Law enforcement officers are standing behind a group of Hispanic officers in Connecticut who are demanding the resignation of an assistant police chief who supported a professor using racial slurs during his lectures last month.
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Officers regularly receive additional training, but they felt more than uncomfortable when Professor William McDonald used derogatory terms for Hispanics during several of his ethics training sessions. With many law enforcement agents recently in trouble for racially profiling immigrants and other minorities, this department is taking a strong stance to prove that justice is for everyone. Instead of asking for an apology, the department is asking for his resignation for not stopping the incendiary remarks. Juan Santiago Jr., the president of the Bridgeport Police Hispanic Society wrote on behalf of fellow officers that Sergeant Melendez waited for the chief to “…step up and denounce the use of this hateful, offensive, racist word, but shockingly, he did not.”
McDonald in return is defending his use of language on using it for educational purposes only. McDonald wrote, “...I used the word ‘Spic’ to stress and exaggerate the thought process of the individuals involved in the egregious abuse of basic human right.” He also claims he apologized at the end of the discussion for using the term and explained why he did so. McDonald is also claiming that the officers have an ulterior motive to oust the police chief who is accused of overtime abuse.
Many believe that, in a police force that consists of 100 officers of Hispanic origin out of 427 officers, this excuse is not good enough. These events go to show how seriously officers treat racial discrimination. With the law enforcement industry receiving less than stellar reviews and opinions from minority groups, this particular police force went out of their way to demonstrate their commitment to equal treatment for all.
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