Wednesday, July 24, 2013
THE "N" WORD, FULL DISPATCH RECORDING
Blow is the link to the recording of the "N" word being used by a City of Hartford Public Safety Dispatcher. Also below is the text of the response by Andrew Jaffee , the Public Safety Dispatch Center Director.
For some reason I just find the tone of his reply as not taking the issue seriously and intending to just brush it off as no big deal. Another aspect that is troubling is that if you listen closely to the recording, after he clearly uses the "N" word, there is giggling in the background. Apparently it is funny, and according to Jaffee's explanation, somewhat acceptable, to use such words in the City of Hartford Dispatch Center.
From: Jaffee, Andrew T.
>Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 9:54 AM
>To: La Luz, Maribel
>Cc: Kee Borges, Saundra
>Subject: RE: Info
>
>Maribel,
>
>The City confirms the comment was broadcast on the Patrol-2 radio talkgroup on Monday, July 22nd. A copy of the transmission is attached for reference.
>
>The Director of Emergency Services & Telecommunications upon learning of the transmission initiated an internal review. The investigation was assigned to the second shift Public Safety Communications Supervisor, an individual with over 30 years Law Enforcement and Public Safety experience. The supervisor interviewed several of the dispatchers who were working when the comment was made. Two of the dispatchers interviewed are African American and one is bi-racial. All were within earshot of the statement when made. The dispatchers interviewed felt the radio transmission was a mispronunciation of the word "neighbor", nor did they feel alarmed or offended by the statement.
>
>The dispatcher who made the statement is a three and one-half year employee who is well-liked by his peers and has never been accused of using racist or derogatory words in the workplace.
>
>The supervisor concluded the comment was inadvertent and does not rise to the level of unprofessional conduct and should not be misconstrued as a raciest expression.
>
>Let me know if you have any follow-up questions.
>
>Thanks
>
>Andy
AUDIO RECORDING OF THE CONVERSATION CAN BE HEARD HERE. THE RECORDING IS "AS IS" AND HAS NOT BEEN EDITIED, THE "N" WORD IS USED CLEARLY AND NOT BEEPED OUT OR CHANGED
.http://youtu.be/TgbiPVxYL2c
I am not sure how anyone can try to defend this, Slip of the tongue, maybe, but it doesn't make it any more acceptable. Would the Mayor be as laid back about this if it was directed at him and using a derogatory term for his sexuality or race is not acceptable no matter how it is uttered. Discussion on race and racism can not only take place when it is grabbing headlines or convenient. To change the culture of thinking and behavior needs to happen everyday and not just when the next Zimmerman comes on the scene or the tv cameras are in front of the podium. And I am sure there are "good people" that are also racists in their thinking and behavior.
ReplyDeleteI prefer not to listen to the tape so I can't comment on that. But Jaffe's response email is alarming. I don't know why anyone here would blame the mayor for this though. Seems to me from the email that before the administration or mayor knew about this the supervisor had already investigated and mishandled it. You can't expext every employee incident or investigation to come to the mayor's attention. That is why there are supervisors and department heads and internal investigation processes.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, there is no acceptable or inadvertent use of that word or bias in the workplace. I find the email adds insult to injury as the race of anyone hearing the comment should be irrelevant. Whether someone in earshot takes offense or not is not the point. That someone would use that word, especially in public emergency dispatch operations for the city, cannot be tolerated. My guess is now that the mayor's office is aware of how the investigation was handled they will institute proper corrective and training measures. I would start with teaching Jaffe the law and decency standards. Without listening to the tape or being present for the interviews I can't say what disciplinary measures might be in order.
Kevin,
ReplyDeletePlease upload the "gorillas in the mist" audio clip. I think it's more precious than this.
Why would anyone expect the other dispatchers to be honest about what they heard? In this economy no one is willing to risk their jobs ovet this incident.I always laugh whenever I hear someone trying to justify doing something wrong by saying someone from the offended population is in agreement.
ReplyDeleteKevin can you get the tape of the 911 call that led to the dispatch? What if the person making the call used the word in their call? I could see a dispatcher relaying information from a call, repeating the description of the caller by mistake. I.e. "we need an officer here, this n$$$$ is arguing and bout to fight". An investigation is warranted but his life shouldn't be ruined if it was something like that.
ReplyDeleteAt anonymous 1201 am seems like your defending his use of the word and a slip up racism is like a vampire that bites an infects alot of people this is America and as a American people have the right to be bigots but when you put on a uniform or work for the city and its residents you leave your racist views at home. Now what's going on with Sgt Kessler is that going to be swept under the rug??? That Napoleon Bonaparte sicko just cursed out another minority officer B Nelson who is one of the nicest most humble officers on the job whem will this BS end??!!!
ReplyDeleteListen carefully, consider the context and be objective. This is a mispronunciation of neighbor. Let's not make this dispatcher collateral damage in the war on misconduct.
ReplyDeleteI heard it. But proof is sometimes in the puddin. Is the neighbor African American? If he is, then the remark was intentional although no doubt, still a slip of the tongue. There seemed no humor attached to the mention of the word.
ReplyDeleteI would not like being in the position of deciding to terminate or not a person's employment.
On the other hand, former Mayor George Athenson (misspelled) once remarked during a primary that he was prevented from winning because of the black vote although he always insisted he said "block vote." Either way, it was wad it was.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI can't help but wonder why your giving this the full court press, but you hardly said boo about the Kessler matter. You didn't post his openly racist radio transmission, which I'm sure you could have obtained through FOI or your "other means". Is it because of your dislike for Jaffee and will do anything to make him look bad? Or your blind loyalty to Rovella and will ignor or not post information that would question decisions that he has made?
Kessler is only getting a 10 day or so suspension from Rovella so lighten up on this kid. Don't use him as a tool for your personal vendettas.
anonymous 9:16am,
ReplyDeletelook back and check the dates, I was the first one to post anything about Kessler, as far as the tapes, you have to know a specific date and time to get them, I never had that to request the recordings. Chief Rovella responded immediately and I believe removed Kessler from his position the same day. I can hardly fault him for that. Unlike Jaffe completing his "investigation" within hours and concluding nothing was wrong. does that sound legit or coverup?And why did I have to be the first one to make the Mayor aware of this? Wouldn't a good department head have advised him first to prepare for another embarrassing situation?
I am anonymous 12:01 and I am not giving license, just understanding that they are trained to repeat the facts of the call and I can see a person recalling what was said to them and repeating verbatim by accident. As a Hispanic female I do not tolerate racist attitudes, language, or expression in my work or home life. Fact remains we are talking about someone's life and livelihood and he deserves due diligence in the investigation, this isn't a witch hunt. If we can show this to be something more sinister, do what needs to be done, but if not, leave this poor man alone and go after the things that matter. It seems that there are actual racist issues that need to be addressed. We can't simple shoot people down scattershot.
ReplyDeleteWhat's a "raciest" comment?
ReplyDeleteBefore I was a cop, I worked for shaws while attending college. I recall an incident where an employee jokingly threatend to kill a coworker. He was only joking and but the company was having none of it and was fired the same day. Union couldn't even bail him out. Another incident similar to this back in my retail days was when someone called another coworker who was a black female a N#gg@r openly and to her face. He too was fired immediatly. Im not an HPD officer but work in a town where I am overpaid and do squat. But this kind of language should not be allowed. He might be a nice guy and all but the fact remains he said the n word on air. If we start making excuses for other peoples mishaps we will be going down a dangerous road.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bunch of bull. Give it a rest with the moral monitor and the N word. I just moved from Daggett Square in New Haven. 90% vlacks. Every other word they use is the N word. I am sick and tired of whats good for them not good for me. So when they stop using the word so will everyone else. Bunch of race card using cry babies.
ReplyDeletewhy the comparison. Paula Deen, Travo Martin, people calling people N words in their face? This was not the case so why bring them up. This is a mans life before you start screaming racist know the facts. This man had NEVER has any issue that even was deemed inappropriate while on the job or other, and additionally has never had any incident at work of unprofessionalism. He tripped over his words period. Before condemning him try walking in the shoes of a dispatcher. Hartford Dispatch is literally the busiest centers in the state. Dispatch for an 8 hr day and see if you may make a mistake or not ? No one is perfect. Im not saying it wasn't disconcerting but it was not intentional either.And for those screaming whether it makes a difference If the people were African American or not? Well they were but guess what the dispatcher did not know that , no where on the call did any race come into factor, no where on the call did they mention any race be it African American or otherwise so unless he had a crystal ball then biasing the call was impossible and it was as he said a slip and a very unfortiuahte coincidence . I wonder if the complaintants were white would this outrage be so intense ... mmm I think not.
ReplyDeleteKevin ,times sure have changed . It seems like only yesterday when Hartford Fire Chief Billy Smith was on a lengthy RECORDED conversation with f/f vinny graves spewing words like f$gg%t,n#gg%r so on and so on.Kevin ,please find a transcript and post it , i guarantee it will shock even you! My favorite part was when he told Vinny he was going to award extra vacation days to black firefighters who beat up white firefighters. The most disgusting part was that he wasnt reprimanded,suspended or fired. Nope, his punishment was to find a way to spend the money he acquired after sueing the union. He alledged they leaked the recording,if they did, their members should be thankful to get rid of a hateful/racist Chief. So by comparison we have a PROVEN racist collecting a full pension plus medical benefits in his retirement, but some people want to crucify a guy who might have had a slip of the tongue! I guess there really is no "equality" among the races.
ReplyDeleteComments to July 26, @1:25p.m. I'll go even better then Billy Smith, which everyone on the FD knew he was a racist, along with Vinnie Graves, how about the idiot that they hired for Chief Robert Dobson, now you what to talk about a racist, he was, and he hated white people, especially white woman, but the City did nothing, he resigned early, but the City, now get this, paid him, and now he some friggin teacher working over at the old Prince Tech School, so imagine that.....
ReplyDeleteI initially posted that I hadn't listened to the tape. Now that I have heard the tape it is clear as day he used the N-word in full before then saying neighbor.
ReplyDeleteNot being inside his mind none of us can know what he was thinking at the time he used the word. But intent isn't all that matters. The fact is he used a most egregious racial slur in the workplace and there's no question what the recording says.
Discipline needs to take place. That doesn't mean automatically losing his job. It depends on the overall investigation what level of discipline. But to brush this aside without discipline would be worse, and would set up a system that allows hostile, racial or gender slurs. Its mind boggling that Jaffee would send the original email brushing this aside and referencing the race of others. Totally unacceptable and irrelevant.
It is not clear as day at all. The word that followed the debated word was "neighbor", which pronounced phonetically is naygbor. Listen again and that's what you'll hear. If everybody writing and commenting on this dispatcher's mispronunciation were being held to the same standards as he is, they would be a lot more careful with their own words and judgments. There are very real consequences here and it's easy to fire shots from behind the cloak of anonymity, but reverse the roles and apply some rational objectivity.
DeleteI'm not trying to defend this incident...racial incidents should not be tolerated....but on the other hand this incident along with others are taking the matter off of what the Mayor and his cronies did on New Years Eve, nothing has been done about him and the others spending tax payers monies on a nice dinner, and to me that is worst then what this poor dispatcher did or didn't do !
ReplyDeleteKevin, The problem I have is, it is okay for the African Americans dispatchers to say the 'N' word all the time but when a White dispatcher mispronounces a word with the 'N' word people want to crucify him.Regarding the laughing in the background on the audio those were all African American dispatchers. Also,I would think that the gasoline leaking into the soil at Main and Tower Ave would be MORE important to the NAACP because of the health risk it imposes on the citizens in the area, then a dispatcher mispronoucning a word. Or is it because the NAACP knows that the property is owned by an African American Hartford Fire Deputy Chief which as connections to City Hall.
ReplyDeleteI have a question? How did the Sergeant get a copy of the tape when the Police wasn't the ones doing the investigation. Which Supervisor in Communications made the tape? I thought only Mike Bruce was able to make tapes for the PD
ReplyDeleteI work with the state of CT social services and what proceed in cases like this one is to bring employees to level by educating them.
ReplyDeleteI know Andrew Nichols the dispatcher and this does not sound like him at all. That being said I don't know Andrew Nichols outside of work. Maybe that's how he really feels about black people and it was something he was thinking about before he dispatched the call and it slipped out. It's funny to me how the majority of the dispatchers and the director of the dispatch center are running to his defense saying that's not what he said or it was a slip of the tongue and signing petitions on his character for him to keep his job. I saw none of this when other dispatchers/supervisors were put on paid admin leave for something that happened with them. They were immediately thrown under the bus and talked about like dogs, I wonder why? I guess it depends on who really likes you and who don't. Don't be alarmed by Jaffee's response because that's what PUSSY'S do...He's not Director material and never was, hell he wasn't a good cop either. As for the person wondering about how a Sargeant got a copy of the tape, Mike Bruce isn't the only one that make the tapes, the Supervisor's also make tapes for PD. Who do you think it was, cause it sounds like a Kim Bermudez move to me. Of course she will deny it, that's what she does best deny,deny,deny.
ReplyDeleteThat st john guy thinks he is smart. Did he not also pull tapes from the thody downtown incident? And get repremanded for it, or wad going to , and went crying to the union for help . Roberts knew st john was, is , and will always be full of crap . Most of the pd knows that now at least ...
ReplyDelete