Oakland police launch investigation into racist statements allegedly made by probationary officer

OAKLAND – The Oakland Police Department on Wednesday evening announced it is investigating a “series of racist, bigoted and derogatory statements” a police officer reportedly made in social media posts nearly a dozen years ago.

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The officer, who the department did not name but described as a probationary employee, is no longer employed by the city, officials said in a statement.

The police department said it immediately launched an internal affairs investigation on Feb. 2 after a media outlet brought the alleged statements to its attention.

“We’re going to do every single thing we can to get to the bottom of this,” Interim Assistant Chief Trevelyon Jones said in a recorded statement. “We have to have people here at the Oakland Police Department that love Oakland and care about the community. We cannot have people here who hold racist, hateful views serving our community.”

The police department said it is working with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to investigate “any and all cases” that may be impacted by the officer’s alleged conduct.

A separate investigation is also underway into the police department’s hiring and screening procedures “to ensure that the values of potential employees are in alignment with the city and the department,” the police department said in the statement.

“We give the community our word that we’re going to do everything that we can and look deep into our practices to make sure that wherever the gaps are that they get fixed and that they get fixed immediately,” Jones said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.