Lawyer for the People Adante Pointer joined us on Hard Knock Radio as we continued our coverage of the appalling revelations of racist and homophobic text messages being exchanged by officers within the Antioch, California police department. Pointer, who has been involved in legal actions against the department in the past, noted that this issue goes beyond just a few “bad apples” and is a systemic problem that has persisted for over a decade. According to Pointer, at least 45 officers are implicated in sending and receiving these disturbing messages.
During our interview, Pointer emphasized that firing or disciplining a few individuals will not be enough to resolve this issue. He pointed out that some officers who he had previously sued the department over were still on the force and were even highlighted in the recent trove of offensive text messages. He also discussed the close-knit relationship that officers often have with each other, and how this can contribute to a culture of discrimination and harassment within law enforcement.
Pointer went on to discuss the steps that ordinary citizens may need to take in order to help bring about change in Antioch and beyond. He also revealed that this issue might
not be limited to just one police department, as he believes that over 1,000 cases may be impacted by similar misconduct, with more cases likely to come to light. This underscores the urgent need for systemic reform and accountability within law enforcement agencies to address these deep-rooted issues of racism, homophobia, and discrimination.
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