We expect more from the men and women in blue than the bawdy, sophomoric videos that were produced by a San Francisco Police officer and which came to light last week in yet another black eye for the department. That gay officers were apparently involved, as San Francisco Police Officers Association President Gary Delagnes told us this week, is even worse. The tapes, as most readers know by now, contained images of officers ignoring radio calls and going to a massage parlor, a male officer dressed as a transgender woman, and a mock drug bust in which officers staged a scene where an African American homeless woman was apparently hit by a police car. Tapes that were not released to the public reportedly show an African American officer eating out of a dog bowl (his nickname is apparently "Dog"). While we support free speech as much as anyone, these tapes cross the line, in our opinion.
Considering the high crime rate in the Bayview, the neighborhood where the officers in the tapes were based, not to mention a citywide high 94 homicides reported as of Monday, the SFPD should be focusing on building bridges in the community, not tearing them down with racist, sexist, and transphobic tapes. Yes, some of the officers involved and their supporters claim the videos were meant as "morale boosters" for those working in one of the stations that certainly sees its share of unimaginable crime and grief. And yes, we are aware that being a police officer is a tough job. But come on. Whatever goodwill that had been present in the Bayview community has suffered a serious blow. And residents throughout the city were left scratching their heads – the videos were certainly a "what were they thinking?" moment. That the officers were shown in their uniforms and in city-issued patrol cars shows a lack of respect that is troublesome, and a lack of leadership in the department.
Some in San Francisco, including African Americans and members of the LGBT community, are already wary of police. There is a history of incidents going back decades in which officers have abused their authority against people – gay and straight. Transgenders still suffer indignities at the hands of police, from strip searches to demeaning and crude jokes about their identity when they are in custody. These videos reinforce negative perceptions and demonstrate that very little has changed within the department. If anything, the tape showing the officers ignoring radio calls plays into stereotypes of officers as unresponsive and lazy – all that was missing from that tape was a trip to a donut shop.
Mayor Gavin Newsom has pledged to appoint a blue ribbon panel to examine the culture within the SFPD – we applaud him for that move. Clearly, changes need to be made and we expect the commission to fully investigate the department.
The San Francisco Police Commission, newly strengthened since the Fajitagate brouhaha of 2002, also has a role to play, and we also call on commissioners to investigate the incident completely.
We'd like to see an improvement in the culture of the department that currently impedes openly gay male officers from being promoted past the rank of sergeant – we are unaware of any serving currently. The police force's diversity is underutilized, and that needs to change, too. Maybe if more minority officers were promoted, they could help change the culture within the department, and bring more empathy to the job. This improved climate, in turn, would boost morale in a more positive way than the seamy videos.