BOCA RATON, Fla. – A Boca Raton police sergeant was fired this week for allegedly making racially offensive comments and "other misconduct," city spokesman Mark Economou said Friday in a news release.
"The city and the police services department have set high standards for our law enforcement officers, and we work hard to attract and retain the very best employees," Economou said. "We have no tolerance for offensive or derogatory comments, including those of a racial nature. We will remain committed to an environment free of any form of harassment."
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Economou said another city employee came forward with the accusations against Sgt. Jeremy Codling.
Screenshots of text messages released by the city show that Codling posted a meme in a group message that said, "I used to think black people were just white people dipped in chocolate."
In another text message exchange, Codling wrote: "I almost laughed as hard at that comment as we did today when I mentioned the black choufer (sic) for the Jew."
Another text read: "I'm just retaining water. It's a glandular thing. A side effect of being a racist a******."
According to an Internal Affairs report, an officer met with his supervisors about his concerns regarding Codling and said that he believed Codling's racial bias played a role in the resignation of another officer.
"The city and the police services department recognize that our effectiveness in community policing is based on trust," Economou said. "In addition to maintaining formal and informal discussions with the diverse groups within our city, all officers in the police services department have completed training in fair and impartial policing. This employment action demonstrates the city's commitment to address any conduct which might undermine the confidence of the people we serve."
Codling had received multiple commendations during his time with the Boca Raton Police Department.