San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr is in the spotlight after racist and homophobic text messages exchanged by four veteran police officers and a former sergeant were made public. The texts were found in court documents relating to the corruption case of yet another officer, who was recently convicted by a federal jury. Additionally, SFPD brass is reportedly considering investigating another 10 officers.
It's never good news when law enforcement members behave terribly or criminally. But given the nationwide attention to racial bias in police departments that has come to the fore after the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri last summer and the subsequent scathing federal Department of Justice report on the Ferguson Police Department, it's unfortunate that San Francisco residents have to confront their own bad cops.
Clearly, SFPD has problems.
The unseemly texts are not the first scandal to rock the department in recent years. In addition to the aforementioned corruption case, in which officers were stealing drugs and other property from single-room occupancy hotel residents, there have been other incidents on Suhr's watch. These include shooting deaths of unarmed men by officers and a video of officers seeming to tip over an African American man in a wheelchair. Most recently was the alleged embezzlement of about $16,000 from the Pride Alliance, an employee group for LGBT officers, that led to the sudden retirement of gay Lieutenant Chuck Limbert, the former head of the group, amid internal probes. No charges have been filed against the suspect in the case, gay Officer Mike Evans, who also recently left the force.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that two of the officers involved in the texting scandal had disciplinary issues. One, whom the paper identified as Michael Robison, is a gay man who was accused of using a racial epithet. Another, identified by the paper as Michael Celis, was charged with four counts of misconduct stemming from an incident in which he was accused of flashing his badge and offering a $100 bribe to gain entry to his estranged wife's Burlingame hotel room. Records indicate that he was suspended.
Suhr quickly pledged an investigation of the texts and said that the officers have "disgraced the department."
District Attorney George Gasc—n, who had been the previous police chief, pledged Monday to review cases that might be affected. "There is no place for bigotry in San Francisco," Gasc—n stated. "In order to ensure our criminal justice system is fair and equitable, my office is conducting an immediate assessment of every prosecution within the past 10 years where these officers were involved. I have also asked the SFPD for any records they may have that will ensure the assessment is conducted thoroughly. This is a shameful incident that the public deserves to have addressed in a meaningful and expeditious manner."
Public Defender Jeff Adachi also called for next steps in combating racial bias among San Francisco police officers and said as many as 1,000 cases may be tainted by "bigoted officers." Adachi said he'd work with Gasc—n on reviewing criminal cases. His Racial Justice Committee also released its 10-point plan for reform, the highlights of which include increased training on implicit bias; an annual review for supervising officers that screens for racial bias, excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, and false reports; and an increased effort to assign positions in minority communities to officers who live in the neighborhoods.
Even the Pride Alliance, whose finances are being investigated, was compelled to blast the racist and anti-gay texts. "The contents of these text messages are a betrayal to everything we believe and a slap in the face to our members, our fellow officers, our department, and this beautiful community of San Francisco that we are called to serve," alliance board members said in a statement.
They're right, as are members of Officers for Justice, the group for African American police. The actions of four officers have sullied the department, even though the majority of officers are hard-working professionals.
These SFPD and district attorney inquiries should be swift, fair, and thorough. Suhr has a reservoir of goodwill in the community that's being tested now. But he has demonstrated that he's committed to community policing, is responsive to neighborhood concerns (he's held public forums following the officer-involved shooting cases), and is working toward improving the department.
Nationally, police departments across the country are being challenged by the public to be more transparent and responsive. Officers have a tough job, but, in this case, that doesn't excuse racist and homophobic text messages, that while sent on personal devices, send the wrong message that they are indeed biased against certain communities. Law enforcement personnel are supposed to be above such behavior and impartial. They are supposed to protect people equally, not denigrate them by tossing around the n-word and other epithets.