サンフランシスコ警官、パロディ映像制作で停職処分 2

サンフランシスコ警官、パロディ映像制作で停職処分 1

更新2005年12月09日 20:20米国東部時間
パロディ映像制作で警官に停職処分～サンフランシスコ市警 - USフロントライン

　サンフランシスコ市警本部は９日までに、性差別、人種差別、同性愛嫌悪を露骨に表現した映像を作成したとして、同市警の警察官を停職処分にした。

　AP通信によると、処分されたのは、ビデオを制作し、インターネット上で流したアンドリュー・コーエン巡査。８日朝、ABCの「グッド・モーニング・アメリカ」に出演し、映像を「単なる風刺」と釈明しながら、処分を決定した市警の女性本部長を「恥を知れ」と激しく批判した。

　問題の映像は、白人警官の乗ったパトカーが黒人のホームレス女性を突き飛ばしたり、女装した男性が男性警官に甘い言葉をかけるといった場面で構成された「パロディ」で、コーエン巡査が自分のホームページ上で公開した。

　ギャビン・ニューソム市長とヘザー・フォン本部長は７日、約20人の警官が映像制作に加わり、出演していたと公表。「今日は市警にとって極めて残念な日だ。（映像作成は）言語道断で恥ずかしく、見下げ果てた行為」と述べたフォン本部長は、関係した警官すべてを処分する姿勢を見せた。

　コーエン巡査は番組で、映像はクリスマス・パーティー用にふざけて作ったと説明。「笑える内容にして警察官だけに見せるつもりで作ったのに、見終わった途端だれもが差別反対論者になった。本部長こそ自分の行動を恥じるべきだ」と語った。

　映像には、テレビ・映画の「チャーリーズ・エンジェル」を思わせるＴシャツとジーンズ姿の３人の女性警官が、唇をなめまわす癖のある部長刑事のもとへ出頭する場面があったり、異性の服装をした市民らが、同じように唇をなめながら街頭で「あーら、警部さん」と呼びかける場面が何度も出てくる。

　コーエン巡査の弁護士によると、同巡査は停職処分を告げられず、書類保管室への異動通知を受け取った。「ビデオはあくまで芸術作品であり、警官を地域住民の視点から風刺したものだ」と同巡査を擁護した。

　ビデオがウェブサイトに掲載された直後、市警の監察部門が調査に乗り出し、ビデオはサイトから削除された。



San Francisco Chronicle
Editorial
'Cops' gone wild
-
Friday, December 9, 2005


THE BEST that can be said for the San Francisco police officers involved in the video scandal is that they are oblivious in the extreme, which alone should disqualify them for a job that requires judgment, perceptiveness and the packing of a deadly weapon.

Even if they did think their sophomoric "spoof" on police work was show-stopping funny -- more on that disturbing notion later -- have these cops been living in a cave for the past generation? Are they really so cloistered or just plain thick that they failed to notice what has happened to others in the public eye who have tried to get cheap laughs at the expense of women and minorities?

The cops-gone-wild videos come not even six months after the San Francisco 49ers had to go into full-tilt damage control because their public-relations genius cooked up a bawdy "training video" for players that presented women as sex objects and included offensive caricatures of gays and Asians.

This video scandal is far more serious because of the nature of the profession. The 49ers are in the entertainment business, current on-field evidence notwithstanding. San Franciscans who are offended by their actions have the option to ignore them or refuse to buy tickets and memorabilia. The San Francisco Police Department is funded by taxpayers to carry out the solemn duty of protecting and serving the people of this city -- with fairness and professionalism.

Every time one of these insensitivity scandals arises, apologists for the perpetrators will invariably counter-accuse the critics of being humorless. The video-hamming cops were quick to point out that they also poked fun at themselves. Still, the suitability of jokes about sex and race is all about context. It is simply not funny for a police commander to clown about his sexual desire for his subordinates, for a male officer to banter about forcing a female driver to pose for his leering pleasure or for cops to generally treat women and minorities as fodder for ridicule.

Chief Heather Fong and Mayor Gavin Newsom were right to take a strong stand against such boorishness in the force. The immediate suspensions of the officers sent a fittingly strong message.

As Newsom noted, the video once again raises the larger question of how to break a culture of hubris that leads certain factions within the department to think they can operate within their own rules. Two years ago, the "Fajitagate" scandal -- about young cops as off-duty bullies and the efforts of high-level brass to help cover their tracks -- offered an ugly portrait of a department that had lost its way. Then-Mayor Willie Brown's shoulder-shrugging response was highly instructive about how such a culture was allowed to incubate.

Today, a new mayor and new chief are showing their seriousness about establishing a police force that earns the public's respect by showing respect for the public.

Page B - 6
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/12/09/EDG7VG4KKB1.DTL

Dec. 7 - SFPD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications
415-554-6131

**** STATEMENT ***

Joint Statement from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong:

In the past several hours it has come to our attention that members of the San Francisco Police Department have engaged in gross misconduct while on duty. Specifically, members of the San Francisco Police Department created, participated and performed in a series of videos that have numerous instances of inappropriate and outrageous content. The content ranges from immature and vulgar to sexist, racist and homophobic.

Accordingly, the following actions have been taken:

* An immediate investigation has been undertaken by the San Francisco Police Department. In addition, the Mayor has directed the city’s Human Rights Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women to begin an investigation as well. Any findings will be directed to the appropriate entity for action.

* The information has been shared with the President of the San Francisco Police Commission for appropriate action.

* Due to the obvious and egregious conduct and misuse of department resources, approximately 20 officers will be suspended, mostly officers currently or formerly stationed at the Bayview Station. In addition, any necessary termination proceedings will be enacted pending the results of the investigations. These disciplinary actions are within the purview of the Chief of the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Police Commission.

* The Police Chief will immediately begin mandatory briefings regarding appropriate workplace behavior within the department. These briefings will begin tomorrow.

* Finally, Mayor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order creating an independent Blue Ribbon Commission. The Commission will be tasked with conducting a comprehensive and thorough review of the San Francisco Police Department’s personnel polices, standards of conduct and training, as well as appropriate representations of the communities they serve.

In all cases, due process will be respected. Every officer is entitled to a swift and fair hearing. However, we cannot be clearer: this administration and this department have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.