I had a visit from the Albuquerque Police the other
night. I was quite surprised because I didn't call them.
My neighbors did.
My two sons are in the process of recording their
second CD in our home studio.
They are a punk-heavy metal-political band, and their
lyrics can be quite outrageous and loud. The song they
were recording had a reprise peppered with the words
"I'm dying," with a few screams thrown in for
punch. Well, they forgot to close the window and the
neighbors called the police, making sure the APD knew a
disabled woman might be involved.
My husband answered the sharp rapping on the door and
was promptly escorted outside. He was told to face the
wall and put his hands behind his head.
Bewildered, my husband answered every question
calmly, trying to figure out why the police were so
firm. My husband was told the APD received a call about
a woman screaming she was dying. My husband began to
laugh but the officers didn't. They wanted to talk to me
right away.
I got out of bed and went to the door, asking them
what was going on. Once they explained I had the
officers come inside. The five officers, one in plain
clothes, each took a member of the family aside in a
different room for an interview.
Crimes against disabled people, especially women,
have been a sore spot for the disabled community for
many years. The APD has taken many steps to educate
officers on such crimes and how to handle them. For
years the public believed people with disabilities
didn't suffer much crime, thinking that robbing or
assaulting someone who is "helpless" is
something criminals didn't do.
Most domestic violence involving disability went
unreported because the victim believed they were lucky
to have a spouse or partner. It has taken many workshops
at disability conferences and articles in newspapers to
dispel this kind of thinking. It has also taken
legislature and disability organizational pressure to
obtain funding to train police in the recognition of
disability crimes.
In Albuquerque we still have an unsolved murder from
September of 2003 of a wheelchair disabled woman who was
brutally raped and left for dead in her apartment. This
crime and others prompted The New Mexico Coalition of
Sexual Assault Programs to obtain a grant to educate New
Mexico police departments about violent crimes in the
disability community.
My son had to explain his latest hit song,
embarrassed his voice sounded like a woman. My husband
was a bit shaken at the thought of anyone thinking he
would try to hurt me. I was very happy the police
responded quickly with authority, strength and
thoroughness.
Many thanks to the five officers who took this call
seriously. The boys will be playing all month at
Tricklock Theatre. Then it will be a laughing matter.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is an Albuquerque
writer, poet and producer. You can e-mail Barbara
at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
Her column runs on Tuesdays.
