,” McCray told Time magazine in June of what life would be like with no police officers.
The calls to defund the police in the city led to de Blasio disbanding the NYPD’s plainclothes anti-crime unit and the mayor announcing the NYPD would be defunded by $1 billion.
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“I’m excited to say we have a plan that can achieve real reform, that can achieve real redistribution, while at the same time ensure that we keep our city safe, while we make sure that our officers are on patrol around where we need them around this city,” de Blasio said in June.
The news came amid the city facing one of the bloodiest years in recent history. Murders shot up by about 40% compared to 2019, shootings nearly doubled, while bodega robberies also saw increases some months.
