Group Of SFPD Officers Accused Of Trading Racist Text Messages To Get Their Jobs Back
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A group of San Francisco Police officers who were suspended over racist text messages will be back on the force with back pay after a judge ruled Monday that charges were filed too late.
"The department was aware of the allegations of misconduct, and yet they specifically set them aside and did nothing for many years," Allison Berry Wilkinson, an attorney for the officers said Monday.
At issue was a slew of racist and homophobic messages between ten officers that were uncovered in part of a federal corruption case. SFPD was told by the feds to take no action.
"You have to let the criminal investigation play out before you go forward on the administrative side," Police Chief Greg Suhr said.
By the time the department made their move, the statute of limitations had run out for firing the officers.
As for the officers, Suhr says he isn't sure what will happen with them.
"I can't think of a place where I could put such officers," Suhr said Monday.
District Attorney George Gascon said the officers will be of little use to him.
"These officers cannot provide any testimony, so there is no question that we could ever use them. We just can't," Gascon said.
The city could be on the hook for around $300,000 in attorney's fees for the officers.
