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| Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard |
September 15, 2012 4:09 PM ET
First, the Rochester, NY Police department tried to buy the community's respect and trust through a billboard campaign, at taxpayers expense, targeting the African-American and Latino community, with slogans such as "We've Got Your Back" and "On The Same Team."
The billboards, which featured actual African-American and Latino R.P.D officers, were a clear and desperate attempt by Chief James Sheppard, the R.P.D., and Rochester, NY Mayor Thomas Richards to make "reparations" of sorts, with the very same communities (African-Americans and Latinos) which the R.P.D has a long history of harassing, racially profiling, beating and killing.
When that didn't work, Chief Sheppard and the City of Rochester came up with the "Fish with a Cop" event, where R.P.D officers would would go fishing with African-American and Latino inner city youth.
Now, in their latest desperate attempt to repair years of harassing, racially profiling, abusing and in some cases even killing innocent blacks and latinos, the R.P.D. announced the "Skate with a Cop" program, where R.P.D. cops will skateboard, rollerblade and bmx bike with inner city youth.
The program is designed to connect kids with Rochester Police Officers in a positive environment.
R.P.D. Chief James Sheppard must think Rochester's African-American and Latino community is stupid, or that they will just forget, or ignore what RPD cops do to them every single day on Rochester's streets.
For example, Rochester, NY Police officers Rob Osipovitch and Ryan Hartley, who racially profiled Jeramie Bordeaux, and in order to have a reason to pull him over, Osipovitch and Hartley violated their sworn oath to serve, protect and uphold the law, when they lied, saying that Mr. Bordeaux did not come to a full stop at the intersection of Conkey Avenue and Avenue D, on Rochester's eastside.
As a result of these two R.P.D. cops' lies, who also claimed to have found drugs and a weapon in Bordeaux's vehicle, an innocent man ended up spending four months in jail, before a Monroe County Court Judge dismissed all the charges against him after watching the video.
Despite his officers violating their oath, the Constitution of the United States of America, and committing perjury, Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppard refused to take any disciplinary action whatsoever again officers Rob Osipovitch and Ryan Hartley.
Even though they lied, falsified police reports and committed perjury in front of a Grand Jury.
By Sheppard refusing to take action against his rogue officers, Sheppard is actually "co-signing" each act of harassment, abuse, racial profiling and unnecessary killings of African-Americans and Latinos by his officers.
Just a few weeks ago, R.P.D. Chief James Sheppard, along with Rochester, NY Mayor Thomas Richards announced operation "Cool Down."
At a press conference announcing "Cool Down", Sheppard addressed the community, “If you’re riding a bike and it doesn’t have a bell, we’re going to stop you. If it doesn’t have lights, we’re going to stop you. Tail light’s out – we’re going to stop you, If you’re on a corner and we think you’re engaged in criminal activity, we’re going to stop you.”
Operation "Cool Down" has resulted in an even greater number of innocent citizens, including black and latino youth, being racially profiled, stopped, harassed and abused by R.P.D. cops, already looking for an excuse to stop and illegally search people.
In other words, operation "Cool Down" has been nothing more than a "free pass" for rogue, corrupt R.P.D. cops already looking for a reason to abuse innocent people.
Most recently, the City of Rochester and the Rochester Police department, have taken to the internet in their desperate attempts to gain the community's respect.
The City of Rochester created a Youtube channel where they have posted several propaganda videos, including one where Sheppard talks about black on black crime, and slams the Rochester, NY community for what he says is them "not caring" about youth being killed in Rochester.
In the video, which the City of Rochester has intentionally blocked viewers from being able to post comments, Sheppard criticizes those who turned out in downtown Rochester, a few months ago, to protest the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
Sheppard clearly has some nerve, when as Chief, he has failed to stand up to, or discipline his out of control thugs with uniforms.
Chief Sheppard, respect and trust is earned.
Respect and trust are not bought with billboards, fishing poles and skateboards.
Nice try though.
Link of Rochester, NY Police illegal traffic stop which led to an innocent man spending 4 months in jail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqprfY4KCm0
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