This is not how a cop should behave

I’ve often said I don’t give up my constitutional rights because I put on a cop’s uniform. That being said, I also should not in any way use my views to bring the department in discredit or embarrassment. From a friend on the Houston Police Department this is the story of an officer who should have known that.

Officer's Racist Postings On Facebook Investigated

HOUSTON -- The Houston Police Department has launched an internal investigation after an officer posted on Facebook that she would arrest anyone of a certain nationality for merely looking at her in a certain way,...

"Zero tolerance 4 yall today," she wrote in one of her posts. "Y'all look at me wrong at all today -- y'all riding," she wrote. "Riding" is police lingo for taking a trip to jail....
...The postings on Facebook were discovered by a Honduran woman who was connected as a "friend" with the officer on the popular social networking site, allowing her to read the officer's posts on the World Wide Web.

"At first, they were offensive to me and I just thought she wasn't doing her job," said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"I just feel uncomfortable and, to be honest, she's in law enforcement and they should protect and guide us to the right path," said the woman, who has never met the officer in person.

...In some of her postings, the officer wrote her entries on Facebook while she said she was on duty being paid by taxpayers.

...In one posting, the officer included a photograph of a man passed out on the ground with police standing near him. ...

...

Her captain at the Fondren Patrol substation said the department was aware of the postings and an Internal Affairs Division investigation was being started. An HPD Internal Affairs sergeant said she was removed from street patrols and placed on desk duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland said, "We still have policies and procedures to deal with individuals who do inappropriate things … display what you're saying, any type of a racist connotation, bring discredit or reproach to this organization, embarrass this organization. We have policies to deal with that, and we will."

He admitted that, "Technology is out-pacing not only department policy, but the law, in many aspects."

HPD only has one policy dealing with its officers and their social networking activities. The policy, spelled out in an internal "Circular" dated Oct. 15, 2009 tells officers that they should not display photos of themselves in uniform.

...In some postings, Carabajal includes photographs of the computer screen in her patrol car. Sometimes within minutes of a call for help being received by HPD, she posted photos of the computer screen readout as she poked fun at the nature of the call.

In some of those postings, phone numbers were visible for the citizens who called for help. In others, the gate codes were divulged, telling officers what code to enter so that they can drive onto the apartment complex property....

The fact she has a problem with Hondurans is and of itself is not that outrageous. Before you scream everyone had their own opinions and no I don’t agree with hers. However, she should keep them to herself, especially if she will identify herself as an officer with a specific department. What really gets on my nerves is she put on her Facebook page privileged information. Names, addresses, gate pass codes. This information is law enforcement sensitive, aka LES. She really has no business spreading that around.
The Houston chief and his people are investigating….I see a bit of unpaid leave in this officer’s future. All of this could have been avoided if this officer had exercised some simple good judgment.