The Biggest Little Action Group in Reno is launching a community defense initiative built around a simple tool: a whistle.
The group says it can help neighbors alert each other and respond quickly during potential immigration raids.
Organizer Mark Pritchard says the whistle packets give residents a fast, practical way to protect vulnerable community members.
“The sheer solidarity and the way that having a whistle and being prepared to use it, along with your neighbors, brings people together, and it makes them feel not alone,” Pritchard says.
Each packet includes a whistle, a bilingual instruction booklet, and a guide on what information to report if someone calls a hotline during a raid.
The booklet also explains different whistle patterns. Blowing straight into the whistle signals possible ICE activity, while rapidly blowing three times indicates detentions may be happening.
Pritchard says these patterns help residents take cover while others respond in support.
The project draws inspiration from grassroots organizing in Chicago and Pritchard’s experience with community safety patrols in San Francisco.
So far, about 1,000 packets have been distributed at community events, and the group plans to expand through partnerships with activist organizations like Indivisible.
“We know we can't completely stop immigration raids, but slowing it down is, I think, a worthy effort,” Pritchard says, “I believe that community support and community solidarity do that.”
Most packets are funded out of pocket, with some residents contributing small donations at events.
Organizers will continue distributing packets at public gatherings, aiming to build a network of residents who know how to respond and look out for each other during enforcement activity.
