A question for those who feel that the correct verdict was rendered in the Zimmerman trial.

[anomiep]

113. They don't have a duty to any individual in most states

Police actually generally have more of a duty to protect a prisoner they've handcuffed and have in custody, legally, than someone calling 911.

That does not mean that the police will not do their job. It's just that people should not think that the police are a guarantee. They may not be *able* to come when you call, it may take a lot of time, etc.

A fair amount of the time the police don't even get there until after it's all over.

There was a 911 call in Washington or Oregon where the locality had depended on federal funding for the Sheriff, that funding went away, and the Sheriff had to pull coverage to 9 to 5 shifts. The 911 operator talked to a woman who had called on the phone while someone was breaking in to assault her - but literally could not send anyone to help her.

I am sure having someone on the phone to talk to comforted the victim, and the responsibility for the crime is entirely on the guy breaking in, but I think it might have been more productive to do almost anything that could have made it turn out differently, besides talk on the phone and wait (run out the back door quietly, while he's breaking in the front, etc). (Edit: I should probably make clearer that this is a wish there'd been a better outcome, up to and including her having successfully defended herself by any means. It is not intended as a criticism of the victim's actions, she's the victim)