An official audit of five large California law enforcement agencies has found evidence of significant racial bias from officers, some of whom are members of the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys, Rolling Stone reports.
"The results of the state auditor’s investigation into 'biased conduct' — launched at the request of the legislature — were released last week in a 95 page report," reports Rolling Stone.
"The investigation surveyed the patterns and practices of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department, the police departments of San Jose, San Bernardino, and Stockton, as well as the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation."
The audit looked at the social media accounts of 450 officers and found biased posts by 13 active officers and four others who made their posts before they joined law enforcement. The posts included derogatory comments or memes about Black, Asian, Latino, Muslim, LGBTQ individuals, women, and immigrants.
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"The audit found troubling signs of extremism, in addition to bigotry, identifying six active officers who affiliated themselves, “liked,” or defended dangerous groups online," Rolling Stone's report stated.
"One officer (who also posted biased content demeaning transgender and Asian individuals) posted an impassioned defense of the Proud Boys from accusations of white supremacy, insisting that the critics of the violent club — designated as a 'hate group' by the Southern Poverty Law Center — are 'in reality just against masculinity.'"
Read the full report over at Rolling Stone.