JimInCO
May 2nd, 2006, 04:40 PM
http://www.mississauganews.com/mi/peelpolice/story/3474401p-4014027c.html
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS
Officers disciplined for racist email
Louie Rosella
May 2, 2006
Five Peel Regional Police officers have been disciplined following an internal investigation into a racist email that was circulated within the force.
The officers, whose identities are being withheld because they weren't formally charged under the Police Services Act, will each be docked three days' pay.
A six-month probe by the department's Professional Standards Bureau found the officers circulated an audio email that contained a song depicting native people as drunks and criminals, among other things.
The email had been sent and forwarded by the Peel officers and was received by at least two dozen others, including an Ontario government employee and seven Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers.
Several First Nations RCMP officers also received the email, one of whom complained.
The profanity-laced email included lyrics that negatively portrayed natives.
More than 4,000 First Nations individuals live in Peel.
Peel Professional Standards Bureau Inspector Steve Mendyk described the email as, "inappropriate...and offensive in nature."
"The six-month investigation identified five officers, who had clearly breached the Peel Regional Police email policy and procedure," Mendyk said yesterday. "All the involved officers took responsibility for their errors in judgment and readily recognized that the material they had forwarded was insensitive."
The Peel Police policy on electronic messaging states that, "electronic media may not be used for transmitting, retrieving, displaying or storing any...information or material that is unlawful or contrary to Peel Regional Police directives, discriminatory or of a harassing nature, derogatory to any individual or group, obscene, defamatory or of a threatening nature, a chain letter, or in a manner clearly intended to harm any individual or the organization."
RCMP Staff Sgt. Paul Marsh said anyone on his force who participated in the circulation of this email is also subject to punishment and that discipline will be handed out within his force, as well.
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS
Officers disciplined for racist email
Louie Rosella
May 2, 2006
Five Peel Regional Police officers have been disciplined following an internal investigation into a racist email that was circulated within the force.
The officers, whose identities are being withheld because they weren't formally charged under the Police Services Act, will each be docked three days' pay.
A six-month probe by the department's Professional Standards Bureau found the officers circulated an audio email that contained a song depicting native people as drunks and criminals, among other things.
The email had been sent and forwarded by the Peel officers and was received by at least two dozen others, including an Ontario government employee and seven Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers.
Several First Nations RCMP officers also received the email, one of whom complained.
The profanity-laced email included lyrics that negatively portrayed natives.
More than 4,000 First Nations individuals live in Peel.
Peel Professional Standards Bureau Inspector Steve Mendyk described the email as, "inappropriate...and offensive in nature."
"The six-month investigation identified five officers, who had clearly breached the Peel Regional Police email policy and procedure," Mendyk said yesterday. "All the involved officers took responsibility for their errors in judgment and readily recognized that the material they had forwarded was insensitive."
The Peel Police policy on electronic messaging states that, "electronic media may not be used for transmitting, retrieving, displaying or storing any...information or material that is unlawful or contrary to Peel Regional Police directives, discriminatory or of a harassing nature, derogatory to any individual or group, obscene, defamatory or of a threatening nature, a chain letter, or in a manner clearly intended to harm any individual or the organization."
RCMP Staff Sgt. Paul Marsh said anyone on his force who participated in the circulation of this email is also subject to punishment and that discipline will be handed out within his force, as well.