Another Cambridge Cop In Racial Incident

More Cambridge Police Dept. Drama

July 29. 2009

"Video: Police release 911 tapes from Gates arrest"


The Cambridge Police Department is not having a good month. Already under fire for racially profiling African-American, Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr., they are now facing another race based incident.

Gates Jr. and Crowley to meet with Obama tomorrow

Cambridge police officer, Justin Barrett, has been suspended for sending out a mass email, referring to professor Gates as a "jungle monkey" which is a very derisive racial slur for black people.

There is another unverified photo online of a Cambridge Police officer entering his vehicle with a racially tinged personalized license plate. These three incidents give off a very negative vibe about the Cambridge Police Department when it comes to race issues.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

911 caller, Lucia Whalen, also spoke publicly today, denouncing the conduct of arresting officer James Crowley, who put words in her mouth regarding the wrongful arrest of Gates, stating she volunteered information about the race of the alleged suspects, when tapes later revealed she did not. Whalen has been threatened and harassed thanks to Officer Crowley's untruths. Poor lady.

James Crowley

The important thing to remember is there are many good cops out there, not just in America, but all over the world. However, it is rather sad when the actions of a few taint the badge.

Don't they look alike:

James Crowley (left) and actor Michael Imperioli (right)

Just like reporters are compelled to use truth in reporting, officers should be as well, as authoring false police reports is corrupt.

STORY SOURCE

Officer suspended for Gates slur in e-mail

July 29, 2009 07:35 PM - An officer in the Boston Police Department was suspended yesterday for allegedly writing a racially charged e-mail about Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. to colleagues at the National Guard, a law enforcement official said. Mayor Thomas M. Menino compared the officer to a cancer and said he is "gone, g-o-n-e'' from the force.

The law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Officer Justin Barrett referred to the black scholar as a "jungle monkey" in the letter, written in reaction to media coverage of Gates's arrest July 16...

http://www.boston.com

Caller Says She Didn’t Mention Race to Officer in Gates Case

July 29, 2009 - CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Lucia Whalen, whose 911 call led to the arrest of the Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home, made her first public comments Wednesday, saying at no time did she ever mention race to the responding police officer.

Ms. Whalen, 40, her voice cracking, said she was deeply hurt by the reaction to the incident on July 16...“When I was called a racist, I was the target of scorn and ridicule because of things I never said,” she told the reporters gathered in a park here at midday. She added, “The criticism hurt me as a person but also hurt the community of Cambridge.” ...

http://www.nytimes.com