OregonLive said:A black Oregon state representative says one of her constituents called police on her Tuesday while she was canvassing alone in a neighborhood she represents.
Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat who is running for a second term this fall in the state House, said she was knocking on doors and talking to residents for two hours along Southeast 125th Avenue in Clackamas. She was taking notes on her cellphone from the conversation she'd had with someone at the second to last of about 30 homes on her list around 5:10 p.m. when a Clackamas County deputy pulled up to her.
OregonLive said:She looked over at the deputy in his patrol car and thought, "I don't believe this." He asked if she was selling something. She introduced herself as a state legislator and said that she was out canvassing and that she guessed someone called him.
The deputy said someone called and reported Bynum appearing to spend a long time at houses in the area and appearing to be casing the neighborhood while on her phone.
She estimates knocking on more than 70,000 doors over her years campaigning and said Tuesday was the first time someone reported her to police.
"It was just bizarre," Bynum told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "It boils down to people not knowing their neighbors and people having a sense of fear in their neighborhoods, which is kind of my job to help eradicate. But at the end of the day, it's important for people to feel like they can talk to each other to help minimize misunderstandings."
OregonLive said:She said she asked the deputy to call the woman so she could speak to her, and he got her on the phone.
The woman was apologetic and said she called 911 for the safety of her neighborhood, Bynum said. The woman wouldn't confirm where she lived.
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UPDATE: Transcript of 911 Call
WWeek said:Dispatcher: Police and Fire dispatch.
Caller: Hi, so I just wanted to kind of inform you guys that we have this lady that's been walking up from Mather, and uhm, like for no apparent reason is walking from house to house. And she's not in like any business or have any badge or have anything [interrupted].
D: Can you tell me where this is at?
C: Oh yea, of course that would probably help. Uhm so she walked up from Mather Road and now she's walking on 125th. And the weird thing is, is that she just stops at the end of the driveway whether or not she talks to somebody. So, she like knocks on the door and then if somebody is there or not, she'll stop at the end of the driveway and enters something into her phone. And I mean it takes a couple minutes per house.
D: Did she talk to you or did you talk to her at all?
C: No, I didn't. So, My son said "hi" to her because he's three and says "hi" to everybody. But then she like didn't come to us but she's gone to every other house that's like…
D: When people aren't home?
C: It looks like not home.
D: Okay, that's what I'm saying. So, when people aren't home she stops and goes to the… [interrupted]
C: Oh, I'm sorry. Yea. It looks like she spends more time at the end of the driveway for people who are not home. And she's gone to one, two, three, four… She's on her seventh house that I can see. I just think it's weird because usually people are out of town for this weekend and I don't recognize her, so… and she clearly like avoided us.
D: You guys were outside at the time?
C: Yea, we're packing actually to leave for for the Fourth, so. So, We've been back and forth for the last half an hour and I mean it doesn't seem she has any real reason that we can tell. And she's just in regular street clothes, like camo pants and a white shirt and no badge that I can see.
D: Is she a white female?
C: Uh, no. She's African American from what I can tell. Her hair is up in a bun.
D: How old?
C: Uhm, I would say late thirties, early forties just from what I saw across the street.
D: Ok. Medium, heavy build?
C: Uhm, kind of between medium and heavy build.
D: How tall?
C: Mmm… No taller than 5'9", again, across the street.
D: And her hair is in a bun?
C: Yeah. It's black.
D: What's she wearing?
C: Uh, White t-shirt, like a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt and, uh, like capris, uh, camo pants is what it looked like.
D: Alright. We'll have them check it out, okay?
C: Would you be able to let us know if they find out anything or? 'Cause like I said we're going out of town, so if we need to come back to the house for any reason.
D: I don't, I mean, If you want an extra call, I can put in a request that they contact you with what they find. It's just a lot of times they're going between call to call. Especially on the holiday. I can put the request in though.
C: If they have time that would be great, but if not it's no big deal. We're just curious ourselves because we're going out of town.
D: Ok.
C: Ok. I appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Bye.
D: No problem. Bye.
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