Boys (and girls) just want to have fun. Unfortunately for them, it ended up on TV
SAN FRANCISCO — One police officer was suspended and about 20 others faced discipline after making videos parodying life on the force that used racist, sexist and homophobic stereotypes, city officials announced Wednesday.
"This is a dark day, an extremely dark day, in the history of the San Francisco Police Department," said Police Chief Heather Fong, who called the acts "egregious, shameful and despicable."
The skits featuring uniformed and plainclothes officers were intended as a spoof and much of the content poked fun at the officers. A lawyer for the creator of the videos denied they were insensitive and said they were art taken out of context.
The videos were a bit rude, maybe insensitive, a little overboard. However, did they physically harm anyone? No. All they did was offend some people. Considering what police have to go through, I do not blame them for wanting to blow off some steam. But, the San Fran Thought Police are now out to get the real police
The department’s internal affairs division launched an investigation after the videos were discovered on an officer’s Web site.
The videos were removed from the Web site, Inside the SFPD, which was created by officer Andrew Cohen, who said the vignettes were produced for the Bayview station’s Christmas party.
"The guys on the streets have only one tool to relieve the stress," Cohen told KPIX-TV, "and it’s humor."
Attorney Daniel Horowitz, who is representing Cohen, said some of the content was sophomoric, but he blamed the mayor and police chief for drawing attention to the videos, which had only been viewed by police officers before a city news conference. He said his client had been slandered.
"Maybe it is dumb, and if it is dumb, who is releasing this nationally? The mayor and the police chief," Horowitz, who is a well-known TV legal analyst, said on KRON-TV.
Perhaps a bit too much humor for public figures and sworn public defenders, but, people need to lighten up a bit. You smack the officers on the wrist, sit them in the corner for a bit, and then let them get on with their jobs. And you don’t release the video’s out to the general public. Maybe then the story wouldn’t have been a top story on the website of a Raleigh, NC, TV station, WRAL. But then, what do you expect from an Ultra Liberal city which literally has it’s own Dept of Thought Police?
A special task force, the city’s Human Rights Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women would also investigate, Newsom said.
