Philadelphia and Black Police Officers Reach a Settlement
Relations between the city of Philadelphia and Black police officers became more brotherly recently.
On Wednesday, the city and the association of African-American officers, The Guardian Civic League, reached a settlement in a lawsuit about inflammatory racial remarks posted on a police-oriented website: domelights.com.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, officers used the site, which was not affiliated with the city police department, to chat about gossip, crimes and department-related news.
In July 2009, Black officers filed a lawsuit charging that the department let officers post content that was “blatantly racist and offensive.”
The site was shut down shortly afterward.
The settlement still needs judicial approval. If received, the Inquirer says the settlement requires that the city pay for officer training in anti-discrimination laws. Plus supervisors must read the policy "at roll call regularly for six months, until every officer has heard it.”
The policy will also remind officers that as public servants, they must behave correctly both on and off the jobs.
A lawyer representing the Guardian Civic League said the agreement ensures that officers won’t be able to use the web “for racially-offensive behavior while on duty or with city computers.”
(Photo: REUTERS/Kyle Carter)