A Northern California law enforcement agency has entered a multi-year reform agreement with the Department of Justice following an investigation into a racist text message scandal. Several members of the Antioch Police Department were accused of participating in the communications, which dated back to 2019.
The revelatory probe was made public in the spring of 2023. “It was devastating, honestly. We had more than two years of healing sessions in the community with therapists and counselors and resources and talking with families,” said Tamisha Torres-Walker, Antioch council member, of the aftermath of the controversy.
On Jan. 2, the department agreed to abide by a 25-page guide outlining requirements such as the hiring of a law enforcement consultant, updates to its non-discriminatory protocols, rules, policies and police training, as well as guidelines on hiring, disciplining and firing personnel.
Fourteen officers were named in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and FBI investigation in April 2023. Former Mayor Lamar Thorpe called for the accused men and women to be terminated when messages uncovered the use of racial slurs such as the N-word, derogatory statements about the city’s Mexican community, as well as crude humor mocking the death of George Floyd. “Not every officer who was involved in the past culture of the police department is gone. We don’t know how many officers will return,” said Torres-Walker.
That same month, Ellen McDonnell, a county public defender, said the text exchange revealed “an entrenched culture of hatred, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and violence” throughout the department. Outcry from the public led to a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of five residents and a family member of a deceased man, all of whom claimed to have “experienced malicious treatment” by Antioch police during the timeframe the messages were sent.
In a Jan. 3 interview with NBC Bay Area, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey said the Department of Justice is “committed to making sure that police officers don’t discriminate based on race” and that “we will use the resources that we have and the legal tools at our disposal to make sure that those who do are held accountable.”
In a statement to the news outlet, Mayor Ron Bernal stated, "This five-year settlement agreement reflects our commitment to addressing unacceptable actions and past failures."