Protesters rally at Antioch police headquarters in Antioch, Calif., on April 18, 2023. | Supply: MediaNews Group/East Bay Instances by way of Getty Pictures / Getty
Someway, the American justice system has gotten it into its head that it will probably prepare the racism out of racist cops — and it’s betting Black lives on it.
In April 2023, a Contra Costa County decide launched the names of 17 Antioch, California, cops accused of buying and selling racist textual content messages that included free use of racial slurs, racist jokes, memes mocking the dying of George Floyd, and a dialog between two officers conspiring to focus on Black folks with site visitors citations. Since then, the Antioch Police Division has confronted an audit of its officers, one of many officers accused of sending the texts resigned, and it was revealed that three different officers had been charged with federal civil rights violations as a result of they weren’t simply speaking about being brutal and unabashedly racist cops in a gaggle chat; they have been allegedly within the streets utilizing extreme power by way of K9s and non-lethal projectiles. The indicted officers are additionally accused of taking footage and movies of themselves abusing residents and bragging about their actions to different officers. In line with CNN, “The trial for these officers is scheduled to start in February, federal courtroom information present – although one of many officers has already been convicted of conspiracy and wire fraud in a associated case.”
Anyway, the U.S. Division of Justice introduced in a information launch Friday that it has reached an settlement with the police division, resolving the investigation into the racist texts. But when advocates for police reform are hoping to see some assurance that the Antioch Police Division will rid itself of its Klan-ish cops concerned within the textual content exchanges — which reportedly consists of the president of the Antioch police union — they may be dissatisfied. As a substitute, the settlement reads like a typical, oft-regurgitated assertion promising officers will obtain range coaching and together with a hole declaration that “racism has no place” within the justice system.
From CNN:
Beneath the settlement, the division will rent a advisor to assessment and replace its insurance policies, procedures and coaching on non-discriminatory policing and use of power, amongst different matters, the Justice Division mentioned in a information launch Friday. It additionally outlines commitments by the police division to make sure honest, non-discriminatory policing, in addition to techniques to report and examine misconduct.
“In working with the Justice Division to institute policing reform, Antioch Police Division sends a powerful message that the discrimination and misconduct that prompted this investigation won’t be tolerated,” Assistant Legal professional Basic Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division mentioned in a information launch.
“The settlement we’ve secured,” Clarke added, “will be sure that Antioch’s policing practices are free from discrimination within the highway forward – the neighborhood deserves nothing much less.”
The Antioch Police Division mentioned in an announcement Friday the “actions that led to this investigation have been unacceptable and symbolize important failures,” including it was “totally dedicated to making sure that such incidents by no means occur once more.”
In truth, it’s patronizing to Black folks for any police division to counsel it’s taking motion that can guarantee “policing practices are free from discrimination within the highway forward.” It would learn like an announcement of hope, but it surely’s arguably simply passive denial of how deeply racism is embedded within the cloth of policing in America. A greater message would have been despatched by asserting the outright termination of each cop concerned within the racist textual content alternate, and the reassurance that some other cops caught expressing their clear bigotry and racism would share the identical destiny.
The investigation, which was carried out by the Contra Costa District Legal professional’s workplace along side the FBI, revealed that some cops concerned within the textual content alternate not solely made racist remarks, additionally they regularly boasted about committing acts of police brutality. One officer was caught bragging to a different citizen that he “area purpose kicked” the top of an individual in custody and “tried to knock him unconscious.”
It’s not simply “a couple of dangerous apples.” The American system of policing is a rotten orchard.
SEE ALSO:
Three Ft. Lauderdale Cops Fired After Racist Texts And Violent Video Revealed
