After the death of the black New Yorker who was put in a choke-hold by police officers I joined a demonstration in front of the Federal Building in downtown. I agree with the 70 percent of Americans of color who in recent polls stated that the justice system is not equal for all Americans. Since our first African American president was elected hate groups have now doubled. Yes racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia are alive and well in the United States.
But we San Diegans are very fortunate to have the police department that we now have. Things aren’t perfect and there is always a rotten apple in every barrel, but our San Diego Police Department is one of the best in the nation.
Yes, we have come a long way since the 1960s and ’70s when you could almost count the black, Latino, Asian or women officers on one hand. Then Police Chief Ray Hoobler was a known racist, sexist and homophobe. Gay bars were always raided and same-sex dancing could get you arrested for “lewd conduct” to be dropped later, but you then had a record. (Same-sex acts were not legal in California until 1976.) Blacks and Latinos were often beaten up by the police as were many gays. Our police department was like the “gestapo” to the people of color and gay communities. Every time you saw a black and white police car in San Diego you would most certainly go the other way.
The old police station on Market Street was a hell hole of mistreatment and beatings. Thank God that times have changed and so have our city and its people.
If you would have told me that we would one day have a Latino police chief and now a woman, I would think you were on LSD! We now have a GLBT Advisory Board to the police chief. (I was honored to serve as chair of the first GLBT Advisory Board.) In fact, the current police memorial in front of the headquarters on Broadway was partially funded by a GLBT community fundraiser that was presented at the Nicky Awards event.
One of our best mayors was former Police Chief Jerry Sanders who became a champion of the GLBT community. Our current police chief, Shelley Zimmerman has gone out of her way to reach out to the people of color and GLBT communities. She is one of the most down to earth and accessible police chiefs in the history of our city.
So why am I writing this column? Because I know the murder of those two police officers (one Latino and one Asian), the murder of any police officer does and should affect all Americans. Our San Diego police officers are sadly one of the most underpaid on the West Coast, and while yes, there are some “bad apple cops” 95 percent of them are good decent men and women who truly are here to protect and serve all the citizens of San Diego.
Yes, racism still exists, and yes, there is not equal justice under the law for all Americans, but I salute the San Diego Police Department which is one of the finest in America.
Nicole Murray Ramirez has been an award-winning columnist since 1973, and a Latino and gay activist for more than 45 years. He is currently a city commissioner and has served the last seven mayors of San Diego. He is also a national board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation and chairman of the International Court Council of the USA, Canada and Mexico. In 2013 Murray Ramirez was named “Mayor of Hillcrest” by a City proclamation. Nicolemrsandiego@aol.com
