Lowlights From Plain View Project’s DPD Exposé

Early last week, the Plain View Project, a database put together by a group of Philadelphia lawyers, went live, publishing Facebook posts that the group believed “could undermine public trust and confidence in police” from more than 3,500 police officers.

Among the posts are dozens from Dallas police officers that, to put things as charitably as possible, don’t paint the Dallas Police Department in the best light.

If you’re familiar with rote, right-wing, “thin blue line” garbage – and who isn’t? We’ve all got that uncle – you’ve probably seen lots of stuff like this before.

There are posts celebrating the Confederacy.

And police violence against the communities they serve. The word “thug” seems to come up frequently, which the Observer is sure has nothing to do with the race of the person being attacked.

There are pro-gun posts and pro-militia posts, too. The Three Percenters are a militia group that supports violent responses to any perceived threats against the Second Amendment. 

One former Dallas police officer advocated for an attack on the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

More traditional social conservative talking points were on frequent display as well. One cop was particularly concerned into 2016 about the possibility of men using women’s restrooms. Another believes strongly in misandry, judging from his post. 

The Plain View Project verified the officers from which it included posts in its release by cross-referencing department rosters with information publicly available on the Facebook pages from which it published public posts.

In a statement Friday, the Dallas Police Department said it was thoroughly investigating the names and posts included in the Plain View Project’s report to “determine if the officers violated the Department’s Social Media Policy, or any other departmental policy.”

When their internal investigation is complete, the department said, DPD will publish its findings for the public.