by Rusty Scribes
A new innovative program called MOFO (Monks out with field officers) has been implemented by the Richmond Police Department in California. They are using Tibetan monks as a front line of defense in situations that require de-escalation. Annie Nash, an employment consultant for the RPD, told the Dragonfly Report that de-escalation reduces tension in high stress situations but more importantly it can save lives. The current guiding standards of the department are for police to stay calm, manage their response, and do everything possible to avoid a physical confrontation or a shooting but sometimes that’s easier said than done.
She recently shocked the department and the city of Richmond when she announced that monks would be accompanying police on their patrols starting in August.
Ms. Nash told us how it all got started. On a recent flight to Hawaii she sat next to a Tibetan monk named Kalsang Chodron. He talked to her about meditation techniques and the value of chants and sutras. She talked to him about the real stresses of being a street cop in Richmond. Kalsang wondered if Tibetan monks could help reduce crime in Richmond or at least help in having better outcomes.
“We exchanged contact information and upon my return to Richmond serendipity took over. The department received a generous grant in July to spend on improving de-escalation techniques and I immediately began thinking of ways my Tibetan monk friend could help the department,” she explained.
Fast forward to the present and there are now 20 deputized Tibetan monks riding along on street patrols with Richmond cops. At the departments request, Mr. Chodron recruited 20 monks from a monastery in Northern India and thus began the MOFO program. They were also promised visa sponsorship by the RPD and subsistence wages according to Nash.
“The money from the grant paid for everything,” she said. “These monks aren’t materialistic and just want to spread peace and harmony. They even refuse to wear bullet proof vests as they are confident they’re going to be reincarnated,” she continued. MOFO has saved us money and has been a great success so far. No monks have been injured.”
The Dragonfly Report was skeptical that such a program could work on the tough streets of Richmond so we requested hard evidence. She provided us with a transcript which she says proves the effectiveness of MOFO.
Dispatcher: 911 What is your emergency?
Store Owner: We’re being robbed. They’ve got guns. Please hurry. Help us.
Dispatcher: How many of them are there? Can you describe them?
Store Owner: There’s two of them. Hurry. They can see me. I am going to put the phone down.
Dispatcher: Stay calm. MOFO is en route to the scene.
(Loud sounds heard in background)
Culprit # 1: Open the register right now. You want to die?
Culprit # 2: Where’s the safe? I’m not going to ask you again.
(Door Opens and monks enter store burning incense, ringing bells and chanting)
Culprit # 1: Get your clown asses out of here.
Culprit # 2: What the hell is this?
Monks in Unison: Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum (Repeated over and over, five minutes pass no other sounds could be heard)
Culprit # 1: This is not what I was meant to do.
Culprit # 2: Why are we doing this? Let’s get out of here. This was a bad idea. We shouldn’t be robbing a store.
At that point, the two culprits walked out and were calmly arrested by the awaiting field officers.