Community advocates claim some San Diego police officers are being intimidated by fellow officers, in an effort to enforce a code of silence. On Friday, they held a news conference in front of SDPD headquarters to share what they said was proof of that intimidation.
"The blue wall of silence within this law enforcement department is real," said Tasha Williamson, the founder of Exhaling Injustice. "Even more alarming is that officers are instilling fear — are boldly instilling fear — in other officers."
Williamson said several officers sent photos to her of stickers in an officers-only bathroom inside police headquarters. One sticker had the image of a crossed-out rat. The other showed a blue falcon.
"These terms and images are used to intimidate officers who want to report police corruption," Williamson said. "The sticker has been posted for at least several months on a bathroom door."
Williamson said she wants an independent system to review the officers’ complaints. "How can there be a real system of justice if officers are afraid of rogue officers, community members are afraid of rogue officers, and management is not effectively dealing with rogue officers?" she said.
After the news conference, the group asked for and got permission to see the bathroom in question. KPBS was allowed to accompany Williamson inside to see the bathroom that the watch commander acknowledged was the one in the photos.
The stickers were gone, but there was still residue of a sticker left behind. The watch commander said she would tell her supervisor and chief.
KPBS also reached out to the San Diego police department’s public information officer. They told us they are working on a response.
