The National Police Association (NPA) announced today their latest public service announcement, which is the first educational campaign to inform on the dangers of filming, instead of helping, struggling police officers. The "Assist the Officer" PSA campaign urges listeners and viewers to help law enforcement that appear to be struggling while completing an arrest by calling 9-1-1, rather than merely film an officer in danger for social media.
On October 9, 2020, a Baltimore MTA police officer was found unconscious at the Upton Metro Subway station, with no citizens rendering aid. Instead, an individual chose to film the incapacitated officer with a cell phone to post on social media. On October 17, 2020, a North Carolina police officer was airlifted to a hospital after brutally being beaten, and once again, instead of helping this officer a bystander stood by and filmed the incident. Citizens across the country have taken to filming and posting officers in danger to their social media channels rather than calling 9-1-1. Through the "Assist the Officer" PSA, the NPA aims to create awareness around the dangers posed to both officers and citizens when passersby choose to merely film officers in danger with their phones instead of calling 9-1-1 for assistance.