Anonymous Detectives (Pt. 10)
[Author’s Note: This story is part of a series documenting punitive actions taken against me by Rutgers University & various law enforcement agencies beginning November 9, 2016 — the day after Trump’s election. Start with Part 1.]
On the very early morning of 12/19/16–6:45 am to be exact — I heard my apartment buzzer sounding once again. (Flashbacks to earlier unexpected intrusions.) I was half asleep and even if I hadn’t been, I’d have been hesitant to answer given my previous dealings with those buzzing my apartment door at inopportune times.
Shortly after, my phone started ringing. I picked it up, still in a sleepy daze, and saw “Blocked ID” on the screen. No thank you. I silenced it and rolled back over and tried to fall back to sleep.
But something made me feel uneasy. The timing was strange given any other phone calls or visits I typically receive. So when the voicemail notification chimed through, I rolled back over, wide awake, to listen:
“Yes, good morning, Kevin Allred. This is Detective [last name]. At your earliest convenience, can you give me a call at area code 646-xxx-xxxx. Alright, thank you…”
To be blunt, this all felt quite strange. Not only the timing, but the fact that Detective Last Name (that’s what I’m calling him because his last name is the only thing I know about him) didn’t give any additional details. Department, precinct, reason for calling. Nothing. The above quote is the entirety of his message to me at 7 am in the morning.
I called back the number with no answer. It was an Audix voicemail system, the only personal touch included was his voice repeating “Detective Last Name.” What precinct? What department? Nothing? It all seemed additionally strange. I called back again hours later with no answer again. I didn’t leave a message. I wasn’t convinced I should.
I don’t mean to be skeptical, but my personal information has been published online more than once. Any old internet troll knows my phone number and home address. A fake voicemail message calling yourself a “detective” isn’t hard. So I erred on the side of caution.
And also: If you are, in fact, a legitimate detective or law enforcment officer, do you not have a duty to let the other end know who you are specifically, let them feel confident in your position within an accredited law enforcement agency (whatever that actually means today)? Only providing “Detective Last Name” doesn’t provide this security; in fact, it heightened my insecurity. It was too vague, too fleeting.
The phone extension given was a New York City area code with a Manhattan prefix. I searched Detective Last Name with NYPD to see what came up. Nothing. It’s actually a fairly common name with two spellings. I tried the other, less common spelling, and was met with a wealth of information — all on the same person.
This person was a former NYPD officer that now seemed quite dedicated to publishing anti-Hillary Clinton conspiracy theories online and running for public office in other states. Suspect. More evidence for not picking up the call.
Now, I don’t trust the police by default. I’ve never trusted the police because they’ve never shown me personally a reason to trust them. Especially given the racist ways they target and profile, and very often flat-out murder, people of color. Especially given egregious abuses of power they seen to routinely celebrate. And personally, especially given the lies they told me in order to compel me into a psych evaluation at Bellevue just over a month ago. I have zero trust in the police.
So I have no burning desire to track police down and beg them to divulge what they’re after this time, especially since they obviously know how to get in touch with me (if they’re actual police at all). I won’t chase them and I have no responsibility to chase them, regardless.
The RUPD report I recieved on this very same day — 12/19/16 — clearly stated that there was no criminal action being taken against me. There was no further investigation necessary to any of the complaints they had been initiated way back on 11/15/16. The NYPD had only ever been involved as auxiliary given other (unfounded and uncorroborated) “complaints,” so why would a detective — presumably NYPD — need me now?
I still don’t know the answer. I’m trying to be cautious. I’m not answering the door. I’m securing private legal counsel. I’m not even answering my phone for any numbers I don’t know by heart, and will most likely be changing my phone number. But I’m unsettled. Unsatisfied. Unsafe.
Thanks, Detective Last Name. Thanks for your evasive scare tactics. Thanks for your inimical nature. I’ll find my own way home, so thank you very much I suppose. I’ll/we’ll be just fine (will we?).
