Board Statement to Members (with link to emails)
Dear Members:
The BPOA Board was made aware of official emails that were obtained as part of a public records request. The emails contain comments that are offensive to women, as well as various ethnic and religious groups. The emails were sent from and/or to (then) Deputy Chief Tom Angel via the city email system. The emails were originally discovered during a separate public records request, and were never disclosed by city officials or our own administration.
We (BPOA) find the emails to be extremely offensive. It is unconscionable that anyone in law enforcement, let alone someone holding a high level position, would engage in such activity. We are equally perplexed that such conduct could/would ever be condoned. It appears (from the information we currently are aware of) that (then) Deputy Chief Tom Angel was never disciplined. In fact, it is clear from his own words there was never any official internal investigation into the matter. If this is accurate, the lack of a thorough and independent investigation creates significant mistrust in our chief and our administration. Further, the perceived lack of immediate action undermines our confidence that misconduct can be equally and fairly investigated at all levels within the organization. It appears there are two standards, and the rules do not apply at any level higher than lieutenant.
If there was no investigation conducted, the BPOA is requesting that an independent investigation be immediately undertaken to examine this matter. We are also asking our city officials to hold our administration to the same high standards as they would our members.
We are deeply saddened that the conduct of one individual could possibly undermine the hard work and efforts of our officers. You are all on the front lines, protecting and serving our community. You are the face of the organization, and we hope the public can understand the separation between our officers and the administration. Please keep your heads held high and continue to proudly serve our city.
Below is a link to the emails. Please do not use a city computer or account to access the emails. Viewing the emails is done at your own discretion with the understanding that you may find the emails offensive. That said, we believe it is important for our membership to be able to view the emails in their entirety without any redactions and/or censorship.
As we move forward, the BPOA Board will continue to provide you with information that we become aware of. We also encourage you to interact with your representatives to share your opinions on this matter.
We have a tough job to do, and it was just made a little tougher. The BPOA Board would like to thank each of you for everything you do on a daily basis.
Burbank Police Officers' Association Board of Directors