San Francisco’s police chief on Friday said he planned to dismiss seven officers who earlier this month were discovered to have allegedly sent racist, homophobic, and bigoted texts.
Police Chief Greg Suhr said the messages “are of such despicable thinking that those responsible clearly fall below the minimum standards required to be a
police officer,” according to the New York Times.
Several cops had allegedly exchanged messages with former SFPD Sgt. Ian Furminger. The messages were discovered when Furminger was recently convicted on federal corruption charges.
“Cross burning relieves blood pressure! I did the test myself!” one text read, while others compared black people to monkeys and animals, also making use of the N-word, according to the Times. Two of the officers had been disciplined for their behavior in the past.
The Times reported that the officers’ lawyers said the texts were simply ways for the officers to blow off steam during their stressful jobs.
The San Francisco district attorney and public defender have begun investigating whether the officers ever treated minorities unfairly while on duty, the Times reported.
h/t Gawker
Criminal malignorance is rampant in the US…
Results of the dumbing down of America.
These are despicable, but from one of the most liberal cities in America. Post-racial-America-my-ass.
In this age where an African-American can be elected POTUS and where there is no need for protection of minorities or affirmative action…racism, bigotry and hatred are still alive and well.
Fighting racism is more akin to pulling weeds. The job will never end and can be exhausting and disheartening, but it will always be worth doing.
No one is safe from the bad cops, and there are lots of bad cops spread out all over the US.
This weeding out of them one by one, precinct by precinct is what it will take. Peace Officer is not a job for hateful people.
I live in this liberal city and have for many years, and I’m shocked but not entirely surprised. Racism, sexism, enthusiasm for the death penalty and many other regressive stances are all still alive and kicking in the comment board at the SF Chronicle in response to those matters that we here find repulsive. I’m not sure that the dependable liberalism of the people who live in the City itself is the case once you get into the 'burbs, which is where many police and even firefighters live because of the cost of living in the City. Police department racism survives but fortunately the approach to the gay community has become an enlightened one, which wasn’t always the case.