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U.S. NEWS Friday 19 July 2019

Philadelphia moves to fire 13

officers over Facebook posts

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The as ethnicity, national origin, speech in any form.
Philadelphia Police De- sex, religion and race" or "We are currently meet-
partment is suspending 13 worked to "erode the trust ing with each officer to
officers with intent to fire necessary for a police de- prepare an appropriate
them following an investi- partment to carry out its response to protect our
gation into offensive and core mission," Ross said. members' rights under the
sometimes threatening Examples included posts contract," he said in a state-
Facebook posts, the police with the words "Death to Is- ment. "The overwhelming
commissioner announced lam," referring to blacks as majority of our members Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, accompanied by Police Com-
on Thursday. "thugs," and homophobic serve this city with integrity missioner Richard Ross speak during a news conference in Phil-
adelphia, Thursday, July 18, 2019.
The department had memes which referenced and professionalism."q Associated Press
placed 72 officers on ad- violence, he said.
ministrative leave in June In total, the database
after a nonprofit group found over 3,000 troubling
published the results of a Facebook posts by 328 ac-
two-year review of person- tive duty police officers,
al Facebook posts or com- Ross said.
ments from officers in Phila- None of the officers was
delphia and seven other identified, and Ross said
U.S. police departments. the suspensions hadn't yet
The team of researchers begun because some of
found officers from Arizona the officers were on vaca-
to Florida bashing immi- tion.
grants and Muslims, pro- Mayor Jim Kenney joined
moting racist stereotypes, the commissioner at a
identifying with right-wing news conference to an-
militia groups and, espe- nounce the findings of the
cially, glorifying police bru- city's investigation, which
tality. All the posts were was aided by a private law
public. firm.
All but three of the Phila- "Building trust will always
delphia officers now on be our top priority," Ken-
leave face some form of ney said, calling the posts
discipline, from dismissal deeply disturbing and anti-
to reprimands, said Po- thetical to what his adminis-
lice Commissioner Richard tration is about. "We will not
Ross. He said the depart- allow this terrible incident
ment considered several to break down the progress
factors when deciding on we've made."
discipline, including the of- All of the 72 officers put on
ficers' constitutional rights administrative leave will
and the integrity of the po- get social media and pro-
lice department. fessionalism training, he
"I continue to be very dis- said.
appointed and angered The department is also
by these posts, many of looking at software that
which violate basic human they could use to track and
decency," Ross said. "We audit officers' social media
need to move past this ri- postings.
diculous hate that has con- John McNesby, president
sumed this country and has of the Philadelphia police
done so for centuries." union, said the Fraternal
Officers who were on track Order of Police is disap-
to be fired made posts or pointed that the officers
comments that advocated will be terminated without
violence or death "against due process and they con-
any protected class such demn racist and hateful