Cedric L. Alexander is a former deputy mayor of Rochester, New York, and past president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. He is the author of the forthcoming book, "In Defense of Public Service: How 22 Million Government Workers Will Save Our Republic" (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion articles on CNN. To learn more about #livingwhileblack, watch "United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell" on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

(CNN) The function of the police is to serve and protect. The function of the 911 system is to summon the police to serve and protect. Recently, however, some people have been using 911 to make the police complicit in their racial bias.

Cedric L. Alexander

I am absolutely convinced that the legislators and city commissioners behind this bill and proposed ordinance have their hearts in the right place. It is a good, just and compassionate place. Nevertheless, the legislation promises to be more problematic than effective. The Oregon law would give victims of bias-motivated 911 calls standing to file suit -- at $250, a token suit -- which would prevail only if the plaintiff can "prove the caller had racist intent, and that the caller summoned a police officer to purposefully discriminate or damage a person's reputation."

Speaking as someone who has devoted most of a 40-year career to law enforcement, serving as everything from deputy sheriff to police chief and director of public safety, here are the relevant facts as I see them.

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