TV cops call for other TV cops to step up and donate

You have to either be foolish or actively part of the problem if you fail to recognize at this point that there's a policing problem in the United States.

You know who isn't a fool? Griffin Newman, star of The Tickand co-host of the Blank Check podcast. He also played a cop on TV in a couple episodes of Blue Bloods, and came to the unfortunate revelation that since we can't necessarily rely on IRL cops to do the right thing during this fraught moment, maybe the fictional police can step up to help instead.

So he made a tweet. And he accompanied that tweet with proof of a tangible action taken, a donation to the Community Justice Exchange through ActBlue.

Tweet may have been deleted

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz saw the tweet and passed it along. The actor who plays no-nonsense cop Rosa Diaz on the NBC sitcom followed Newman's lead and did the same thing: an $11,000 donation to the Emergency Release Fund and another tweet calling on TV cops to step up.

Tweet may have been deleted

As of 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, Newman and Beatriz were the only two actors who have publicly made the pledge using the template laid out in the original tweet.

Around 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Beatriz' co-star Melissa Fumero tweeted in support of the protests, adding that the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nineand showrunner Dan Goor had made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network and encouraged others to do the same.

Tweet may have been deleted

And hey, you don't needto be a current or former TV cop to donate. There are real people out in the world right now who need help that extend beyond concern-tweeting and other forms of performative allyship on social media. If you're financially able, write the check. Want some ideas? Start here.

UPDATE: June 3, 2020, 11:45 a.m. AEST This story has been updated to include the Brooklyn Nine-Ninecast's donation.