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KPBS Midday Edition

Report Connects Hundreds Of Law Enforcement Officers To Online Hate Groups

The Facebook website appears on a computer screen, March 28, 2019
Jade Hindmon
The Facebook website appears on a computer screen, March 28, 2019
An investigation by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting found numerous police officers post and engage with racist memes, conspiracy theories and Islamophobia as members of Facebook hate groups.

From slave patrols to the FBI's warning of white supremacists infiltrating police departments, law enforcement and racism have a long history. Until recent years that long history has been in the shadows. The information age is changing that by bringing disturbing trends into the light.

A new report from Reveal from The Center For Investigative Reporting called,'To Protect and Slur,' shows law enforcement officials across the country are participating in private hate groups on social media.

"More than 50 departments launched internal investigations after being presented with our findings, in some cases saying they would examine officers’ past conduct to see if their online activity mirrored their policing in real life," Will Carless, who co-authored the story, wrote.

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Carless joined Midday Edition to talk about how prevalent this problem is among law enforcement officials.

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