A high-ranking official with the New York Police Department has been suspended without pay and is now the subject of an internal disciplinary process after a string of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic posts, the NYPD confirmed.
Late last year, an investigation by the City Council connected Deputy Inspector James Francis Kobel to a user under the name "Clouseau." Under that identity, he routinely posted offensive messages on a public law enforcement message board attacking Black people, Muslims, the Hasidic Jewish community and others with extremely derogatory language, according to a draft report from the New York City Council Oversight and Investigations Division.
Kobel was the commanding officer of the police department's Office of Equal Employment and Opportunity, which is responsible for investigating employment and harassment claims.
In November, he was relieved of his command and placed on modified duty after the City Council investigation but will now face a 30-day suspension without pay, the department said. He has also filed for retirement from the police force, the NYPD confirmed to CNN.
I'd just come out of the shop with a roast beef sandwich, large chips, ear of corn & a jumbo sausage. A poor homeless man sat there and said 'I've not eaten for two days.' I told him, 'I wish I had your will power.'
A fat girl served me in McDonald's at lunchtime. She said 'sorry about the wait'. I said, 'Don't worry, you'll find a way to lose it eventually'.
Snow in the forecast and the TV weather gal said she was expecting 8 inches tonight. I thought to myself, 'fat chance', with a face like that!
Japanese scientists have now created a camera with such a fantastic shutter speed that it is now possible to take a photograph of a woman with her mouth closed.
I hate all this terrorist business. I used to love the days when you could look at an unattended bag on a train or bus and think to yourself. "I'm going to take that."
Man in a hot air balloon is lost over Iowa . He looks down and sees a farmer in the fields and shouts to him, where am I? The farmer looks back up and shouts back. "You're in a basket, stupid!"
I had a big lead in a trivia competition at a local bar until the last question which I got wrong. The question was where do women have the curliest hair? Fiji was the correct answer...hell, how did I know they wanted the name of a country?
I removed 3 that just won't fly nowadays
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 01-26-2021).]
As with most articles today they never show what he actually posted. What was so terrible in the posts?
We have to agree with the writer of the article that this man is just a terrible person who needs to be canceled and do not get to decide for ourselves. Just take the word of the “journalist”.
My wife’s cousin was let go from the police department for a “racist” post. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet who did a lot for the local community. The press also said the same things about him.
He was not allowed to have an opinion (whether you agree or not).
Here was his letter to the mayor so you can decide for yourself:
From: Jeff Annunziata Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2020 at 6:53 PM Subject: Why ?? To: kflowers@timesnews.com, tim.hahn@timesnews.com, epalattella@timesnews.com, dbruce@timesnews.com Cc: Joe Schember
People,
Why are the facts ignored about the killing in this country and how small, the minute numbers of Police officers that kill a black man in the line of duty? Why is the fact that the officer in Minnesota are paying for their lack of judgement? What gives the protesters the right to cause damage and disobey public order? Minorities (BLACK PEOPLE) talk of SOCIAL JUSTICE when they cannot take care of their own or anyone else without playing the race card, why? I see this all the time and many well know people of color agree with this, but are subsequently called Uncle Tom. All I want to see is equality also, but watch the reverse that has taken hold here in this country with the destruction of this country’s history in the SOUTH AND OTHER STATES. Right or wrong it is the History of this Country. Why do you reporters not comment on the Destruction and Vandalism of National monuments WHY?
I am glad I am a police officer in this city because we have adapted to change and how to treat people in the community. Those other communities need to adapt but it is not going to happen with rioting, looting and destruction of your neighborhoods and cities. Why is it that reporters do not report on the officers in this city that were injured trying to protect what people have built? You as reporters have a responsibility to report the whole story not the part you want to report for your own satisfaction and that of unnecessary movements. BLM is known to have attached itself with ANTIFA WHY? Why is the Dem party with the likes of backers like George Soros & the Clinton foundation who are funding BLM & Antifa why?
To say BLM and not all lives matter is racist, to stop a confederate flag from waving is a violation of the first amendment, why is this ignored. What about police lives that are killed in this country, why was there no protest when my friend and brother officer Richard Burchick was murdered by a black man? Why is the murder of retired ST. Louis Police Captain (Black Cop David Dorn) murdered and there was no protest for him, he was killed by a young black male ? 48 officers were killed in felonious acts in 2019, where is the protest for their deaths? Why is it important to kneel during the anthem when if they did this immediately after, I believe it would be widely accepted and participated in even by the fans. The protest is right and just, the timing has been dictated by the media.
Mr. mayor how many officers need to be hurt before you speak out about the what is going on, this issue affects us all. The 'deep state' media, reporters are responsible and the 'radical' liberal politicians are right behind them. Their argument serves no purpose but perpetuates the problem because they show the problem but do not offer solutions, fair solutions we can all agree on. Remember we as police interact when we are called upon for help, and sometimes things get out of hand because people do not understand compliance. There is not one police officer that I have met around the country that seeks out controversy instead of an agreement NOT ONE. I have been around the country talking to police officer in my 34+ years career, we always look for a peaceful resolution, but when we are confronted with dissension, weapons of all kinds and argument we have a job to do and hopefully with peaceful results. As we know this does not happen when a law is broken and the suspect or citizen does not understand what they have done, was done wrong and against the law.
Jeff Annunziata citizen, taxpayer and police officer.
As with most articles today they never show what he actually posted. What was so terrible in the posts?
We have to agree with the writer of the article that this man is just a terrible person who needs to be canceled and do not get to decide for ourselves. Just take the word of the “journalist”.
My wife’s cousin was let go from the police department for a “racist” post. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet who did a lot for the local community. The press also said the same things about him.
He was not allowed to have an opinion (whether you agree or not).
Here was his letter to the mayor so you can decide for yourself:
From: Jeff Annunziata Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2020 at 6:53 PM Subject: Why ?? To: kflowers@timesnews.com, tim.hahn@timesnews.com, epalattella@timesnews.com, dbruce@timesnews.com Cc: Joe Schember
People,
Why are the facts ignored about the killing in this country and how small, the minute numbers of Police officers that kill a black man in the line of duty? Why is the fact that the officer in Minnesota are paying for their lack of judgement? What gives the protesters the right to cause damage and disobey public order? Minorities (BLACK PEOPLE) talk of SOCIAL JUSTICE when they cannot take care of their own or anyone else without playing the race card, why? I see this all the time and many well know people of color agree with this, but are subsequently called Uncle Tom. All I want to see is equality also, but watch the reverse that has taken hold here in this country with the destruction of this country’s history in the SOUTH AND OTHER STATES. Right or wrong it is the History of this Country. Why do you reporters not comment on the Destruction and Vandalism of National monuments WHY?
I am glad I am a police officer in this city because we have adapted to change and how to treat people in the community. Those other communities need to adapt but it is not going to happen with rioting, looting and destruction of your neighborhoods and cities. Why is it that reporters do not report on the officers in this city that were injured trying to protect what people have built? You as reporters have a responsibility to report the whole story not the part you want to report for your own satisfaction and that of unnecessary movements. BLM is known to have attached itself with ANTIFA WHY? Why is the Dem party with the likes of backers like George Soros & the Clinton foundation who are funding BLM & Antifa why?
To say BLM and not all lives matter is racist, to stop a confederate flag from waving is a violation of the first amendment, why is this ignored. What about police lives that are killed in this country, why was there no protest when my friend and brother officer Richard Burchick was murdered by a black man? Why is the murder of retired ST. Louis Police Captain (Black Cop David Dorn) murdered and there was no protest for him, he was killed by a young black male ? 48 officers were killed in felonious acts in 2019, where is the protest for their deaths? Why is it important to kneel during the anthem when if they did this immediately after, I believe it would be widely accepted and participated in even by the fans. The protest is right and just, the timing has been dictated by the media.
Mr. mayor how many officers need to be hurt before you speak out about the what is going on, this issue affects us all. The 'deep state' media, reporters are responsible and the 'radical' liberal politicians are right behind them. Their argument serves no purpose but perpetuates the problem because they show the problem but do not offer solutions, fair solutions we can all agree on. Remember we as police interact when we are called upon for help, and sometimes things get out of hand because people do not understand compliance. There is not one police officer that I have met around the country that seeks out controversy instead of an agreement NOT ONE. I have been around the country talking to police officer in my 34+ years career, we always look for a peaceful resolution, but when we are confronted with dissension, weapons of all kinds and argument we have a job to do and hopefully with peaceful results. As we know this does not happen when a law is broken and the suspect or citizen does not understand what they have done, was done wrong and against the law.
Jeff Annunziata citizen, taxpayer and police officer.
There weren't any anti-semitic quotes shown but saw one quotation where he used "brillo head" to describe someone's son. The others weren't racially insensitive. There were some shaming posts about fat or laziness.
[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 01-26-2021).]
.... the New York City Council Oversight and Investigations Division."
Interesting bit of Marxist ideology when what is ostensibly a legislative body presumes the role of both law enforcement and the judiciary.
But it's in Leftist NYC so it's unsurprising.....dangerous as hell and unconstitutional, .....but unsurprising.
It's also unsurprising that in true Soviet Bolshevik fashion, the man was ferreted out, and is being punished, NOT for anything he acted upon in his official capacity, any statutory crime he committed or anyone he actually victimized, but for things that he said in an unofficial and intentionally anonymous capacity on an unofficial forum.
The very definition of the political state prosecuting a *Thought Crime*
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 01-26-2021).]
Here I am, looking upon an interesting online discussion that I had not anticipated when I created this forum topic.
Some may be thinking "If that was the mindset, then why did you (rinselberg) use the NEW TOPIC function in this way?"
I like using the Subject field (text input field) that appears when I activate the NEW TOPIC function. It provides me the (small) recreation of trying for a "catchy" or mainstream media-style encapsulation of the NEW TOPIC as it subsequently appears in the (multi-page) list of all of the topics that are available in the Totally O/T section of the forum, just as if I were scripting or producing on-air content for RinselbergTV or the Daily Rinse (which exist only in my imagination.)
"Social connectivity." This is a social media platform, more or less. Maybe less, compared to Twitter or Instagram or any of the seemingly more popular alternatives to online messaging boards of this kind. Other than some private email correspondence, this is my only interactive or "First Person" (gaming terminology) Internet-enabled indulgence.
I use a desktop system (Mac and macOS) with a full-size keyboard and video monitor and a robust (bandwidth) Internet connection. It would be even a larger (much larger) withdrawal against my Providence-allotted balance of life time and energy if I were creating messages like this with a mobile phone, like some (at least a few) other forum members. So I think it's well to remind those particular forum members (and others) that this message isn't quite the monumental labor that it would be if I were using a mobile phone. But it's still a somewhat monumental labor, which is testament to the circumstance that this discussion, which I hadn't anticipated, has me "hooked."
I started this topic with a report from CNN. The Reply messages that have been submitted in response have prompted me to read a report in the New York Times, which was embedded within the CNN report as a hyperlink or "link" (vernacular).
I think this is a real "issue" with the NYPD and this particular and particularly senior and important police officer.
I am disinclined to think that the investigation by the New York City Council's Oversight and Investigations Division is bureaucracy out of control, exceeding its proper remit, or is somehow symptomatic of "Marxism."
quote
Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel has denied posting anonymously [using the pseudonym or screen name of "Clouseau"] on the Rant, an informal message board for people who work in law enforcement.
~ New York Times.
The Oversight and Investigations Division's investigation, as described in the New York Times, impresses me as a careful and painstaking process that has uncovered convincing evidence that NYPD Deputy Inspector Kobel was in reality the "Clouseau" that was expressing himself with posts or messages on the (now defunct or discontinued) "Rant." Here's more from the New York Times:
quote
But even by the website’s [the Rant] vitriolic standards, scores of recent posts by a user who calls himself “Clouseau” have been especially disturbing.
Between the summer of 2019 and earlier this fall, “Clouseau” posted hundreds of messages on the Rant, many of which attacked Black people, Puerto Ricans, Hasidic Jews and others with an unbridled sense of animus.
He referred to former President Barack Obama as a “Muslim savage” and called the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, who is Black, “a gap-toothed wildebeest.”
Now, city investigators say they have amassed evidence that “Clouseau” is a high-ranking police official. And not just any high-ranking official — the one assigned to an office responsible for combating workplace harassment in the Police Department.
I'm not here to close the investigation with definite findings, or to initiate (or decline to initiate) any penalty or punishment for officer Kobel. I leave that to the New York City Council and the NYPD, which (I hope) has access to the exact text of all of those Rant-board messages from officer Kobel (which I do not.)
quote
Free speech has consequences.
I think that can fairly be described as a tagline that's been used recently by another forum member. (A member who is already "in" on this thread.)
I also think that's a good way to end this message. If subsequent discussion (here) ensues, I could very possibly (even likely) reappear (here) with additional remarks.
Wildebeest isn't a race. So what? Guess you can't fight City Hall after all.
Rinselberg, can I help you out here? Do you think anyone using a mobile device can read your text wall? Your writing style also has very poor flow. It's full of whiplash, tangent and stops that are like cobblestone to attempt to follow. I'm sure you think it adds color but it really adds obstacles.
I read a few of your posts completely but when digested it was like I'd chewed a tough Salisbury steak and was left wondering why it wasnt like the picture on the menu board.
The parenthetical inserts are road blocks. One per post is enough. Preview and decide how to say things with fewer words. The English say Americans talk a lot and say little. The English speak fewer words to convey a much longer, informational message.
[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 01-27-2021).]
Some good thoughts here in the way of meta-discussion, from "sourmash." After his opening sentence, he puts the topic aside and offers a spot-on critique of the style of my part of the discussion. I appreciate that.
My writing style varies with my mood and circumstance, and the circumstance of the discussion itself--what's already been said and how it's been said.
I hope for society's sake that there will be more discussion here, focusing on the words "Free speech has consequences", which is part of my previous and much longer message.
Think of it as an opportunity to savor Korbel and discuss Kobel in one fell swoop.
Rinselberg, can I help you out here? Do you think anyone using a mobile device can read your text wall? Your writing style also has very poor flow. It's full of whiplash, tangent and stops that are like cobblestone to attempt to follow. I'm sure you think it adds color but it really adds obstacles.
I read a few of your posts completely but when digested it was like I'd chewed a tough Salisbury steak and was left wondering why it wasnt like the picture on the menu board.
The parenthetical inserts are road blocks. One per post is enough. Preview and decide how to say things with fewer words. The English say Americans talk a lot and say little. The English speak fewer words to convey a much longer, informational message.
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 01-27-2021).]
This is the second part of my longer message. This is directly on the declared topic about the NYPD. The first part was meta-discussion about my reaction to the emergence of a discussion that I hadn't anticipated; i.e., the meta topic.
* * * * *
I think this is a real "issue" with the NYPD and this particular and particularly senior and important police officer.
I am disinclined to think that the investigation by the New York City Council's Oversight and Investigations Division is bureaucracy out of control, exceeding its proper remit, or is somehow symptomatic of "Marxism."
quote
Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel has denied posting anonymously [using the pseudonym or screen name of "Clouseau"] on the Rant, an informal message board for people who work in law enforcement.
~ New York Times.
The Oversight and Investigations Division's investigation, as described in the New York Times, impresses me as a careful and painstaking process that has uncovered convincing evidence that NYPD Deputy Inspector Kobel was in reality the "Clouseau" that was expressing himself with posts or messages on the (now defunct or discontinued) "Rant." Here's more from the New York Times:
quote
But even by the website’s [the Rant] vitriolic standards, scores of recent posts by a user who calls himself “Clouseau” have been especially disturbing.
Between the summer of 2019 and earlier this fall, “Clouseau” posted hundreds of messages on the Rant, many of which attacked Black people, Puerto Ricans, Hasidic Jews and others with an unbridled sense of animus.
He referred to former President Barack Obama as a “Muslim savage” and called the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, who is Black, “a gap-toothed wildebeest.”
Now, city investigators say they have amassed evidence that “Clouseau” is a high-ranking police official. And not just any high-ranking official — the one assigned to an office responsible for combating workplace harassment in the Police Department.
I'm not here to close the investigation with definite findings, or to initiate (or decline to initiate) any penalty or punishment for officer Kobel. I leave that to the New York City Council and the NYPD, which (I hope) has access to the exact text of all of those Rant-board messages from officer Kobel (which I do not.)
quote
Free speech has consequences.
I think that can fairly be described as a tagline that's been used recently by another forum member. (A member who is already "in" on this thread.)
