Top GA cops investigated for calling women cops dykes Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source:mnovick@laedu.lalc.k12.ca.us Thu Nov 6 22:43:12 1997 Investigation centers on top county cops Police officials are accused of making disparaging remarks, which were unknowingly broadcast, about a female officer and secretary. By Amanda Walker and Bob Sechler / Savannah Morning News Top-ranking Chatham County Police Department officials are accused of making offensive remarks about female co-workers, spurring an internal affairs investigation into the officers' conduct. Few details about the investigation have been released officially. But it apparently stems from remarks made by Maj. Billy Freeman and Capt. Doug Burkhalter as they sat in a county-owned car about two weeks ago while unaware that the vehicle's police radio was broadcasting. Chief Tom Sprague also was in the car at the time but didn't participate in the conversation in which Freeman and Burkhalter are accused of referring to two female police employees as ''dykes,'' a derogatory term for lesbians. The conversation was recorded at the county police headquarters by dispatchers, as are all police communications. The tape was then forwarded to a supervisor. County and police officials say the tape -- considered a public record -- won't be released until the investigation is completed. Neither of the officers accused of making the remarks has been suspended pending the investigation. But the lawyer for one of the women says the statements already have had a drastic effect on his client. ''A better way to look at it is to say that she's been stabbed in the back and kicked in the gut,'' said William Bell, attorney for one of the women mentioned in the phone conversation. ''The statements that were made were false -- they have no basis in fact. She's married and has a family.'' The woman's family has been devastated by the statements, Bell said. Freeman, Burkhalter and Sprague are refusing to comment on the investigation. ''My basic position on this is that things like this happen when you have a woman who has obtained and succeeded at a position that has been traditionally held by males in the past,'' Bell said. ''But regardless, women shouldn't be subjected to something like this. At this point, we're not quite sure what we're going to do. We're just waiting to see what the county does.'' Bell said he thinks the county may be giving the officers involved special privileges during the investigation because of their ranks. ''If a member of the rank and file had done something like this, they would have been suspended immediately,'' he said. ''But we do believe county officials will do the right thing once they finish conducting their investigation.'' County Manager Russ Abolt has notified members of the County Commission about the investigation -- although he supplied commissioners with few details. ''We just got the shortest memo (from Abolt last week) alleging that there were some inappropriate comments on the radio,'' Commissioner Martin Jackel said. Abolt refused to comment Tuesday other than to confirm the investigation. In his memo to commissioners, he didn't say who was under investigation or when the radio incident occurred. He vowed to let the commission know of the outcome. WHAT HAPPENED: Offensive comments apparently made by top county police officers were inadvertently broadcast over police radios, leading to an internal investigation of misconduct. WHAT IS MEANS: The investigation is ongoing, making the outcome unclear. WHAT'S NEXT: All the officers involved remain on the job. Once the investigation is completed, the tape of the radio conversation has to be released as public record. No timetable has been set. Web posted 11/4/97 In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Be PART of the solution -- People Against Racist Terror/ PO Box 1055/Culver City CA 90232-1055/310-288-5003/ Order our journal "Turning the Tide." mnovickttt@igc.org Free Mumia Abu Jamal! Free All POW's and Political Prisoners! Abolish the Racist Death Penalty! ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytfem-11.07.97-09:32:20-28201