Comments on: El Paso Police Chief Disavows Prior Statements, Pledges To Enforce Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

By: former el pasian

former el pasian — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:53:02 +0000

This is why I found a way, any way, to move out of El Paso as soon as I could after high school. Even though El Paso is one of the few blue (democrat) areas in Texas, it still doesn’t feel safe for gays and lesbians.

By: elaygee

elaygee — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:26:07 +0000

On the other hand, I think it is a clear effort to address the poorly handled situation and remedy it to prevent further occurances, mainly because they know if they don’t it’s going to cost them big bucks in a lawsuit. That can be a motivating factor in changing behavior and if it does, I’m happy with the statement and the intended results.

People do stupid things without realizing how stupid the action was. Now they are all on notice, no more of that poor police performance or you will pay.

By: Penguinsaur

Penguinsaur — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:38:07 +0000

The new statement “recognizes the negative impact that the media hounding me can have on my paycheck”and requires that all police personnel “not be so obvious the next time you arrest one of those fags”

^I think I captured the meaning behind his words.

By: Zeke

Zeke — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:49:25 +0000

I sincerely hope that the actual press release was not as poorly written as the one posted here. The spelling and grammar are horrendous. And before someone makes a “grammar police” comment I just want to point out that spokespeople are PAID to write these up to portray their departments in the best light possible. If ANYTHING representing my office went out of my office reading like a second grader wrote it, the person who produced it would be fired on the spot.

Secondly, I agree with Lucrece, the correction is severely lacking. It contains no apology and, even worse, says that the force’s officers will henceforth be required to follow the law. THE OFFENDING OFFICER CLEARLY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE LAW WAS! How can officers properly enforce laws that they don’t seem to know exist, especially when they’re threatening to enforce a law that was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court YEARS ago?

I would have liked to have seen the press release: 1. apologize for the officer’s shameful conduct and the department’s previous press release defending him; 2. Acknowledge the force’s lack of knowledge of the law; 3. Explain what the department plans to do to rectify this lack of knowledge of the law; and 4. Pledge to require all officers in the department to undergo sensitivity training to better understand where law enforcement has failed, and continues to fail, gay citizens that they are supposed to protect and defend.

I know this is WAY too much to ask of them since they probably felt that they had gone well beyond the call of duty by even suggesting that a mistake had been made.

I’m just glad to see that even in deepest, darkest Texas, homophobes, even ones with badges, are widely and effectively being taken to task for their inappropriate words and behavior.

By: Lucrece

Lucrece — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:47:52 +0000

The statement was tepid and did not even apologize.

It said “we were incorrect”, not “We’re sorry we weren’t there when you needed us.”