Bob Dylan Picked Up by Police; NJ Officer Fails to Recognize the Rock Icon
Was Bob Dylan's Run-in with the Police a Case of 'hobo' Profiling?
Long Branch police officer Kristie Buble, 24, was dispatched to the scene "We got a call for a suspicious person,"' said Buble. "It was pouring rain outside, and I was right around the corner so I responded. By that time he was walking down the street. I asked him what he was doing in the neighborhood and he said he was looking at a house for sale."
Buble, who says she did not recognize Dylan, claims that he was acting suspiciously - not delusional, mind you, just suspicious. "We see a lot of people on our beat, and I wasn't sure if he came from one of our hospitals or something."
When Bob Dylan was unable to produce any ID, Buble and another officer (who was dispatched to assist Buble) took him back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa where he was staying. Once there, members of the tour staff were able to vouch for Dylan and confirm his identity.
Some bloggers and commentators are drawing comparisons between the Bob Dylan incident and the Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest. The distinguished African-American Harvard professor was arrested last month at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts after police officers arrived on the scene to investigate a possible break-in. Some argue that he was the victim of racial profiling.
But some are now arguing that the police are just as apt to profile white people as well. Could one not consider what happened to Bob Dylan to be a case of social-class profiling? Did the officers not assume that Dylan was a transient? Or a criminal? It didn't seem to make a difference to them that Dylan was white.
Whether the two cases can fairly be compared is a matter of debate.
On lighter note, it is interesting that the Bob Dylan's run-in with the police coincides with the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.
Some consider Woodstock to be the greatest concert in American history. Over a three-day period, 400,000 people enjoyed a lot of music (and nudity) performed by some of the greatest acts of the era.
Interestingly, though, the era's biggest commercial acts declined to participate. And who were the biggest commercial rock acts back in 1969? They were the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and, last but not least, Bob Dylan.
Sources:
New Jersey Homeowner Calls Cops on Bob Dylan, Chris Francescani, ABC
Harvard Professor Gates Arrested at Cambridge Home, Tracy Jan, Boston.com
Published by Hartley Engel
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada but raised in Los Angeles, California. I have a BA and MsEd degree from USC. View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentHA, HA, HA...why I suspect that this incident is a charming joke made by Bob to show, after the Gates incident, that things can be done in different way.
Wow, very interesting indeed.
To finish my statement, no detainment or arrest without probable cause and reasonable suspicion that a crime has happened, is happening, or is imminent based on reliable information.
We haven't heard from Dylan and my guess is we probably won't due to the Crowley/ Gates effect, not to mention the Dixie Chicks/Bush effect and the Cat Stevens/Rushdie effect, especially with a concert pending. Instead of a couple of beers at that White House, He and Willie might roll a doobie and say "Happy 40th Anniversary" to the "Summer of Love"
Allen is absolutely correct and Kyle makes a great point as well, but Kriss missed the point altogether. This article did not say anything about not arresting those who look unusual. It said nothing of the kind. It said that the police had no problem picking Dylan up because he was white and quotes the cops as thinking he was suspicious. Suspicious is unusual. It is the unusual that the cops are trained to look for. They had a little help from the neighborhood. A bit embarrassing for the young cops no doubt...
I've said all along that White people get racially profiled as well. They get racially profiled in minority communities all the time as drug buyers, molesters,prostitutes, stolen goods purveyers, etc. In Dylan's case it was mentioned that he seemed out of place in a Hispanic community. That is racial profiling.
It doesn't work no matter who it happens to, be it Gates or Dylan. Dylan's actions were not a crime in progress and he should have never been taken into any sort of detainment or custody. The most he would have been required to do was verbally identify himself, not produce a document proving he was who he said he was. The Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) civil rights protections would have still required the officer to respect Dylan's exercise of liberty while walking in public even if he was a derelict.
The rookie simply needs to return to the classroom for a refresher course in constitutional rights, but by no means is it justifiable for an officer to profile without
This is proof that many cops are idiots, if you don't know who he is, you are stupid and have missed out on much of American history.
looking crummy is not a crime.....walking down the street is not a crime.....seems like there might have been something more pressing for the police to do when they were out on a mission to rid the streets of unkempt individuals......even a donut run would be more in the line of taking care of the peoples business....
The article is saying that we dont arrest people in this country because they look unusual. If he was simply walking down the street, why was he bothered? Apparently, because people thought he looked like a transient. It is not illegal to look like a transient. It is not illegal not to carry ID.
The article title seems to imply that the officers should have recognized Bob Dylan and let him be. Doesn't that imply that celebrities should get special treatment? And if the article isn't saying that, then isn't the article saying that it would be OK for a suspicious person to be wandering around?