Posted on 03/20/2015 10:52:28 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Four Fort Lauderdale, Florida, police officers are off the force after exchanging racist text messages between themselves and creating a video with racial bias, officials said Friday.
Three of the officers, Jason Holding, James Wells and Christopher Sousa, were fired following an extensive internal affairs investigation that began in October 2014, Chief Frank Adderley said at a news conference.
A fourth officer, Alex Alvarez, resigned during the course of the investigation and would have been fired, Adderley said.
The inappropriate material included images of President Barack Obama and fellow Fort Lauderdale Police officers, Adderley said. The video was made by Alvarez using iMovie, Adderley said.
Four Fort Lauderdale Police officers are off the force after they exchanged racist emails and made a racist video, officials said. (Published Friday, Mar 20, 2015) According to a police report on the firings, the officers criticized co-workers' appearance and work ethic, and they "exchanged text messages that included derogatory comments towards Hispanics and homosexuals."
"Based on the investigation, they felt, in their words, that it was a joke," Adderley said.
Adderley said the officers were terminated due to department misconduct, including conduct unbecoming of a police officer and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the good of the order of the police department.
The racist video allegedly made by a Fort Lauderdale Police Officer who is no longer with the force along with three other officers is releaseDd.
"The four officers' conduct was inexcusable and there is zero tolerance for this type of behavior within the Fort Lauderdale Police Department," Adderley said.
The conduct wasn't against the law, Adderley said.
"I'm very disappointed, disgusted and shocked by this incident," Mayor Jack Seiler said. "The inappropriate racist behavior exhibited by those involved is unacceptable and reprehensible. It violates the trust we place in our law enforcement officers; it damages the bond we have established with our community; and it undermines the standards to which each and every City employee is held accountable."
The investigation began after the former fiancee of Alvarez saw the text messages and came forward after she felt they were inappropriate, Adderley said. Adderley said the officers were removed from contact with the public during the investigation.
Community members react to the firings of Fort Lauderdale Police officers accused of exchanging racist text messages and a racist video. (Published Friday, Mar 20, 2015) "The Fraternal Order of Police is a multicultural organization which does not tolerate racism. Our officers take great pride in our commitment to diversity," Fort Lauderdale FOP president Sgt. Jack Lokeinsky said in a statement. "Our dedicated officers have positive relationships with residents in every community we serve." In response to the incident, the department has created a human diversity class that every officer will attend on a yearly basis, and they will be evaluating their screening process for newly hired employees.
"We will do everything we can to educate our officers of the consequences they face if they do not adhere to the zero tolerance to racism within our agency," Adderley said.
Every Hispanic or homosexual ever convicted on the testimony of these officers will now be filing to have their cases reviewed.
Cops acting stupidly?
Sounds like Alvarez did well to dodge that prospective spouse.
Boy, they have team coverage on this. lol... The local press is doing the big chicken.
BTW, how stupid are these cops? They don’t know about data trails and being monitored?
Lets make a movie? Gezzz
Lots of cops get like they do in the military, especially if they work on hurt street. Lots of foul street talk type thing within each group. It goes with the territory.
But I didn’t hear about any actual laws being broken, or them actually acting out and being racially bias on the job regarding arrests, fights with other employees etc. It seems at this point their only guilty of being stupid.
They brought disrepute on their department. That’s fireable right there.
L
Fired, you would have a First Amendment case, otherwise you are just another loser in the PC world, government or otherwise. Their actions may be despicable but their firing is not actionable. So, they resign first - less news I guess.
Sorry, bringing disrepute on your department (work) is not a firing offense. Even they have First Amendment rights. It is usually about how it effects them via the news coverage.
I have no doubt about that. It’s why I didn’t mention it. Kinda goes without sayin.
“Sorry, bringing disrepute on your department (work) is not a firing offense”
Check the HR manual where you work and then get back to me. The 1st Amendment has nothing to do with it. In fact I’ll bet it’s written into to their contract.
L
I understood that this was a Government job? If that is so, then the Government has to respect rights?
They can even fire ya for for saying something against sodomy.
They can fire you for anything.
The government only cares about rights when it meets their approval.
Not once you sign a contract they don’t. This is well settled law.
They were on taxpayer time performing official duties. They should be gone. How would you feel if they were making movies about Tea Party members?
Thou shalt not bring disrepute on thine employer whilst thou art on the clock.
L
If it was off-duty speech they would have more of a case.
True, but they do have to put up with lawsuits!
Sorry, no you do not give up your first amendment rights regardless of what you sign...
They weren’t being monitored by the department. The “former fiance” of one of them ratted them out.
Even off the clock...Trust me here.
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