So this happened.
An anonymous letter with the salutation “White Power” written at the top and bottom has prompted an investigation by Connecticut police after it was found in mailboxes at the police station.
The letter, laced with racist language geared towards African-American officers, was printed on official police letterhead, according to Bridgeport police. While the sender of the vitriolic letter has yet to be uncovered, officials have pointed to the acquittal of African-American officer Clive Higgins as a motivator.
Higgins, who “doesn’t belong at the department” according to the racist letter, was the only one of three officers acquitted for using excessive force in the kicking of a detained man on the ground. The other officers, one white and one Hispanic, pleaded guilty and will serve three months in prison.
“Right now, there’s an active investigation at the state level, so everything is in question: its authenticity, the motive and every part of the development and distribution of it,” said city spokesman Brett Broesder. “With that said, the city has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination of any kind, especially that of a racial nature.”
He said the department, which is recruiting new officers, is the most diverse in the state.
“Any allegation of racial discrimination that seeks to divide our police department or our community will not be tolerated,” Broesder said. “If the investigation turns up any wrongdoing, swift, fair, just and immediate action will be taken against those guilty of wrongdoing. Racial discrimination will not be tolerated. Period.”
The short letter, which reads “these black officers belong in a toilet,” were distributed over several months and all spoke negatively about black officers, Detective Harold Dimbo said. And according to the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), “there is no doubt” the letters were sent from within the department — the letters, printed on department-issued letterheads, were distributed in mailboxes only accessible to police.
An investigation continues. Click here to read the letter in its entirety.
SOURCE: CTPost | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
