Posted on 06/20/2019 7:46:33 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
The Philadelphia Police Department has pulled 72 officers off their regular duties as authorities investigate inflammatory social media posts revealed in a database that found thousands of offensive postings by current and former officers, the city's police commissioner said Wednesday.
Police officials in Philadelphia are describing the action as the largest removal of officers from the street in recent memory.
"We are equally as disgusted by many of the posts that you saw and in many cases, the rest of the nation saw," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.
It is the latest fallout since the advocacy group The Plain View Project earlier this month released thousands of Facebook posts and comments by current and former police officers that range from racist memes, to posts celebrating violence and messages containing Islamophobic themes, among other offensive material.
Since the data dump, internal affairs officials in police departments including Phoenix, St. Louis and Dallas are probing whether the distasteful and sometimes violent material should warrant disciplinary action or terminations.
In Philadelphia, Ross said Wednesday that at least "several dozen" of the 72 officers now on desk duty will be disciplined and others will be fired, but he did not provide specifics, including any of the names of those who have been taken off their regular duties.
"We've talked about from the outset how disturbing, how disappointing and upsetting these posts are," Ross told reporters at the police department's headquarters. "They will undeniably impact police-community relations."
David Rudovsky, a longtime Philadelphia civil rights lawyer who focuses on police misconduct, called the decision to place 72 officers on desk duty "significant," saying the social media posts appear to show conduct that is inconsistent with the department's promise of fair and equal treatment for all residents.
"More important will be the future decisions regarding sanctions or other measures to deal with this widespread problem in the police department," Rudovsky said.
Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer Paul Hetznecker agreed that the Facebook message scandal is a fresh reminder of an issue that has long plagued city law enforcement.
"We're all aware of it," Hetznecker said. "There's not anyone who has been connected to the criminal justice system in Philadelphia who isn't aware of the underlining problems of implicit bias and explicit bias that these posts reflect that have existed for a long, long time, for decades."
The research project tracking officers' use of social media flagged offensive material posted by about 2,900 current officers, some in supervisor roles, and posts by hundreds of former police officers across eight police departments.
ETC...
I get what you’re saying Drew. I do.
Be a man. Stand up and tell the truth.
But at the cost of your job?
Not me. There’s no amount of laughing at teen behavior on Facebook that is worth me losing my job.
I’ll die on another hill if I have to. But not social media.
Will they be provided with computers and internet access while on desk-duty? (I think Philadelphia cops have a pretty strong union, so firing them for causing hurty feelers may take some time.)
social networks are one of the worst inventions. I hope people realize by now that anything they say on social networks can & will be used against them in a court of public opinion
72 officers NOT on the streets seems like an extreme over reaction that will have consequences.
When we said “Free Speech”, we didn’t mean for you.
The funny thing about that is that 95% of all police are not much more than revenue generators and report writers. Some of us can take care of ourselves, thank you very much. That is, if the government, through it's armed agents will allow it.
Proof? (Project) found inappropriate entries from hundreds... who claim to be Philadelphia police officers. The ACLU of Pennsylvania is outraged. Typical "Commie" move- multiple organizations but the same theme as if it is a "ground swell" Smeels like BLM, Hands Up don't shoot, Their objective? Intimidation. Evidence? Ordinary posts of personal and generally accepted views, mostly in the Conservative venue. https://www.plainviewproject.org/data/philadelphia-anthony.leo.10-1341?city=philadelphia
Next? WHO FUNDS them? MUST BE SOROS...too much secrecy. https://apnews.com/bf6a33575e15467e80483072ee4c9b28 AP said "Injustice Watch". They also cited the post I have as evidence of their Intimidation tactics, see above link. I need to check further BUT it appears to be against the Jihadis in Iraq and is anti TERRORIST as opposed to anti Islam, IMHO.
Thanks I have been following the story with WURD 900 AM (Progressive Urban Talk). You dont know crazy until you listen to these guys.
George Soros orders Philadelphia Police Dept. to take 72 offices off of the streets and place them on desk duty. Philly officials paid by Soros agree.
Yes, that's evident.
“I would not want a cop who made obviously racist comments on the force.”
Well snowflake, would you be surprised to know the cops making the comment is often the same race? And have you ever seen the comic opera of a bad guy telling the officer that he is only being arrested because of his race...and he has failed to notice the arresting officer is the same race?
Racial jokes can be damned funny. Along with Polish jokes, Jewish Jokes, Aggie Jokes, Irish Jokes, Catholic Jokes, Protestant jokes, etc etc. Lighten up.
True...well said.
“that pious, sensitive, gentle Daddy is often an absolutely ruthless killer when he suits up and goes to war. Daddy’s Little Girl rarely gets to see that side ... “
nailed it.
” 95% of all police are not much more than revenue generators and report writers. Some of us can take care of ourselves, thank you very much.”
Not nearly as true as you think it is. More like 35% I’d guess. And cool story bro, we all know you have a Glock and aren’t scared of anything... but there are a lot of people who cannot protect themselves.
And then there are the times you are T-boned at an intersection and might need a hand.
> “I would not want a cop who made obviously racist comments on the force.” Lighten up.<
You are forgetting one thing, DR. You are forgetting the attorneys.
Let’s say a cop (of any color) makes a racist comment about blacks on social media. Then that cop arrests a black guy. The defense attorney will use that comment at trial. And the personal injury attorney will use that comment when suing the city.
That’s all baggage the city just doesn’t need.
And I’m not just speaking hypothetically here. Here’s a perfect example. One reason the thug O.J. Simpson got off is because Det. Mark Furhman had made racist comments in the past. Simpson’s attorneys used that to great advantage.
Social media will likely be the final straw that breaks this nation’s ability to pursue freedom and liberty for all so a few can call all the shots and censor all the posts.
Who teaches the haters to hate?
Next question.
The lesson here is to stay off social media. Instead, use texts and emails to say whatever you want because these can be destroyed (ask Hillary) and you never get any accountability ( ask Strozck)
We can disagree on that. Seems to me that most cops spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to raise revenue more than any thing else.
And cool story bro, we all know you have a Glock and aren’t scared of anything... but there are a lot of people who cannot protect themselves.
Some of us actually take the responsibility of being a citizen seriously. Sorry that some don't, but that's ok, there are a lot of us around who actually do.
There are many miles of hard road between Jesus and your run of the mill professionalism. I don't think it is a lot to ask for professionalism in the face of the public that pays them. Social Media is a curse. Treat it as such.
“Det. Mark Furhman had made racist comments in the past”
He was gaming the very liberal and lucrative California disability system and trying to scam for an early retirement.
But OJ was never gonna be convicted...never ever, not with a single black on the Jury.
But you are ignoring human normalcy. People in combat or constant violence cannot maintain that ‘Fireproof’, and that ‘Courageous’ persona. That’s a function beloved by women. But it isn’t real.
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