SFPD Officers Suspended over Online Video

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I understand where the Chief is coming from on this one, but I'm not completely sure if I agree with what happened to them. If you would like to watch the videos click the link below, videos 1-5 I think are the best ones. Video 6 is a little disturbing.

Here is the link to the creator of the videos website http://www.insidethesfpd.com/ There isn't anything on it right now but it sounds like there will be soon

SFPD Officers Suspended over Online Video

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- More than a dozen San Francisco police officers are off the job without pay Thursday for appearing in several videos that parodied life on the force.

Officer Andrew Cohen, who has been suspended for producing the videos, is scheduled to meet with Police Chief Heather Fong next week.

Cohen acknowledges he was suspended for posting what has been described as "inappropriate and unauthorized pictures and other information about the department on the Internet."

Cohen says he made the videos as entertainment for his unit's Christmas party. He is scheduled to meet with the police chief on December 17. Cohen will also have a hearing before the city's Police Commission.

There is no word on the fate of up to a dozen other officers who faced discipline after making videos parodying life on the force that officials said used racist, sexist and homophobic stereotypes.

Sources tell KRON 4 News that a number of police officers were suspended Wednesday for violating departmental regulations.

Cohen operated a website that hosted videos of police officers acting in what has been described as parodies of police work that some may have found offensive.

At a news conference at City Hall Wednesday evening, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom described the videos as "a series of vignettes, skits, that are some of the most egregious skits I've seen."

About 20 police officers who were in the videos also face suspension during an internal affairs investigation, including a police captain.

Police Chief Heather Fong said the officers were shown in a series of skits that featured uniformed officers making fun of Asians, blacks, women and members of the gay and transgender communities.

"The content ranges from immature and vulgar to sexist, racist and homophobic," the two said in a joint statement.

Fong added, "This is a dark day in the history of the San Francisco Police Department."

Cohen pulled the videos from the website and posted a statement Wednesday, which reads in part, "...as many of you may know by now, I was asked to take down most of this website."

When Fong learned about these videos on Tuesday from someone within the police department, she immediately ordered Cohen to remove them, sources tell KRON 4 News.

In the online statement, Cohen says that he's devoted much of his time making videos to increase positive public opinion of officers. But, he also wrote, "I think that this is where the road ends."

Fong informed Newsom of the video on Wednesday.

At the news conference, Newsom said a special task force, the city's Human Rights Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women would investigate the officers, most of whom were stationed at the Bayview police station.

Attorney Daniel Horowitz, who is representing Cohen, disputes allegations of racism and is considering slander lawsuits.

"Instead of Chief Fong saying, 'I screwed up. I've done nothing for that community,' she's saying, 'Andrew Cohen is a racist,' " Horowitz said.

Horowitz says that the videos were intended to be funny while also containing elements of social commentary.

"What it says is there is a problem in Hunters Point," Horowitz said. "The community feels that a bunch of white people are policing them, and don't care. The police feel that nobody is saying, 'you're doing a great job.' Andrew put that out there in the form of comedy."

Malaika Parker of Bay Area PoliceWatch called the videos "the tip of the iceberg" and said it was "disgusting and appalling" that people in the Bayview were dying while local police were making videos.

San Francisco Police Officers Association President Gary Delagnes apologized Thursday on behalf of the union.

"I'm sorry they did it," Delagnes said. "I'm sure they're sorry they did it. But do not confuse that video with the way those cops perform in the real world."

The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report .

(Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)

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The video's were tanken down. Now there is a "defense fund" information list on it.

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The video's were tanken down.  Now there is a "defense fund" information list on it.

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View the videos here: SFPD News Story