Durham police chief disgusted by 'repulsive' Facebook post shared by ex-officers

Durham Region's police chief fought back tears on Tuesday as he condemnedwhat he calls a "repulsive" image that was shared on a closed Facebook group of retired officers from the service.

The image, shared on a group called Durham Regional Police Friendsand obtained by CBC Toronto,shows two stick figures with white faces wearingpolice hats and standing overthe stick figure of a man with a brown face.

One points a gun at the brown man while pinning him down with his foot, while the other holds a stick and appears poised to strike the man on the ground. Other stick figures, on either side of the officers, are smiling.

"My dad is my hero," reads handwriting above the image.

"It disgusts me. It's repulsive,"an emotional Chief Paul Martin said in an interview with CBC Toronto.

"We've worked so hard as a police service to reach out to our community and to create a sense of inclusion, not only within the service, but in the community," he said of the force, located east of Toronto.

"Think of the reaction of some of my own members and some of the reaction from the community. In some respects, you think you have made such headway. Then something like this comes along and you go: 'What are people thinking?' It isdisappointing to an incredible level," he said. "I apologize."

WATCH: Durham Region police chief's emotional reaction to 'repulsive' image:

Tearful police chief condemns 'hateful' image

5 years ago

Duration 1:12

Durham Regional Police Chief Paul Martin said his force has zero tolerance for images like the one shared on a Facebook group of ex-officers

Earlier Tuesday, Martin sent a memo to the entire force labellingthe image "hateful" and warned that anyone involved in sharing such kind of content would be "investigated and disciplined to the fullest extent possible."

Martin says the image was created in the U.S. years ago and that the person who sharedit is a retired member of the Durham Regional Police Service. CBC Toronto has not been able to contact the person who shared the image.

The Durham Regional Police Friends Facebook page describes itself as having"originated by members of the DRP Pensioners Association" and calls the page"a friendly meeting place for ALL Retired and Serving DRP members, whether sworn and civilian."

'Black parents are terrified': community member

Sandra Forsythe, a member of the Durham CommunityAction Group, says she is not surprised by the image.

"I can't say I'm surprised," she said when shown the image."They put a lot of thought into that. And that makes me mad. That is gross."

Until about threeyears ago, Forsythe says the community advocacy group had been working with the service to resolve problems. Then, she says, the service changed who was involved its community outreach and meetings abruptly stopped.

Meanwhile, she says Black parents like her are left fearful of police worried their sons will be killed at the hands of force that's supposed to protect them.

"Black parents are terrified. Black mothers are terrified when their sons go out. Why should we have to live like that?" said Forsythe, adding she prays for her grandson's safety when he leaves home.

"Why can I not trustthatwhen my son goes out, if he has done something wrong, you are just going to treat him right?Just follow the rules."

Post has caused 'anger and resentment,' says chief

That's a concern not lost on Martin, who says he's concerned about how the image will affect the force's reputation in the community.

"Understandably, this is causing anger and resentment," he wrote in his letter to the force.

"It is also insulting and hurtful to the dedicated women and men of this service who literally put their lives on theline each day to uphold the law with the highest ethical standards," Martin added.

The police chief says he has asked the force'slegal counsel to consider what it can do followingthe offending post, including stoppingthe group's use of DRPS logos.

Durham police's professional standards unitis investigating.

Martinsaid that the image was removed from the group's Facebook page following his demand that it be taken down.

"Members of this offending group who are no longer employed by the service should be ashamed of the hurt they have caused in the community and the damage they have done to the women and men who continue to serve," Martinsaid.

Meanwhile, Forsythe says the change Black parents need to see isn't just online. Instead, she says, the force needs to change its policies to counter racism by officers.

Police officers must be held accountable for their actions, she said, with real consequences.