BAD COPS

Racist Cop Emails Jeopardize 500+ Cases

Police sent black and domestic-violence jokes.

The Miami Beach Police Department is investigating whether its officers unjustly influenced 540 cases after several were caught sending each other racist emails and sexist and pornographic images. Sixteen police officers were involved in the emails, which involved jokes like a “Black Monopoly,” in which all squares read “go to jail,” and images of abused women with captions reading “Domestic violence. Because sometimes, you have to tell her more than once.” Two of the accused were high-ranking: one of them has since retired and the other was fired. “These activities are a breach of trust. They are disgusting,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Our goal is to make sure our office reviews with a fine-toothed comb all of these cases.” Investigators will also examine whether emailing an autopsy photo violated state law, and will make sure none of the pornographic images sent included minors.