
See, for example, _Bowers v. DeVito_ 686 F.2d 616 (7th Cir. 1982) (no
federal Constitutional requirement that police provide protection);
_Calogrides v. Mobile_, 475 So. 2d 560 (Ala. 1985); Cal. Govt. Code SSSS 845
(no liability for failure to provide police protection) and 846 (no liability
for failure to arrest or to retain arrested person in custody); _Davidson v.
Westminster_, 32 Cal.3d 197, 185 Cal. Rep. 252; 649 P.2d 894 (1982); _Stone
v. State_ 106 Cal.App.3d 924, 165 Cal. Rep. 339 (1980); _Morgan v. District
of Columbia_, 468 A.2d 1306 (D.C.App. 1983); _Warren v. District of
Columbia_, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. App 1981); _Sapp v. Tallahassee_, 348 So.2d 363
(Fla. App. 1st Dist.), _cert. denied_ 354 So.2d 985 (Fla. 1977); Ill. Rev.
Stat. 4-102; _Keane v. Chicago_, 98 Ill. App.2d 460, 240 N.E.2d 321 (1st
Dist. 1968); _Jamison v. Chicago_, 48 Ill. App. 3d 567 (1st Dist. 1977);
_Simpson's Food Fair v. Evansville_, 272 N.E.2d 871 (Ind. App.); _Silver v.
Minneapolis_ 170  N.W.2d 206 (Minn. 1969); _Wuetrich v. Delia, 155 _N.J.
Super. 324, 326, 382 A.2d 929, 930, _certif. denied_ 77 N.J. 486, 391 A.2d
500 (1978); _Chapman v. Philadelphia_, 290 Pa. Super. 281, 434 A.2d 753
(Penn. 1981); _Morris v. Musser, 84 Pa. Cmwth. 170, 478 A.2d 937 (1984).
     The law in New York remains, as decided by the Court of Appeals, the 1959
case _Riss v. New York_: the government is not liable even for a grossly
negligent failure to protect a crime victim. In the _Riss_ case, a young
woman telephoned the police and begged for help because her ex-boyfriend had
repeatedly threatened: "If I can't have you, no one else will have you, and
when I get through with you, no-one else will want you." The day after she had
pleaded for police protection, the ex-boyfriend threw lye in her face, blinding
her in one eye, severely damaging the other, and permanently scarring her
features.  "What makes the City's position particularly difficult to under-
stand," wrote a dissenting opinion, "is that, in conformity to the dictates
of the law, Linda did not carry any weapon for self-defense. Thus, by a rather
bitter irony she was required to rely for protection on the City of New York
which now denies all responsibility to her." _Riss v. New York_, 22 N.Y.2d 579,
293 N.Y.S.2d 897, 240 N.E.2d 806 (1958).
     Ruth Brunell called the police on 20 different occasions to beg for
protection from her husband. He was arrested only one time. One evening Mr.
Brunell telephoned his wife and told he was coming over to kill her. When she
called the police, they refused her request that they come to protect her.
They told her to call back when he got there. Mr. Brunell stabbed his wife to
death before she could call the police to them that he was there. The court
held that the San Jose police were not liable for ignoring Mrs. Brunell's
pleas for help.  _Hartzler v. City of San Jose_, 46 Cal. App. 3d 6 (1st Dist.
1975). The year after winning the _Hartzler_ case, the San Jose government
appointed Joseph McNamara Police Chief. Chief McNamara has since become the
leading police spokesman for HCI.

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