Thursday, June 01, 2000
Police union defends chief in dispute over racial slur
By Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati's police chief should not be punished for using a racial slur, the officers' union says, because he didn't intend to offend and was trying to teach a lesson.
Letters and calls of support for Chief Thomas Streicher continue to pour in to Queen City Lodge No. 69 of the Fraternal Order of Police, union president Keith Fangman said Wednesday. Dozens have come from white and African-American officers, retired officers and citizens, he said, leading him to weigh in on the issue with a strong statement of support for Chief Streicher.
“Now that all of the facts have come out,” Mr. Fangman said, “it should be obvious to everyone that the chief was making the point that the "n-word' word was inappropriate and if a Cincinnati police officer used the word in a derogatory manner, they would be dealt with appropriately.”
City Manager John Shirey did not announce his decision Wednesday on the chief's discipline. He is expected to do so this week.
Chief Streicher, who joined the force in 1971 as a cadet, used the slur May 10 during a supervisors' training session on the citizens complaint review process. He has since apologized to Sgt. Andre Smith, an African-American officer, who filed a complaint. The chief says he was trying to strongly tackle a difficult topic in the session and is distressed that he is now portrayed by some as racist.
Mr. Fangman said the union would not defend the chief if he was legitimately wrong and meant to be hurtful.
“That being the case,” he said, “what's he being disciplined for?”
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