Oregon lawmakers crack down on racially biased 911 calls

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon is responding to a number of widely shared videos around the nation showing white people call the police on African Americans going about everyday activities.

The Senate voted 27-1 Monday to pass House Bill 3216, a measure allowing victims of such 911 calls to take the caller to court for damages up to $250. The House already approved the measure but still needs to sign off on an additional technical change before it goes to the governor.

The bill follows a series of publicized incidents last year in which black people had the police called on them for mundane activities. Starbucks closed thousands of stores for “racial bias” training last year after a Philadelphia employee called the police on two black men sitting in the store for a business meeting.

Critics say the proposal could discourage people from reporting crime and that it’s difficult to determine whether a call was racially motivated.