Police chief claims bosses wanted racial harassment

[angee_is_mad]

found this story in the afrosphere and thought you all might find it interesting. Anyone from the St. Louis area?
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/08F7C532AC567F43862576F20013EAA9?OpenDocument


The ex-chief, Larry White, alleges that Mayor Irene S. Holmes told him on several occasions that she wanted "those people" to be pulled from their cars so that others would see and avoid Ladue.

White, a former Missouri Highway Patrol official, says in the suit that he understood "those people" to be African-Americans.

The community of about 8,600 people is among the most affluent in the nation. Census figures from 2000 say Ladue's population was about 96 percent white and 1 percent black.

The suit, filed Monday in St. Louis County Circuit Court, claims that Holmes and council members told White to avoid ticketing Ladue residents, including those who were caught driving drunk.

The mayor suggested that officers "did not arrest Ladue residents who were stopped for driving while intoxicated but instead took them home," according to the suit.

Mike Wooldridge, an assistant to the mayor, said Thursday that city officials deny any wrongdoing.

"I will say that the city has reviewed its decision to terminate Mr. White, and it acted appropriately and in the city's best interest," Wooldridge said. He said he could not provide any details on the firing, calling it a "personnel matter." CRIME STATS

White names Holmes and each council member as defendants in his suit, claiming multiple counts of wrongful termination, civil conspiracy and open records violations. He seeks damages in excess of $25,000.

In 2006, the year before White was hired, about 22 percent of traffic stops involved black drivers; African-Americans also made up nearly 44 percent of resulting arrests. Those numbers dropped when White took over.

In 2008, 14.5 percent of traffic stops were of black drivers; about 39 percent of resulting arrests were of African-Americans.

In early 2009, Holmes e-mailed White, instructing him to "unleash our officers" to get rid of the "bad guys" who were making Ladue residents uneasy, the suit says. White says he warned Holmes he would not violate people's constitutional rights.]

hat tip to Granny!!!

[noiretextatique]

1. depneding on your zip code and race in oakland, ca

police will take you home instead of taking you to jail, particularly those who live in piedmont and montclair. the (black and latino) residents of east oakland don't get that same courtesy.

[Brewman_Jax]

2. No shock there

This has been the unwritten rule for a lot of majority-white bedroom communities for many years. Surveys of arrest and conviction stats show this. In addition, law enforcement is a major revenue source for these places whose residents like tax hikes less than they like "those people".

Congrats on the former chief for speaking out instead of collaborating, like too many of his LEO counterparts. :applause: