Chicago racism
Chicago City Council To Investigate Fire Department
Alderman Receives Angry Voice Mail
CHICAGO -- A City Council committee has scheduled a hearing Wednesday afternoon over growing fears of racism in the Chicago Fire Department, NBC5 reported.
Chicago Fire Department officials said a racial slur had been broadcast over a department radio frequency on Monday. It's the third time in less than a month.
Fire Chief Patrick Howe said on Monday that several department officials heard several racial epithets in a six-second span.
Fire Commissioner James Joyce said this slur is likely to be a prank. He said this was an intentional act by someone, which, in his opinion, is very serious. He said there will be disciplinary action if it does turn out to be a firefighter saying those slurs on the department radio.
"I'm offended at this, in that we already know what happened two weeks ago," Joyce said. "We know how stringent the discipline was. We know that we socked the individuals that were involved the first time. And this appears to me -- just by the listening and the tone -- that this is somebody thumbing their nose at the fire administration over the heavy discipline."
A firefighter received a 90-day suspension in the first incident, after he accidentally broadcast a slur directed toward a black motorist on Feb. 2. Fire Commissioner James Joyce called the remarks "reprehensible and unacceptable." His supervisor received a 30-day suspension, NBC5 reported.
