Fresno Police Chief Accused of Racism. He made multiple racist and sexist comments

[annm4peace]

Please share this story with others. This abusive racist and sexist Chief of Police has been in power for 10 years and the people of Fresno can't get him removed. Sadly Fresno keeps voting in "conservative Christian" Mayors who keep this guy in place.

Please help us get him out of office. Sign the petition at the bottom.

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Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer is in some serious trouble over a lawsuit alleging he made multiple racist and sexist comments. The details are in the story.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/02/25/18673016.php


Fresno Police Chief Accused of Racism
By Mike Rhodes

A lawsuit, filed in Fresno Superior Court on Thursday (February 24, 2011), says that Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer’s ringtone for Cynthia Sterling, an African-American former counsel member is a slave song: "Mammy's little baby loves short'nin' bread." The lawsuit also alleges that Dyer mimic's stereotypical slave dialect, making comments including; "yessa massa, I is yo pet" and "Um hum, I'm the mayor's boy, I'm the mayor's boy, yes'um, I'm the mayor's boy".

Dyer is alleged to have repeatedly made derogatory and racial comments and/or actions relating to different races, including, but not limited to African-Americans and Japanese, which include:

1. "You know brothers can't resist watermelons"
2. "You know brothers love melons"
3. Routinely refers to African-Americans as "Brothers"
4. During a meeting discussing fist strikes to the face, Dyer commented that fist strikes to the face should never occur, unless it is a brother, because brothers don't have bones in their noses.”
5. Dyer’s cellular phone ring tone for Blong Xiong, a Southeast Asian counsel member is an Oriental sounding ringtone.
6. Dyer refers to a female Japanese Police Department employee as his little Geisha Girl.
7. Dyer makes offensive and demeaning comments about women, including but
not limited to:


a) comments about police department employees clothes and cleavage


b) commenting that the employee, must be out looking for a husband.


C) comments about certain female police department employees never having to pay for drinks when they go out socially.
8. Dyer has made offensive remarks, relating to charging the County of Fresno an administrative fee for administering a grant, stating "Good, rape them, (laughing), and make them feel they liked it".
9. Dyer on numerous occasions, has demeaningly referred to City Hall being run like a "sorority", since the Mayor and her chiefs of staff are primarily women.
10. The Deputy City Manager required Police Department employees to place their hands upon Chief Dyer and pray over him in order to cast away evil spirits while at City Hall.

The lawsuit, which is available at http://media.fresnobee.com/smedia/2011/02/24/16/DyerComplaint.source.prod_affiliate.8.pdf
and was filed on behalf of Robert Nevarez and Sharon Shaffer, who both work for the Fresno Police Department.

Dyer’s attorney responded by saying that the allegations have been investigated and that they dispute what Nevarez and Shaffer have said. They claim that “the investigation lasted in excess of five months, with numerous persons interviewed by the investigator. Her conclusion was that she found no hostile work environment existed in the department. It is obvious that the plaintiffs are disappointed that their allegations were found to have no merit. Unfortunately, many of the comments that were alleged to have been made were either embellished, mistated, taken out of context, or never made.”

Nevarez and Shaffer, the plaintiffs in this case, have been on administrative leave since late last year. They are concerned about retaliation from Dyer if they return. The lawsuit states that the police chief has not responded well when confronted with other complaints: “an example of this threatening and bullying behavior includes, but is not limited to, during a staff meeting Dyer stated, he was sick and tired of the lawsuits against himself. Dyer stated he did not have much money, but would not go down without a gun fight. He further stated it was not enough to nick him, you would have to take out his carotid artery and he has lots of blood.”
http://media.fresnobee.com/smedia/2011/02/...
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Sign the petition to fire Dyer http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40646.html



"* Drug test all officers in officer-involved shootings. We demand the cases be treated as if a public had committed the shooting.

* Officers in officer-involved shootings should be placed on administrative duty not paid leave.

* Stop making statements that appear to predetermine the outcome of the investigation or influence public opinion. We have a constitutional right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.

* FPD's Internal Affairs must thoroughly review officer- involved shootings even if no citizen complaint is filed and also implement the complaint procedure when a family files a claim against the City for police brutality.

* Redesign the Office of Independent Review with some actual teeth! We need an EFFECTIVE OIR, not a facade!

*Prepare an annual report detailing the work of the Officer Involved Shooting Review panel and any new recommendation/ policies or findings, make available to the public on its website.

* The City of Fresno should re-establish a human relations commission with the power to call a town hall meeting immediately after an officer-involved shooting. FPD must ensure it will participate in public forums.
Petition:
We, the undersigned do not support the racist/classist and unconstitutional tactics of Chief Dyer. We want community based policing an emphasis on PREVENTING crime, rather than reactionary policing."


It is ok to sign if you don't live in Fresno. We need the City Council to see that those outside of Fresno know what is going on and should be ashamed.

thanks for your help
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this is not the first time I have posted about Chief Dyer. The CA Attorney Generals have repeatedly been asked to investigate Dyer and his office but has refused. This includes when Jerry Brown was AG. I hope this changes with the new AG.

Here is a previous post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5733088

the Citizens have asked for Oversight but without any luck
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/04/26/17349661.php

[speltwon]

1. Does anybody in this city have a tape recorder?

It seems much of the complaints are of the "he said' variety, but there are questions as to whether he actually said it. I am unaware if Cali is one party or two party consent, but even many two party consent states have exceptions for PUBLIC speech e.g. meetings, etc. and generally only prohibit recording of private conversations. Iow, let's gather some evidence if this fuckstick is guilty.

As to some of these other points...

"* Drug test all officers in officer-involved shootings. We demand the cases be treated as if a public had committed the shooting. "

At least in my jurisdiction, non-officers involved in shootings are NOT drug tested, unless there is specific probable cause to believe drugs were involved. It is illegal to drug test anybody JUST BECAUSE they were in a shooting and it is rarely done.


"* Officers in officer-involved shootings should be placed on administrative duty not paid leave. "

Why? Even if there is no suspicion of a crime? Officers are expected to use deadly force in certain circumstances AS A FUNCTION of their job. Why should they be punished WITHOUT DUE PROCESS for doing so, absent evidence of wrongdoing. Setting aside the fact that paid leave IS often administrative, so the terminolgy is wrong.

"* Stop making statements that appear to predetermine the outcome of the investigation or influence public opinion. We have a constitutional right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty. "

I would generally agree with this. Although even in cases involving non-cops, cops will often say stuff like "this appears to be a classic case of self-defense, but we are investigating thoroughly, etc."


"* FPD's Internal Affairs must thoroughly review officer- involved shootings even if no citizen complaint is filed and also implement the complaint procedure when a family files a claim against the City for police brutality."

I would agree

Chief Dyer SOUNDs like, if he is doing what he is accused of doing, a complete asshole who needs to be fired. However, the same article that repeats the mantra of innocent until proven guilty seems to be assuming he is guilty. Gather some frigging evidence. There already was an investigation and it didn't find it. Granted, it may have been a sham.

[annm4peace]

3. Please sign the petition and help us get rid of the racist Chief of Police

Sign the petition to fire Dyer http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40646.html


the people of Fresno need this story to get out and to show that they read what is going on. Please sign the petition so the powers that be that people outside of Fresno see what is going on and demand justice

[speltwon]

4. No

Not without evidence he committed these offenses and also I don't agree with all the preambles. I support doing an investigation and IF the allegations are true, he should be fired.

[MNmom]

2. The Attorney Generals should investigate!!!

[Bunny]

5. That whole 'black people and watermelon' thing is well over 50 years old, at least.

Wouldn't you think they could update their racial slurs more than once or twice a century? :eyes:

[Cid_B]

6. Can you elaborate on this one?

"* Officers in officer-involved shootings should be placed on administrative duty not paid leave. "

Are you thinking that Officer Jones really needs the 4th of July weekend off so he is going to go out and shoot someone and making sure they are doing paperwork will cut out that incentive?

[annm4peace]

7. please sign the petition if you think Dyer's behavior is wrong

and have posted 3 articles so you can read about his behavior and that of his office.
You can also google his name with the word abuse or racist.

[Blue_Tires]

8. ttt