When Chief Deputy Phil Plummer got wind of the racist text messages exchanged by police officers in his department, he responded in a way that may surprise you. He took immediate action, launched an investigation, and suspended the two most egregious offenders from the Montgomery County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Department. ABC22 reports Dayton Unit NAACP President Derrik L. Foward met with Plummer on Sunday to inform him that he’d received a complaint about the racist text messages, which were sent in 2011-2013. And unlike many of our nation’s police chiefs, Plummer is appalled and takes racism in his department very seriously: “We’ve been working well with the community for years, I’ve been sheriff for six years, I’ve done all I can do to build relations in this community, I’m very upset about this. I feel like these five individuals are taking this organization three steps backwards.” Plummer later told WDTN News that the senders of the racist text messages would be held accountable: “These five individuals have taken this organization three steps backward and will be held accountable. I will not tolerate racism in this department.” The worst two offenders, Capt. Tom Flanders and Det. Michael Sollenberger, have been suspended with pay for their racist text messages, while the other three — a dispatch center sergeant and two court security guards — remain unnamed and on the job pending results of the investigation. Here are just a few examples of the appalling racist text messages exchanged by Montgomery County’s finest, including a truly disgusting “joke.” I hate n*ggers. That is all. What do apples and black people have in common? They both hang from trees. Very simply put, they’re n*ggers, son. We stopped at a Walmart in Brimingham, there are a lot of black people in Alabama. It’s all Martin Luther King’s fault. Plummer also assures reporters that if the allegations prove to be true, the officers will be fired. Sheriff Plummer on holding officers accountable for their racist text messages: “We all respect each other, we’re all God’s children. We’re in this together [...] Number 1: you’re gonna show up for work. Number 2: you’re going to treat people like you would want your mom treated.” And of course, some viewers at “Fox 45″ — which also broke the story — complained because sending racist text message technically isn’t a crime. “The men have been upstanding deputies… can’t they dislike someone and still do their job?” But Plummer’s having none of that. “It was supposed to be a private conversation between the two and it’s now a public concern. Now you go back to our policies and procedures. We will not tolerate that at any hour of the day. There’s all kinds of policy, misconduct off duty, like I said our officers are held to a higher standard 24 hours a day, they’re on duty 24 hours a day. They’re going to be held accountable 24 hours a day. . .” Plummer then went on to say something truly beautiful about why these racist text messages matter: “Unfortunately, people have opinions. We will not tolerate racism in this office. We do block parties on Saturdays, we are out in the community all the time. We’ve made great inroads. This is our home. We all respect each other, we’re all God’s children. We’re in this together. Number 1: you’re gonna show up for work. Number 2: you’re going to treat people like you would want your mom treated. That’s a pretty solid statement, right? We’d all get along in life if everybody treated everyone the way you want your mom treated.” Forward from the NAACP adds: “We still hope that this is not a culture that exists inside of the department [...] Over the years, we’ve had a great relationship with the Sheriff’s Department, so I don’t look for that to change. I believe that Sheriff Plummer will do the right thing, he will continue to do the right thing. We will take him at his word that he’s going to take swift action.” addictinginfo.org/2014/12/04/racist-text-messages-launch-probe-of-5-police-officers-video/
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 01:03:00 +0000
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