Council reaches an agreement on addressing street harassment

By Charles Sercombe
In a second attempt to address the street harassment of women, the city council agreed to a resolution that takes the police department out of the equation.
Former Councilmember Ian Perrotta initially offered a resolution to address the issue that would consider changes in the city’s laws.
Several women objected to having police officers involved for fear that some officers would use that as an excuse to harass minorities.
Perrotta resigned after his resolution was postponed – accusing his fellow councilmembers of being “all dicks and no balls.”
This time around, Councilmember Fadel Al-Marsoumi offered this version:
“That the Hamtramck City Council recognizes and understands the residents’ concerns of street harassment, catcalling, bullying, and escalations of these actions, and therefore encourages bystander trainings in schools, businesses, places of worship, city employees and elected officials, police department, fire department, and the general public.
“The City of Hamtramck will research and implement trainings for city officials, employees, and residents of Hamtramck.”
That amended resolution unanimously passed.
Some of the women who initially rejected the wording of Perrotta’s resolution praised the council.
“It’s really awesome to see this body taking seriously community voices,” said Kit Parks.
Parks also cautioned the council to take time when considering resolutions on sensitive issues.
“We don’t have to act on such issues with urgency,” Park said.
The issue of street harassment grew out conversations on social media.
Street harassment – such as catcalling and aggressive sexual propositioning — has long been a problem on city streets.
Since the discussion began, some women in the community hosted Zoom meetings on the topic, for women to share their experiences and offer tips on how to handle harassment.
There are a number of state laws that local police departments can enforce when it comes to harassment.
Posted May 7, 2021

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