Demeaning, Racist Social Media Posts From Dallas Officers Tarnish Police Efforts to Build Trust

The Dallas Police Department can’t catch a break.Violent crime is up and officer recruitment remains a struggle. Chief U. Renee Hall still seems to be finding her footing. The Botham Jean case has kept the department under a withering national spotlight.And just last weekend, as Dallas police and their city prepared to commemorate the July 7, 2016, downtown ambush that left five officers dead, the department suffered another blow:Four cops were kicked onto administrative leave and more than 20 others remain under internal investigations for posts on personal Facebook pages that include Islamophobic comments, misogynistic tropes, racial stereotypes and celebrations of violence.I was sickened when I reviewed the Facebook posts linked to Dallas cops — but I wasn't surprised. In this anything-goes online culture, few inhibitions exist when it comes to sharing racist statements or “liking” demeaning posts.But that doesn’t make the cops’ repulsive use of Facebook any less frustrating, especially when you remember that the Dallas Police Department has set the national standard in using social media to do its work better.  Continue reading...

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