Sep 30, 2007 8:21 am US/Eastern
Officers Upset Over Police Station Noose
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Residents reacted angrily Saturday over a noose found in a New York police department. Many believe the target of the noose was the deputy police chief who is the highest-ranking officer in Hempstead.
Dozens of members of black law enforcement organizations and community leaders came to the Hempstead police department to denounce a noose found Friday in the male officers' locker room inside the police station.
"It offends me as a black man and everyone else behind me," said Corey Peques.
"We are not going to sit on the sideline and watch anyone that will don a blue uniforms and think they can operate with a white hood," said angered State Senator Eric Adams, (D-Bklyn).
Hempstead police chief John Wing, who is Asian American, says he considers this a bias incident and began an immediate investigation of his department which is half white, 40 percent black and 10 percent other minorities.
"In addition to any criminal charges that will be brought, we are also administration charges," said Wing.
But several of the minority law enforcement organizations want an independent investigation. They believe the noose was intended as an affront to Hempstead's deputy police chief Bill Dixon the highest-ranking African American on the force.
"What happened yesterday not only is an insult but it hurt me deeply in 2007," added Dep. Chief Willie Dixon.
On Hempstead's Main Street some were taken aback others not surprised.
"I think it's ridiculous," said one resident. "Maybe it was a practical joke."
"In the United States we have a very big racial divide," added another resident.
Nassau County police have been called in to collect forensic evidence to find who is responsible with many suspecting it is a police officer sworn to uphold the law.
State Senator Eric Adams plans to write a letter to Governor Spitzer requesting a special prosecutor. The governor's office says they are closely monitoring developments in the case.
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