Fired Miami cops joked about using black neighborhoods for target practice

3 rookie police officers were fired for suggesting that a predominately black neighborhood is a good place for target practice in a group chat with other cops.

Three rookie Miami police officers fired two days before Christmas joked in a group chat with other cops about using predominately black neighborhoods for target practice, an internal affairs investigation found this month.

“Anyone know of an indoor shooting range in Miami?” one officer asked.

“Go to model city they have moving targets,” replied another.

“There’s a range in overtown on 1 and 11. Moving targets and they don’t charge,” added a third.

Read more here: www.miamiherald.com...=cpy

2 of the three cops were people of color and they didn't mean to offend anyone, it was just things that they saw during their training in the historically black communities.
Their off the cuff comments about the historically black communities upset colleagues and supervisors. And the department was just coming under US department of Justice supervision due to a spate of police shootings. So they were fired.

Officers Kevin Bergnes, Miguel Valdes and Bruce Alcin told an investigator that they were joking, or just commenting on what they’d seen in the city during their training and weren’t trying to offend anyone. Alcin himself is African American, and Valdes has a black grandfather.

Still, their off-the-cuff remarks about two of the city’s historically black communities upset colleagues and supervisors, and came as the department is under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Justice following a spate of questionable police shootings.

Read more here: www.miamiherald.com...=cpy

a reply to: seasonal

I call that locker room talk.

a reply to: seasonal

Any other time, none of their "offended" colleagues would have said a word about it. But this...

the department was just coming under US department of Justice supervision

Is why they got fired. Got to keep your ass covered.

Get coward cops off of our streets and off the public payroll.

They got fired.
They deserved to be fired.
Cops get fired everyday.
Why is this a thread?

a reply to: DAVID64

All they said was that the high crime rate neighborhoods are good for target practice.

That doesn't mean they wanted to practice shooting somebody because of their race. They just meant it as a fact that working in those neighborhoods often produce situations where shots fired is necessary.

a reply to: ColdWisdom

It is obvious these rookies didn't understand their audience. It happens a lot, but they won't get a second chance.

a reply to: c2oden

Yet you commented.

a reply to: ColdWisdom

Plumbers talk about septic system and maxi pad pugged toilets.

Firemen talk about burned bodies and stupid people doing stupid things.

Cops talk about domestic violence and shooting/stabbings.

I hope they have a union that can help, but I also see the point to can them. I'm a fence sitter.

a reply to: ColdWisdom

“Go to model city they have moving targets,” replied another.
“There’s a range in overtown on 1 and 11. Moving targets and they don’t charge,” added a third.

Bullsh**. They knew exactly what they were saying.

ETA; In a town where I used to live, the West end of the city was mostly Black people. Maybe 1 or 2 out of every 100 people were White. If I said "Hey, let's go to the West side and get some target practice. They have moving targets" exactly who would you think I was referring to?

a reply to: DAVID64

Agreed, 2 of the three were people of color. So how can this be racism?

Loose lips cost jobs!....it will soon be a crime to think god forbid speak unless it toes the party line

It was in bad taste perhaps but for goodness sake when did everyone become so fragile? We ALL say crap now and again...mostly jokingly....having a laugh its called.....but I think that's a crime now too as everyone it seems has the right to be offended on behalf of someone else!

Do any of you realize how disproportionately high violence in black neighborhoods is? Could he have been commenting on that undeniable fact? I'm not defending his stupid comment, but lets be real. 6% of the country is committing nearly half the violent crime.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: ColdWisdom

Plumbers talk about septic system and maxi pad pugged toilets.

Firemen talk about burned bodies and stupid people doing stupid things.

Cops talk about domestic violence and shooting/stabbings.

I hope they have a union that can help, but I also see the point to can them. I'm a fence sitter.

Same here. Timing and audience means everything. I would bet they get another chance elsewhere, and with some wisdom gained.

a reply to: TheBulk

Let's not dust off the facts and use them, that is being silly/Sarc

a reply to: seasonal

Define "of color". Hispanic people can be racist against Black people, as much as White people can be racist against Hispanic or Black. Just because someone is "of color" doesn't mean they can't be racist. I've seen Black people be racist against Black people, because they were on different income levels and thought they were better, because they made more money, had a nicer house, etc. That cops could be against people of their own color would be no surprise.

a reply to: TheBulk

While true, that still doesn't give anyone the right to use them for target practice.

a reply to: DAVID64

One of the police officers were black and the others grand dad was black. If that matters.

a reply to: seasonal

Ya know. If they actually shot some moving targets in the neighborhood instead of joking about it, they would still be employed.

Strange world we live in.

a reply to: seasonal

Greetings-

•••Disclaimer••• I'm a retired cop so know that going in ••••

If You're on "Probation" the City/County/PD can fire You for anything from being late to line-up or showing up for work w/Your boots looking like You shined them w/a Hershey™.. This is the time of Your career where You are to be seen and NOT heard and if IF You do open Your mouth it is to be in either the affirmative or positive followed by Sir/Madam. PERIOD. I KNOW about the Hershey™ bar comment because I heard a Training Officer say this to a 'former recruit'.
This is when ALL EYES/EARS are on You. In most departments the Probationary Period is 18 months, some departments cut it down to 1 year if the Trainee has prior LEO experience. This is when the Trainee is assigned to different shifts to see how they will react to different environments. This is when the Trainee will be 'judged' by ALL the other officers and Staff (lets NOT forget the Staff.. You piss off the dispatchers and You'll receive just about every snippy call in the hopper.. And if You think the Staff don't have a say then You've sniffed too much glue..)

So if these 'would-be Officers' are talking smack and they haven't even made a pinch (arrest) then they got what they deserved. Get rid of them PRIOR to them acting out.

Now once You get off of Probation, it is then You 'can' become an old Army gun "You don't work and they can't fire You..." but You have to pass Probation first...

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