It sounds like a whodunit, but it’s anything but: One man placing multiple 911 calls every day, reporting crimes in progress at a building that doesn’t exist. The question isn’t who, but why — and David Wilson masterfully unpacks the turmoil living inside the man responsible, and the difficulty of helping him find a lasting stability.
In the years since the pandemic began, a city reckoning with an increase in some types of crime has focused its attention on shocking acts of violence perpetrated by mentally ill people. But far more common is the individual whose behavior derails his own life, but is little more than a nuisance to anyone else — the Walter Reeds, who would not dream of pushing someone in front of a train or opening fire in a crowded subway car, but whose cases account for countless hours in court, counseling sessions, medical appointments and other city services.
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