Atlanta Police: The Writing on the Wall

The Atlanta Police Department’s abuse of power in the Atlanta Eagle raid, and the news since, brought up a few questions for me.

Prior to Atlanta Pride (this past weekend) and since the Atlanta Eagle raid there were some objections to Officer Dani Lee Harris (LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Department) participating in Atlanta Pride as a co-Grand Marshal.

I read an article where Officer Dani Lee Harris mentioned the size of the Atlanta Police department (around 1400) and I was a bit puzzled why, due to the size of the department, there was only one LGBT liaison officer and that officer was not an officer of rank.

In my mind, this would suggest the Atlanta Police Department and, more then likely, the city leaders simply don’t care.

For example, the Washington D.C. Police Department has a Lieutenant, a Sergeant and 8 other officers in their Gay Liaison Unit.

In regards to population size, Washington D.C. is about 15% larger than Atlanta. However, regarding police department size, the Washington D.C. police department is a little over 2 times bigger.

So Washington D.C. has a 10 person Gay Liaison and Atlanta has 1 person.

Perhaps Washington D.C. has 10 times more LGBT related issues? Or should I say, “reported issues”?

www.GayTalkRadio.org a 24/7 LGBTQIA Independent Internet Radio Station. Visit, Listen, Support and become involved.

U.K.: Hate crime award

STAFFORDSHIRE Police has been recognised for its achievements in encouraging the reporting of homophobic hate crime and supporting staff.

Hate crime officer PC Andy Clarke accepted the Outstanding Achievement by an Organisation award on behalf of the force from Staffordshire County Council's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Staff Support Network.

The network works closely with internal and external agencies to try and raise awareness and reduce discrimination against and isolation of LGBT people.

The Rainbow awards celebrate work that has been achieved to date.

full article

AUSTIN: Anti-gay comments cost police commander his job

(Austin, Texas) A veteran police commander has been suspended for 20 days for demonstrating "personal bias" toward gay officers and a second commander who did not report the remark and then refused to take a suspension for it has been fired.

Cmdr. Calvin Smith, a 34 year veteran of the force and the newly appointed supervisor of the Austin police training academy, told outgoing supervisor Cmdr. Larry Oliver that he was worried about the "kind of message" the potential transfer of a gay female officer would send at the academy the Austin American Statesman reported.

Smith later denied the woman a transfer to his command. Oliver, following that, mentioned the conversation that Smith had had with him to another female officer and a complaint was filed with internal affairs.

Smith agreed to a 20 day suspension but Oliver refused to accept a 30-day suspension for not reporting the incident.

He was subsequently fired. It is not known if he will appeal.

"We hold our commanders to the highest standards, which were not met in this case," Assistant Police Chief David Carter, is the department's chief of staff, told The Statesman.

full article

The Austin police officer who complained that a commander discriminated against her because of her sexual orientation wrote in a memo to top police officials that she was "horrified" at the severity of the punishment offered to a second commander for not reporting it.

full followup article

Michael Cho; murdered by police?

Nearly 150 students gathered in Bruin Plaza for a candlelight vigil in memory of alum shot by police

Signs reading, “10 shots too many,” and “La Habra Police killed my friend” rose from the crowd of students, many of whom wore black T-shirts bearing Cho’s picture and the words, “Justice for Mike Cho.”

According to police, on the night of Cho’s death, two officers arrived at the parking lot of a La Habra liquor store in response to reports of vandalism. They fired their weapons when Cho did not immediately comply with their commands to drop the tire iron he was holding.

The Orange County district attorney's office is investigating the shooting, but few community leaders expect the two officers involved to be punished for the 25-year-old artist's death. Authorities refused to identify the officers.

The caller identified a man who turned out to be Cho, who was standing outside a liquor store. A store surveillance tape first obtained by the Korea Times and posted on the Internet shows Cho walking toward two officers, who have guns drawn, a sequence that lasts about 25 seconds.

Honglan Cho said the surveillance tape shows that her son was "very calm and relaxed" and not a threat to police.

Computerized police logs obtained by New America Media suggest the officers quickly turned to deadly force when they confronted Cho, whom they suspected of vandalism.

According to the Computer Automated Transcript documenting the incident, at 2:04 p.m. the cops contacted their dispatcher to say they’d located Cho. “Out with the subject near the liquor store,” the transcript reads.

Just 41 seconds later they radioed dispatch again, this time saying they’d shot the suspect and now needed paramedics to attend to him.

http://www.justiceformikecho.com/

http://koreanpower999.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/stop-police-brutality-remember-michael-cho/

http://www.angryasianman.com/2008/02/tonight-candlelight-vigil-for-mike-cho.html

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ad58d8b8031a47854d3676200f5c5be5

UK: Anti-gay police complaints 'rise'

The number of complaints about homophobia within the police has risen by almost a quarter, according to the Gay Police Association.

The Gay Police Association said it was aware of colleagues refusing to serve with gay officers and quoting sections of the Bible at them on parade grounds.

The Association of Chief Police Officers said it was aware of the concerns and has drawn up new guidance for senior officers to make it clear that discrimination cannot be justified on religious grounds.

ACPO's lead officer on sexual orientation, Lancashire Police deputy chief constable Mike Cunningham, said he was aware of the concerns raised by the Gay Police Association.

"Any form of homophobia has no place in the police. People with all religious beliefs also have a right to hold a religious belief. Where that crosses the line is when it infringes on the rights of other individuals with whom they are working.

full article

9 married men arrested for mens room sex

DAYTONA BEACH: The men who cruise these restrooms relay sexual interest through signals such as coughing, grunting, sharp zipper noises and tapping on shoes, but no one was arrested until their actions turned blatantly sexual, said Sgt. Jeff Hoffman, the lead investigator.

Daytona Beach police staked out the second-floor Sears restroom all day Thursday after the store manager informed them he had caught men masturbating in the stalls, and that a suspicious man was repeatedly seen on camera entering and leaving the restroom. Investigators also saw this restroom -- and others in the area -- listed on several Web sites as a hook-up place for men.

One of the men arrested was Mike Shallow, 57, a former Daytona Beach city commissioner and a mayoral candidate in the last three elections.

Former City Commissioner Darlene Yordon worked with Shallow to clean up Daytona Beach events while they served together, then later became a bitter rival during a bruising mayoral race.

Yordon said she was disappointed Shallow would hurt his wife and the public's trust with such flagrant behavior.

more

Atlanta police ignores homeless homophobia

When Tony Shelley moved from the tiny town of Jasper in the North Georgia mountains to the heart of Midtown Atlanta almost two years ago, he thought he was coming somewhere he could live more freely as a gay man. Instead, he said he’s often too timid to leave his home for fear of being verbally assaulted as a “queer and faggot” by the homeless in Midtown.

“He came at me and punched me in the face, and that’s where I got the black eye,” Shelley told members of the MPSA, a neighborhood security group.

Caribou employees and customers encounter “numerous issues on a daily basis” with harassment from the homeless, Scott said. In addition to witnessing Shelley’s “fist fight,” Scott said he’s seen homeless people toss Caribou’s patio furniture into the street, and had a homeless man chase him around with a four-foot pipe. He’s also seen potential customers avoid coming to Caribou for fear of being berated for money.

Emergency dispatchers generally give a low priority to complaints about the homeless, said Lt. Trudy Boyce, coordinator of APD’s “Project HOPE,” which links Atlanta’s homeless with mental health and addiction services.

Birmingham, UK: Gay clubs targeted

Cosby Homes, a development company has complained to the local council that the Nightingale, the biggest gay club in the area, emits too much noise and holds "unauthorised adult entertainment."

The complaint comes six months after they were turned down to develop 162 flats on land close to the venue. Crosby Homes are appealing the rejection.

"We're a regulated and constituted club which has operated in Birmingham for nearly 40 years in an industrial entertainment zone."

The club does host regular "porn nights" and often promotes male strippers. It now faces a license review.

Meanwhile, nearby gay venue, the Fountain faces its license being revoked after police say they found crime and disorder and child protection issues at the venue.

Police Superintendent Jim Titley said "We apologise for what we feel has been a breakdown in communications with the gay community, but we had no choice but to refer the Fountain to the licensing committee.

Birmingham Police Forum for the Gay Community member defended the Fountain: "The pub has no history of problems, in fact it's the kind of place that many people take their mothers to."

NYPD: excessive force - false arrest

9/27/07 NEW YORK - On the night of Wednesday, September 26, officers from the 9th Precinct of the New York Police Department attacked without provocation members of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and of its community. Two of our community members were violently arrested, and others were pepper sprayed in the face without warning or cause.

On Wednesday night, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a celebration and fundraising event at a bar in the East Village.

A group of our community members, consisting largely of queer and transgender people of color, witnessed two officers attempting to detain a young Black man outside of the bar. Several of our community members asked the officers why they were making the arrest and using excessive force. Despite the fact that our community was on the sidewalk, gathered peacefully and not obstructing foot traffic, the NYPD chose to forcefully grab two people and arrested them. Without warning, an officer then sprayed pepper spray across the group in a wide arc, temporarily blinding many and causing vomiting and intense pain.

UPDATE:

Reggie and Ileana have just been released from police custody! The DA declined prosecution, which means that no charges are being pressed. They are free and clear, and are now getting the support they need from their community - in person.

Idaho police ignore hate crime

A gay man in Ammon, Idaho, says the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office is ignoring his plea for protection from malicious harassment and he may seek legal action.

He says his house has been hit with human feces, spray painted with anti-gay insults, and vandalized.

Chukk Nielson told a local television reporter that he is fearful for his safety, that of his partner and his 11-year-old son.

“Came out to open mail, one time there was a deer head inside, and now there’s egg mush,” Nielson told KIDK reporter Araksya Karapetyan .

He said his property was "spray painted with words fag and queer." Nielson also said human feces was wrapped inside toilet papered and "thrown up against our house.”

Nielson said several outdoor lights were stolen from an outside bush. He told the local reporter that some of the egg thrown at his house will not come off. "Can’t get egg off, once it got hot, it baked on,” he said.

He said that the police told him he has to see the people who have done the crime before they can act upon his many requests for protection and that the police never record his complaint.

“We’ve been told unless we physically see the perpetrators doing the action, that they can’t do anything about it. They did take picture every time, but never got filed, don’t have case number don’t know where file went,” he said.

Neilson said the police are not taking an active role in the investigation because of his sexual orientation.