Dafney Tales, Philadelphia Daily News, March 31, 2009
A college class assignment may have gotten a Philadelphia police officer into some hot water.
William Thrasher, a white cop in the 22nd District, at 17th and Montgomery, has been put on desk duty after an article written by a Temple University student quoted him describing his disgust for black people in the district where he works, likening them to animals and calling their problems “typical n——s—-,” or “TNS,” during a ride-along with the student Jan. 30.
The article enraged The Guardian Civic League, an organization of black Philadelphia police officers, which is calling for his dismissal.
“[Thrasher] took an oath to protect all people,” said Rochelle Bilal, who heads the group. “If that’s the way he feels about black people, then he needs to be off our streets.”
The police Internal Affairs department is investigating. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that that kind of inflammatory rhetoric will not be tolerated within the department.
“I’m not happy with this at all,” he said. “I take this very, very seriously. It’s not supposed to happen. You can’t serve people you don’t respect.”
Thrasher, 24, of Tacony, joined the force in February 2007, and was assigned to the 22nd District, a mostly black area of North Philadelphia.
The rookie cop made the incendiary remarks as he escorted Shannon McDonald, a senior journalism student, around the district, said Chris Harper, an associate journalism professor who edited the article.
{snip}
At one point during the three-hour ride, Thrasher was quoted as saying that people in the neighborhood “don’t care about each other. . . . They’ll shoot each other for drugs, for money, for bull——. All they care about is their reputation. They want to look tough.”
Thrasher was quoted recounting a homicide that occurred in the area: “These people are f———disgusting,” he told McDonald. “It’s like they’re animals.”
{snip}
“I’m not racist,” McDonald quoted him as saying in the article, which appeared on a Web site for Temple’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab. “I work with black people every day. They have jobs, they support their families, they’re good people. Most of the people who live in this area are bad people. And they happen to be black.”
{snip}
Bilal, a 23-year veteran with the force, said that Thrasher’s comments suggest that he resents the people he is supposed to serve, and Bilal regrets that some officers bring that prejudice to the job.
“It’s the mindset of some of us [police officers] who haven’t been brought up in the city, or around people of color,” she said, referring to her dual identity of being a cop and an African-American.
{snip}
Harper said that he reviewed McDonald’s notes and stands by her story.
“I think Shannon and I were both amazed by the statements that were made by the police officer,” Harper said. “They’re clearly racist, they’re disturbing.
{snip}
Bilal, who grew up in North Philadelphia, near Marshall Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, said: “I was sick when I read that. I’ve lived in the city for 52 years and they’ve never disgusted me. My family is in North Philadelphia. Not everybody is a criminal.”
{snip}
Meanwhile, Bilal and the civic league will meet tomorrow to decide how to proceed, she said.
“As a police officer, I was ashamed that I have a colleague who describes a group of people the way he did. Disciplinary action is a slap on the hand,” she said.
“They need to tell him to find a new career.”
[Editor’s Note: Readers can visit William Thrasher’s rather bare “Facebook” page here
Original article
Email
Dafney Tales
at talesd@phillynews.com .
(Posted on April 1, 2009)
Comments
“These people are f———disgusting,” he told McDonald. “It’s like they’re animals.”
As we all know, it’s EXPERIENCE with minorities that gives rise to racial awareness.
Almost all white cops charged with patrolling black areas are going to think like this. There is no better cure than a dose.
Relative to the rest of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia has always been liberal, run by a Quaker/universalist civic elite. This is why I think the Mumia case is nonsense. If he were in 1950 Mississippi, he might have a point. Not that I would agree with it, but one could rationalize his complaints about the cops out to get him. But he is saying these things about 1981 Philadelphia, the same universalist/Quaker Philadelphia then that there is now.
“It’s the mindset of some of us [police officers] who haven’t been brought up in the city, or around people of color,”
I’d be interested in hearing the comments of the white, asian, and hispanics who Did grow up their in the city, but those folks are most likely dead.
It seems strange that the cop would not realize a journalism student would be pro-black and anti-cop. Surely most cops know journalists are on the criminals’ side and student journalists are no different, probably even worse.
Regarding his statements, the language is not professional but I can’t think of anybody who would have a more accurate view of blacks than the police who patrol their neighborhoods.
Thrasher is 24 and a male. McDonald is a college senior and a female.
Methinks that Thrasher got played.
This young cop was stupid for making those remarks. As a White man you must keep these comments to yourself or say them to people you trust.He will be fired, no doubt. It could be a good thing for him to be fired. It might save him from being murdered like those cops in Oakland.
His outspoken opinion may be politically incorrect but nobody can argue that it isn’t both honest and accurate. Remember the Philadelphia black police chief asking for 10,000 volunteers to help police the city due to the out of control black violence going on there last year? If this guy loses his job for being honest about black behavior then so shouldn’t the chief.
The rookie cop made the incendiary remarks as he escorted Shannon McDonald, a senior journalism student, around the district, said Chris Harper, an associate journalism professor who edited the article.
The officer’s only mistake was taking the “student” out of the ghetto after he took her in - he should have make her get out in that neighborhood and left her there. That would have given her a real “education,” and I doubt she would have disagreed with the officer’s views once she made it out, if she made it out….
What he said wasn’t exactly PC, that’s for sure, but the betrayal of the confidentiality of a private conversation apparently is. The PC police are everywhere. Say the wrong thing to the wrong person and you are toast!
Thrasher’s words are a reaction to his personal experiences as a police officer. They may simply be a young man’s response to traumatic experiences, unfiltered by dispassionate analysis’ generally only acquired with the passing of many moons, and not necessarily even then. The question is, How did he act in the field? But that question will never come up. Nor will the experiences that led Thrasher to mske these comments be subject to analysis. To be PC means to avoid at all costs recognizing reality. Tip toe through the tulips…..
The only mistake this officer made was making an honest observation to this student. The reason Officer Thrasher thinks this way is not some pre-judgement he had about blacks, but actual day to day experience in dealing with them. Reality can be a real eye opener. The problem is not that too many white officers think like this, but that too many blacks think and behave just the way he states they do. They are destroying the community, not him.
“[Thrasher] took an oath to protect all people,” said Rochelle Bilal, who heads the group.”
Its unlikely Thrasher took any oath that requires him to like them. Any cop working in “Black” areas who claims views contrary to those held by Thrasher is likely to be lying.
Ronald
Never, NEVER say anything politically incorrect to a COLLEGE student, especially a journalism major that has an outlet to print what you say. Even thought the student saw first hand what the officer was describing and must have known the truth of his words, he was still a 21 year old kid who believes all the wonderful things he’s been told about diversity.
Hopefully he’ll outgrow it and eventually be ashamed of turning on the officer the way he did.
A question that arises in my mind is: What if this policeman had been black, and had been saying similar things about White residents of his precinct? Would the outcry have been nearly this loud? Would there have been any outcry at all, except maybe on websites like American Renaissance?
Also: why do the city of Philadelphia and the police department tolerate a racially exclusionary organization of city employees like the Guardian Civic League? What if White officers formed the Aryan Civic League? Does anyone think for a moment that THAT organization would be allowed to exist?
This cop’s biggest mistake was in using the n-word. My personal philosophy is, NEVER USE THE N-WORD!!! First of all, I don’t believe in name-calling (including the r-word, which is just a fancier form of the n-word) but secondly, it turns people against your message! No matter how well-reasoned your arguments may be, it brands you as being a “racist.” It’s coarse language that will turn most whites against your message…and aren’t the fence sitters the very ones we need to wake up? I’m not saying this cop would not be in any trouble had he not used the n-word, but it certainly makes matters worse. His career is doomed now.
“They need to tell him to find a new career.”
That is exactly what they tell public school teachers who refuse to accept the sociopathic behavior and nonexistent academic effort displayed by any identifiable group except whitey. Seems difficult to uphold the law or try to educate without denouncing those pathologies which undermine the tasks you are charged to perform. Eric Holder could make a media event out of this by crucifying Thrasher, even though the officer’s comments were directed specifically at behavior, not race.
Shannon McDonald, a senior journalism student, Chris Harper, an associate journalism professor.
He should have known he was probably being set up by this liberal student and her professor. I imagine the officer’s statements were meant to be “off the record.” She has ruined this officer’s career, of which I’m sure she couldn’t be more proud. Another white man ruined for stating something that 90 percent of all cops, black and white agree with. She has earned her media credentials now.
“…some officers bring that prejudice to the job.”
Prejudice?! More like post-judice. How many white people do you hear saying that they had no unfavorable impression of blacks until they spent time around them?
I’m also failing to see anything in Thrasher’s comments that isn’t 100% self-evident to anyone with five senses.
Bilal, who grew up in North Philadelphia, near Marshall Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, said: “I was sick when I read that. I’ve lived in the city for 52 years and they’ve never disgusted me. My family is in North Philadelphia. Not everybody is a criminal.”
The officer said “MOST of the people who live in this area are bad people. And they happen to be black” “MOST” NOT ALL.
The truth truly will set you free — from your job.
I can understand Thrasher’s disgust with the denizens of that ghetto neighborhood. But he should have had better sense than to make his views known to a journalism student . Didn’t he know that the media is the enemy?
For those of you not familiar with Philadelphia, the area referred to in the article is one of the worst neighborhoods in Philly. Although overall crime in Philly is down, crime in the 22nd police district is up.
http://temple-news.com/tag/temple-police/
From the article;
“The only district near Temple in which both property and violent crime are up is the notoriously rough 22nd District, bound by Lehigh and Montgomery avenues to the north and south and 10th, 33rd and part of 34th streets to the east and west. In this district, which encompasses most of Main Campus, violent crime has gone up slightly while property crime increased noticeably.”
The above is from an article in the Temple University news.
I would like the student, Shannon McDonald, to take a long walk on Cecil B. Moore Ave. after dark on a hot summer night without the protection of the Philadelphia police. I’m sure that he would agree with officer Thrasher about the nature of the individuals he encounters.
Unfortunately, the courts of law seem to assume that a public employee’s speech is rarely that of a private person. In other words, the police officer did not have a right to free speech under the circumstances of this news story, which means the internal regulations of the police department are enforceable. Of course, we hope the punishment is slight, especially if it is the police officer’s first breach of regulations.
“The article enraged The Guardian Civic League, an ORGANIZATION OF BLACK PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICERS, which is calling for his dismissal.”
Once again, a black racist organization is outraged that someone other than themselves is racist.
This poor guy’s been busted by the Thought Police.
If I were him I’d say “you don’t have to fire me, I quit. As a police officer, I am ashamed that I have colleagues that don’t have the guts to tell it like it is and, because of that, I feel my life would be in danger to continue working for this neutered police department. Thank-you and I’ll see ya’ll at the next policemans funeral!”
“I’m not happy with this at all,” he said. “I take this very, very seriously. It’s not supposed to happen. You can’t serve people you don’t respect.”
That’s funny. It would appear he was serving the people just fine until this incident happened.
The truth shall set you free!! Oops, nope its not politically correct. This cop is speaking from experience and people are so brainwashed that they’d rather stick their heads in the sand.
I’ve lived in Philadelphia nearly my whole life. I know the city well, and I know exactly where 17th and Montgomery Streets is. It’s in the heart of North Philly, one of the many “hoods” the bruthas have created all throughout the city.
Make no mistake about it, North Philly is a filthy, crime-ridden dung heap, like every place on earth that black people inhabit. What this guy did was simply to express the sentiments of all clear thinking White people who aren’t deluded into thinking that the only difference between blacks and Whites is skin color.
“[Thrasher] took an oath to protect all people,” said Rochelle Bilal, who heads the group.”
I wish they’d post pics of the Philly cops who have been killed in the line of duty and of their killers.
This poor young guy is going to lose his job behind this. He’ll probably be able to find another law enforcement job, but never again in a big-city department.
The poster “idareya” makes a good point about the Guardian Civic League: A group exclusively for blacks only is calling someone else racist. As usual, no one in the media or government seems to grasp the ludicrous nature of that concept.
And yes, to agree with several of the other posters here, he should’ve kept his mouth shut. Period.
I don’t think he got played per se, but a young cop working a tough ghetto gets paired with a young female ride-along? Ouch. He doesn’t have enough time on to fully understand the (needlessly) antagonistic relationship between the media and the police, and I’m sure he was “flexing” a bit for the young lady’s benefit.
I feel sorry for him, but there’s no fixing it. Whites are essentially living in a state of de facto censorship, and this is clearly a case where he’ll pay for his comments.
When are white people going to learn NOT to be police officers in heavily black cities? WAKE UP IDIOTS. Philly is just another dump due to large black crime rates. You ever notice the people with the highest crime rates always have the most “problems” with the police? You want to be a cop? Go to a white area or Mayberry with Andy Griffith. I would do 50 “donut runs” before showing up for a call in the “hood.” What a TOTAL fraud this lying country is.
I hope he loses his job and finds a safer line of work.
What Thrasher said was the truth but he was foolish for saying it. You honestly can’t speka the truth to a liberal white student from a liberal college. He had to know she’d run and make an “expose’” out of it. But what else struck me was the one cop who noted his “dual identity as an African American and a cop.” If this guy thinks there’s a conflict there, he shouldn’t be on the force.
Seems to me if there is no recording or witness to the conversation then the cop should sue the hell out of the girl and her school for libel. Deny, deny deny.
He and a good lawyer can make up an Obama-Clinton story that he was misquoted and was just relating to the student how some non-caring, thoughtless, bad cops feel about the poor blacks, but not him. He loves blacks.
Here’s a Quote from Shannon McDonald article. “The animosity between the black communities in North Philadelphia and the 22nd police district is cyclical. Crime begets more police, begets crime, and so on, but it is unclear when and where the cycle began.”
Imagine that, more police beget more crime.
Hope he wins a couple a million and the school goes bankrupt, for a happy ending.
As a kid growing up in the mean streets of LA, CA in the 1950’s The LAPD new exactly how to deal with black thugs at that time the PD was run by a no nonesense Chief named Bill Parker. He was to the police what Gen Patton was to the army. He hired big strapping white guys as officers uniform and plainclothes He had special stake out squads to take down armed robbers. Every once and a while a scandle would erupt when some member of a minority was slain commiting a felony. But for the taxpayer’s of LA they were very pleased with the way He ran the department. How I long for those years.
Point of historical fact: The term “TNS” used by the policeman goes waaaaay back. I first heard of it in Chicago from another policeman in 1981.
And I drove through that part of Philly not long ago in broad daylight and I was scared. I drove very carefully trying to avoid being stopped by a traffic light. Keep moving, keep living, I figured.
How could that young man say such things?! Is this what we went through the 1960’s for? Is this what we’ve fought for?!
- The above is something a typical knee-jerk liberal might say in response to this article. However we know better. The young man’s perception’s were right on the mark.
“I work with black people every day. They have jobs, they support their families, they’re good people. Most of the people who live in this area are bad people. And they happen to be black.”
Mr. Thrasher is not saying that all Black people are like this. He is referring to people who live in a certain neighborhood which is high crime inhabited by low income and, likely, low intelligence Black people. He said he knows and works with Black people every day who are not like this. Clearly he is referring to the Black underclass.
“… Not everybody is a criminal.”
After reading the student’s article, Officer Bilal indicates that she thinks Officer Thrasher is referring to all Blacks. What does this tell you about the reading comprehension of Ms. Bilal? Quite simply, she failed to comprehend what she had read. Assuming she is Black and has graduated from High School then we can assume she has the reading comprehension of an 8th grader. Although I really can’t believe that even a 13 year old could read Mr. Thrasher’s statements and come away thinking that he was referring to all Blacks.
This woman, Bilal, is obviously a simple minded idiot of very low intelligence. I’ll bet she’s even too stupid to realize the mistakes she made regarding the student article. If she had to read the student reporter’s article and then was tested on it afterwards, she would fail miserably.
- Reel
This cop has to be a hopelessly out of touch idiot. Speaking the truth to his fellow cops or civilian friends is one thing. Speaking them to a politically correct journalism major, whose job it is to progagate government lies, is quite another.
I have no sympathy for this young jerk. He’s plainly an idiot. To say those things to a JOURNALISM student, of all things, is utmost stupidity! Didn’t he think he was going to be quoted? What a moron! A cop needs some sense and plenty of tact. He has none. He’s only 24, and he’s in deep trouble already. He’d never last throughout a whole police career.
Limbaugh once said that the best way to get ahead in journalism is to destroy a good person.
I have learned this as a white male teacher in minority schools:
1. Minorities are extremely hard working, want to learn, and are well behaved.
Any deviation from these facts in thought or speech will result in probable removal by an Affirmative Action minority female administrator.
Later in the article he defended his statements by claiming he isn’t a racist. “I’m not racist,” McDonald quoted him as saying in the article…. “I work with black people every day. They have jobs, they support their families, they’re good people. Most of the people who live in this area are bad people. And they happen to be black.”
Oh, so we get the obligatory denial that he’s any sort of “racist”. He should have thought of that before he made his comments.
And those bad people “just happen” to be black? There’s no connection, of course.
I’m so sick of reading about these senseless people (take MelGibson, Imus, etc.) who let their mouths shoot off and then insist that they’re not one of those awful racists. Heavens no! Why can’t they just stand up like men and take responsibility for what they said? Or if they can’t afford to take responsibility, then they shouldn’t have said it.
So, the cop is a white male, the journalism student is a white female. He should have known that she was brain-washed by the communist loving professor of her journalism class. This was a set-up to get a white male police officer fired. She will most likely get a pat on the back and a high score from the commie professor. I pray to God that all newspapers and television news go completely bankrupt and out of business. They are totally corrupt. I attended the Tea Party in Cincinnati on the 15th of March. It was very peaceful, no problems. I watched the news on t.v. that night and the reporter (black) was gushing on about how she felt threatened by us and had to go stand behind a police officer. There was NO incidents what-so-ever where anybody was threatened by anyone. It had a family atmosphere. Back to the point, this cop was probably goaded by the college girl to say something imflammatory. I am personally one of the most un-p.c. people on the planet. But then, my job isn’t on the line if I get caught using “improper” adjectives to describe other races.
I absolutely agree with this cops findings. I work in a similar neighborhood in another large american city. Sadly this cop will pay with his job for speaking his mind. Has his performance as a cop been in dispute prior to this event?
I do provide fair and equal service among the people I serve, as I believe this officer did. Just because you know them to be criminals who will lie at any opportunity doesnt mean I wont do my job fairly. I simply see the population for what it is; mostly criminals and mostly black.
The officers biggest error was to assume some ‘journalism’ student would honor an off the record comment. He should simply deny he ever said any of it, deny deny deny!
I agree with our posts. It is NOT what he said but HOW he said it!
The proper way would be to point out the obvious by using indirect, politically correct, obfuscatory, and ambiguous language. To be sure, one must always preface any remark made about blacks with: “we have people here of all colors, ages, ethnicities, sexes, national origins, religious persuasions, political orientations, and sexual orientations, who might, if, the occasion demands, be forced to act out in a temporary anti social manner.”
This hard working street smart cop, who put his life on the line every time he set foot in the “hood”, made the simple mistake of trusting this girl. Hmmmm. Assuming the girl was telling the truth, one must naturally ask WHY did the cop act so dumb?
WELL LETS SEE!
Does anyone here believe for one minute that he is the only white cop on the force that believes this? Strange, but every time I hear another cop story I think of New Orleans after the hurricane.
If this girl didn’t want to get her fingernails dirty she should have told him then - not set him up for her own self fulfilling aggrandizement! Hmmmm
In my opinion, a lot of this story depends on: (1) what the girl looks like; (2) what the cop looks like; (3) the flirtatious banter that had to have been passed between them in the car; and, (4) the effect that this revelation had at her school and in her course! Could it be that she had spent a semester listening to her professor “instruct” her on “police abuse.” Perhaps her professor, her best friend, her boyfriend, etc. was/is psssst a “member of a distinct and cognizable minority himself or herself!” Hmmmmmmm.
This cop learned yet another lesson in life - when it comes to political correctness in this country - your own friends will shoot you in your back!
MoMo
“The article enraged The Guardian Civic League, an organization of black Philadelphia police officers, which is calling for his dismissal.”
Shannon McDonald, you are an embarrassment, and a traitor to your people. I sincerely hope you someday find yourself alone in the neighborhood that you were escorted through by that cop whose life you have destroyed.
Diversity destroys free speech.
It’s time to stop letting these things “happen” so we can gripe on a computer screen. Do not accept the victim mentality. Stand up for young people. There are many retirees whose jobs are not on the line who can support this young man who committed the crime of speaking the truth about inner city crime.
Turnabout is fair play. Begin by digging through journalist’s accounts of comments by Philly cops, and find racial statements made by black Philly cops. Preferably cops in the “Civic League.” Air these comments out.
Organize a protest, best if in person, but at a minimum a letter writing campaign. Make an organization that can stand up to the Civic League by standing up for the law. Point out that this white police officer is being targeted as a racial minority in that area, a white man “not from here” in black Philly. Raise hell in the university. Write letters of complaint to the board of directors for targeting officers of the law. Point out that well-heeled university students have targeted a working class young man (the police officer).
The media and “change” crowd are quick to point out that too many conservatives are older people. But these elders who believe in protecting our country are a great asset, because retirees can speak the truth without risking their careers.
Time to stop being passive.
Watch what the black advocacy groups do and do the same thing back. They have a president, they no longer have the “victim status” anymore. Every little word, call them on it, Raise a ruckus anytime someone uses hate speech against whites. Example, words like “whitey” “pasty” “pale” “white boy” “not from here.” These are racial epithets. Time to speak out. Retirees, your age gives you freedom and respect. Stand up for young people like Officer Thrasher. Do not permit your own young be devoured.
“I work with black people every day. They have jobs, they support their families, they’re good people.”
Is this a poor example of ‘the Wilson rule’? A malady gravely afflicting both conservatives and arch uber-liberals alike… If you say one thing that is insensitive, or if you’re a researcher, and hint at wrong conclusion, you have to smother the offensive statement in 6 ‘PC’ exclamations.
This cop is a poor example, and I think it more likely this is some kind of staged outburst. As much as I think DC police Would prefer to be around a white guy like this, not too smart (they seem to instinctively repel from anything or any act that shows intelligence), this ‘rogue’ cop is most likely just another member of team diversity.
A Sheriff in NC was stupid enough to ride around with a Raleigh N&O reporter for a few days on his beat and some candid observations were made. Of course, the big differnce here is that the Sheriff is an elected official and can’t be fired short of being indicted on felonies. And he can easily win re-election.
Nevertheless the admonishments spoken here about the sleazy press need to be heeded.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/immigration/story/1209646.html
Obviously, the cop should have known better than to say this to a journalism student. I can understand his feelings, having to deal with a black underclass would sour you completely. It’s experience, not ignorance, that makes one feel this way.
“It’s the mindset of some of us [police officers] who haven’t been brought up in the city, or around people of color,” she said, referring to her dual identity of being a cop and an African-American.”
My biases against certain people and certain things, most often, have developed out of my experiences BEING AROUND THEM as opposed to having no knowledge about them.
If I were him I’d say “you don’t have to fire me, I quit.
My hat’s off to Officer Thrasher for honest reporting on a situation which other police officers and all black people know is the truth. It should come as a wake-up call to the black community there to start coming down hard on the criminal class in their midst that is killing them and giving blacks such a bad reputation - instead of blaming white racism.
I hope this ” former Philly cop ” knows to now move to our Northern tier states and become a policeman up at the Canadian border where he’ll be safe for a long time; plus this firing probably ” saved his life ” because as stated earlier by another patriotic commentator; he will avoid being assassinated by racist black people back in Philly, just like the four white policemen in Oakland or Philly ‘s officer Faulkner , several yrs. ago.
Never, NEVER say anything politically incorrect to a COLLEGE student, especially a journalism major that has an outlet to print what you say. Even thought the student saw first hand what the officer was describing and must have known the truth of his words, he was still a 21 year old kid who believes all the wonderful things he’s been told about diversity.
Hopefully he’ll outgrow it and eventually be ashamed of turning on the officer the way he did.
Posted by Cliff Yablonski at 7:28 PM on April 1
Sadly (if it happens) by that time he/she will be 30 and will have voted liberal for 10+ years. And he/she will be replaced with another wide eyed 18 year old willing to vote liberal to appear ‘hip’.
What was the old line? “Give me control of a nation’s children and…”
While I can find little sympathy for this foolish (and foul-mouthed) young man, I would be very curious to know what sort of job that Officer Bilal is doing in the PD (after 23 years on the force).
I don’t have to wonder too hard what sort of nominal assignment she must have. There are plenty like her. Is she out there fighting crime in that dangerous ghetto neighborhood she’s concerned about? Who’s kidding anyone?!! She’s probably a “community relations” officer or “neighborhood liaison” or something impressive-sounding like that, which amounts to basically nothing but an excuse for a paycheck. I can pretty well bet that she’s got a snug little desk hidden away in some obscure spot when she has plenty of time to read her magazines and gab on the phone. As such, she can pretty much write her own ticket, and given her black Civic League connections, nobody is going to mess with her.
One wonders why a black LEO was not selected to give the doe-eyed damsel a ghetto tour.
Perhaps the odds of of a sexual harassment suit were greater than the risk of a White cop shooting off his mouth.
He should have known he was probably being set up by this liberal student and her professor. I imagine the officer’s statements were meant to be “off the record.”
When you’re speaking to a journalist, NOTHING is “off the record”.
Why can I imagine a scenario where some white liberal journalism student is getting robbed and killed for her ipod, and her only regret is that she couldn’t have enlightened enough people on the plight of these poor oppressed people.
One can ignore the facts, but, that does NOT change the facts.
One wonders why a black LEO was not selected to give the doe-eyed damsel a ghetto tour.
Where were this young cop’s supervisors? Did he have a sergeant? A Patrol Supervisor? (Of course he did.) Why wasn’t he briefed beforehand as to what or what not to say and how to comport himself? Who assigned them?
Why was she assigned to ride with HIM? Of all possible officers, why was he assigned to escort HER? Perhaps he VOLUNTEERED to drive this young lady? Didn’t he have a more mature and experienced PARTNER who warned him to watch his mouth?
I don’t know the Philadelphia policy, but it seems very strange to me that he would be out there riding alone, and inexperienced as well (perhaps even still a rookie), in a dangerous ghetto neighborhood. That doesn’t happen. Something doesn’t make sense here.
I suspect this officer wasn’t happy with his job, and now has found an excuse to leave it. There’s definitely a silver lining here. Being a white cop exposed to black populations is a recipe for racial awareness. Practically every white cop so exposed becomes a “racist” after a few years on the job. Most of them probably remain on the force, in a virtual ghetto for racially aware whites. This fellow won’t, and he’ll tend to spread racial awareness wherever he goes.
I’d like to see massive amounts of “churn” of white officers in police departments serving black populations; would mean many more racially aware young white men leaving the racially aware ghetto of the police forces and carrying their message into the general white population.
Actually, the term is TNB, not TNS.
This guy should have known not to shoot off his mouth like that.
“When you’re speaking to a journalist, NOTHING is “off the record”.”
This exemplifies the lows to which our profession has fallen. A decent journalist does not stoop this low. I have conducted many interviews in my life. Anytime someone says, “off the record,” either before the utterance or afterward, I am bound by this except under very unusual circumstances. If I have received information about a crime that has occurred or may occur, I am not bound to keep secrets. I ought to report this to the police and even bust the guy.
However, even here it depends. Maybe I interview a drug dealer or drug smuggler. As part of the interview, I am bound not to reveal any revealing info about the person. If I interview a guerrilla or even a terrorist, I am bound not to reveal anything about their whereabouts as part of the deal for the interview.
Typically, when I am going to run an interview or even quote someone, I run the piece by them one more time and allow them to make any adjustments that they wish in their quotes. This is all a matter of ethics and also honor. That our profession no longer honors this creed is why we are hated so much and why some folks even want to kill us. We are about as low as common thugs these days.
I hope that when Shannon McDonald graduates and starts applying for jobs, that each job she applies for goes to an affirmative action hire.
“I suspect this officer wasn’t happy with his job, and now has found an excuse to leave it.”
Five things —
“Didn’t he have a more mature and experienced PARTNER who warned him to watch his mouth? … it seems very strange to me that he would be out there riding alone, and inexperienced as well (perhaps even still a rookie), in a dangerous ghetto neighborhood.”
How much wisdom and experience does this tough-talking young wise guy have under his belt? What does he know? In fact, he IS a rookie! The article clearly states that:
“The rookie cop made the incendiary remarks as he escorted Shannon McDonald, a senior journalism student, around the district.”
That means he should be out there with a training officer or at least an experienced partner. Why would a rookie, a white one, be riding in a bad ghetto area, unsupervised, and without an experienced partner? And why would they assign a reporter to ride with a rookie? No one else was available? That’s crazy! Someone higher should be accountable.
I have to wonder if some other member of Officer Bilal’s black watchdog group might have prepared the Roll Call assignments? Hmmm. Very possibly. In fact, it’s highly likely that it was a female black. Sounds to me like this bizarre situation could be another glowing product of diversity.
If you have a look behind the scenes, this is the way big city police departments are going. Like everything else, efficiency is turning to chaos.
To Anonymous:
I can assure you, from personal experience, that the “journalism” student wound up with Officer Thrasher because he was the low man on the seniority list.
Any of us with a good bit of time on would know better than to get anywhere near a ride-along like that; it’s simply a recipe for disaster.
I do agree with your point though that a supervisor should’ve pulled him to the side after roll call and given him a “Keep your mouth shut” warning. Senior officers should be looking out for the newer, more junior officers.
Most likely Thrasher is the typical, passionate young officer who’s new to the ghetto and still thinks he can have a positive impact. He hasn’t been an officer long enough to get his mind around the primal, savage way blacks behave towards one another.
I’d say his comments were less an expression of racial prejudice than they were frustration at watching an entire race of people devour one another for no reason whatsoever.
On the other hand, “Officer” Bilal is a joke. I can guarantee you she hasn’t made an arrest in ten or more years. She’s never been in a fight or a self-initiated foot chase. That Civic League gig she’s got is how she keeps herself from having to confront and control real, live criminals. She keeps the badge and handgun but doesn’t do any of the police work that comes with it.
Bilal is most likely a useless loud mouth with a 50-inch waist and a sassy tongue. She’s probably gained popularity with the “community” by forewarning them of outstanding warrants and pending drug raids. If anyone should be gotten rid of, it’s her.
“[Thrasher] took an oath to protect all people,” said Rochelle Bilal, who heads the group. “If that’s the way he feels about black people, then he needs to be off our streets.”
Yeah, I’m sure this black officer’s group really cares about non-blacks who are robbed, raped and murdered by blacks every day.
“Officer” Bilal is a joke. I can guarantee you she hasn’t made an arrest in ten or more years. She’s never been in a fight or a self-initiated foot chase. That Civic League gig she’s got is how she keeps herself from having to confront and control real, live criminals. She keeps the badge and handgun but doesn’t do any of the police work that comes with it. Bilal is most likely a useless loud mouth with a 50-inch waist and a sassy tongue.”
A few years back, the NYPD coming under pressure for too many deadwood cops hiding behind desks, made a rule that everyone had to make at least one arrest per year. (These being desk cops, often female and black.) There were some who hadn’t made a arrest in such a long time that they didn’t even remember how, or how to fill out the paperwork. This little problem was gotten around by having someone else make an arrest FOR them and then steer them through the formalities. Pure window dressing.
We had one such black female, about 2 years on patrol, no more, and then inside forever. (“I did my time on the street!”) Her partner on patrol, an EXTREMELY aggressive male black (excessively so), had handled all the rough stuff while she simply drove. They made a great many arrests in drug locations (he doing all the work) — though many of them were of questionable quality. On his part, he received many complaints of brutality, to the point where he had to be removed off the street and assigned indoors to answering the phone. Even when on the phone, he got MORE (!) civilian complaints for yelling and cursing at people, so he had to be gotten completely out of contact with the public. Then, he got ANOTHER complaint for sexually harassing female clerical employees inside the station house! That did it, and he was transferred elsewhere.
To complete the story, after being bounced around to various precincts, he left the Department completely, I don’t know under what circumstances. A couple of years later, he was arrested in the wee hours of the night at a notorious drug location in the Bronx. Predictably, he got very violent with the arresting officders, insisting that he was an cop himself and offering some explanation like he was just there to monitor the situation.
Shannon McDonald is just another useful idiot tool to the Marxists that now run the US. That said, I have no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing. This was a blatant attempt to curry favor with her Marxist masters in order to get that first media gig in the hopes of one day ending up on CNN, FOX, MSNBC or any of the Marxist / Neocon propaganda channels that spew anti-white garbage 24/7. McDonald doesn’t realize two things; first, her professors wouldn’t care if she had been pulled from the police car and beaten to death by a black mob. An incident like that could have been used to bray about conditions created by white racism. Second, the US is collapsing. It isn’t going to last long enough for her to get that “good job” at one of the networks. The way things are spiraling toward a true, second civil war, she’s probably going to get a real taste of diversity from the non-whites she feels so protective of. Once the “troubles” hit full swing, fools like McDonald will comprise the mass of whites who will be stupid enough to greet the angry non-white hoards while spewing diversity mantras their very disingenuous Marxist masters stuffed into their heads. These brainwashed cattle won’t last more than a few minutes. Reality never sets in for these people until it’s too late.
“Shannon McDonald is just another useful idiot tool to the Marxists that now run the US. That said, I have no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing. This was a blatant attempt to curry favor with her Marxist masters.”
— — — —
While the above is possible, let’s not go overboard. The fact is that we don’t know almost anything about her. I think you’re jumping to far too many conclusions here.
No has even claimed that she was lying or misrepresenting. Thus, she didn’t invent anything. They’re not saying she did. All she did was report the story, and quote what he said. That is what reporters do! They tell the story, and they use interesting quotes.
If he gave her an juicy quote to use — and didn’t even take care to specify that it was meant to be off the record — then the onus is on him for being so foolish. I doubt this girl was consciously TRYING to get anyone fired, she was just doing a job.
She may feel terrible about it now. I wouldn’t be surprised. Well, just like him, she’s learning.
Quite possibly, she’s just as surprised and shocked as he by the nasty outome of all this. They’re both the same tender age, and probably neither one of them was thinking ahead.
“browser” has obviously never worked in a newsroom. I have. It’s all about spin, presenting something, anything, that fits the goals and worldview of the marxists. Lots of students know this and tailor their projects and assignments to gain the blessings of their professors and the editors and/or station managers they are in class under or interning for. The fact that these people know what’s going on and do their best to perpetuate it, in the selfish interest of becoming a media star makes them even more deserving of our contempt.
Anonymous wrote;
“I don’t know the Philadelphia policy, but it seems very strange to me that he would be out there riding alone, and inexperienced as well (perhaps even still a rookie), in a dangerous ghetto neighborhood. That doesn’t happen. Something doesn’t make sense here.”
That is Philly policy. Once a rookie is finished his training, he goes out alone in his own patrol car. The only cops who have partners are the ones in the vans. The article states that Thrasher joined the force in February 2007. That’s slightly over two years ago. He was no rookie.
A friend of mine who is a Philly cop once told me that the police consider the area around Temple University as occupied territory.
As a kid I remember seeing the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium in North Philly. I wouldn’t go into that area again if you paid me.
