No Justice For The Whistle Blower

Rodriguez’s tale of woe began in December, 1998 when he arrived at the scene forty seconds after four white Riverside, California police officers riddled Tyisha Miller, a nineteen year old African-American woman, with bullets. Rodriguez says that he heard the officers that shot Miller and other officers make racially and sexually derogatory remarks about Miller, her family, friends and acquaintances.

Their racial and sexual slurs are, Rodriguez insists, symptomatic of the deep and pervasive pattern of racism experienced by black and Latino officers within the department and the abuses many officers commit on the streets against minorities. He claims that these practices are condoned by police higher-ups and city officials.

Rodriguez is one of the few working police officers to break the code of silence, renounce the “police culture,” and defy police brass to reveal in graphic detail racist practices and how racial profiling actually works in a major police department. But Riverside police officials dismiss Rodriguez’s allegations as distortions.

They insist that the department enforces a “a zero tolerance” policy against racist acts by officers. However, there are three compelling reasons to believe Rodriguez. Several observers at the scene of the Miller shooting confirmed that the officers engaged in the behavior Rodriguez described. And Riverside police officials also said they were investigating possible inappropriate behavior by the officers.

The U.S. Attorney has launched a deep probe of the department to determine how widespread the abusive racial practices are. Then there’s the treatment of Rodriguez. It has been nothing short of disgraceful. He has been the target of threats, intimidation, and harassment by other officers. He says officers have put his life in danger by deliberately refusing to provide him with back-up support in dangerous situations.

He was placed on administrative leave in March, 1999. He has been denied pay and health benefits. This has reduced he, his wife and three children to a state of near pauperism. They have come within a hairs breath of losing their home. “I was shamed and embarassed, “says Rodriguez, “to have to accept a donation of food from a local church but I needed it.”

The final blow came in September when the city denied his claim for workers compensation benefits. He has appealed the decision but it could take up to six months before a decision is made and even then there is no guarantee that he will be granted benefits.

By contrast to the mistreatment of Rodriguez, the four officers that gunned down Miller and their supervising officer, were placed on paid administrative leave for months before their recent firings. They currently receive financial support and encouragement from the police union.

A large contingent of white officers shaved their heads in protest of the officer’s firing and have solicited funds from community residents to support them in their battle for reinstatement. Yet it’s Rodriguez who should have received the grateful thanks of the public and been showered with accolades and commendations by public officials.

Instead he has been reviled and reduced to destitution. The shabby treatment of Rodriguez also makes a huge mockery of the claim by public officials that they want employees of public agencies, especially police departments, to report abuses and misconduct and will reward them when they do.

When public officials, however, turn their backs on credible whistleblowers within police departments, it’s a powerful disincentive for other officers who witness misconduct and abuse by police officers to speak out. Rodriguez says that several officers have told him privately that they would like to speak out but that they have families to feed and careers to think of and they are afraid that what happened to him will happen to them.

Still, Rodriguez does not regret his decision to come forth. He is hopeful that blowing the whistle on the blatant racial practices by some police officers will help break the damaging code of silence within police departments. We should salute him for his courage and support him in his fight for justice.

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