A small police department was shocked to learn from a confidential FBI report that two of their colleagues were members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The Orlando Sentinel reported on July 12th that Fruitland Park Deputy Chief David Borst has resigned, and Officer George Hunnewell was dismissed after it was discovered they were involved with the KKK.
According to Chief Deputy State Attorney Ric Ridgway, the report had “a lot of fairly substantial evidence that tends to support” the allegations that Borst and Hunnewell were members of the KKK.
Chief Terry Isaacs did not confirm that it was the Ku Klux Klan and only referred to the group as a ?subversive organization.? Ridgway did specify that the group was the Ku Klux Klan. He made these quotes regarding their alleged membership:
?It’s not a crime to be a member of the KKK, even if you are the deputy chief. It’s not a crime to be stupid.?
?It’s not a crime to hate people. It may be despicable, it may be immoral, but it’s not a crime.
Though Borst denied involvement in the group, he chose to resign both his position with the police department and his position with the fire department where he served also as chief. He gave a reason of “personal family issues” as the reason for resignation.
Hunnewell’s job performance was taken into consideration and did play a role in his dismissal. Hunnewell had?not been performing?to the department standards and had been demoted from corporal earlier in 2013.
In reference to Borst, Isaacs made this statement:
?He was my assistant. I’m not saying I believe him. I’m not saying I don’t believe him. But I’ve read the report, and it’s convincing.?
Isaacs also shared that he had no faith in Hunnewell.
This is not the first time the department has discovered an officer with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. According to SPLC, James Elkins was discovered to be a ?district Kleagle,? which is a local recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan. Photos had also been taken of Elkins in his robe and hood with his uniform visible underneath.
Fruitland Park only has 13 full-time officers and has five part-time officers. With the loss of a deputy chief and an officer, this will surely put a strain on the department as they seek to replace them.
Earlier this year, WFTV spoke with the grand dragon of a Florida chapter who had this to say:
?We have police officers, paramedics, judges. They’re everywhere.?
Currently, the Ku Klux Klan has groups spanning across 29 states, but they hope to expand to all 50 states.
It’s alarming when you realize we don’t really know what authority figures in our society are members of, their beliefs, etc. Sure, they can say one thing, but behind closed doors we really have no clue. Granted, it’s alarming to think anyone would be part of any organization like the KKK. However, what sort of influence did this?have on the officers’ professional judgment? We can only hope that we can bring to light these associations, so that we may deal with them accordingly.
Like mentioned, it is not a crime to be a member of the KKK. It, unfortunately, is not a crime to hate. However, I think any reasonable human being can agree that KKK?members should at the least not be in positions of power.
What do you think? Do you agree with the officer’s dismissal? Let us know at the Liberal America Facebook page!
Check out the WFTV broadcast below!
h/t to The Raw Story.
Liz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to discuss these issues. She also has Twitter that you can follow and has a website in the works! Drop her a line?at [email protected].
