SEDGWICK COUNTY —The city of Wichita on Thursday announced discipline for members of the police department who exchanged racist, sexist and homophobic texts and images. Three officers resigned or retired from the department, according to Interim Wichita Police Chief Lem Moore.
(Click below to watch the press conference)
Moore also suspended three officers for eight days without pay. City Manager Robert Layton believed the actions of these three were more serious and suspended two of those officers for 15 days and they must also complete special training and coaching. A third officer will be assigned desk duty until he completes an evaluation that indicates he is fit for a return to duty.
Three officers received written reprimands and or were given citations of conduct unbecoming an officer. One officer who did not respond to or report inappropriate text comments is required to receive coaching on how to handle a similar situations in the future.
The text messages, which were sent from 2015 to 2021, were first discovered in April 2021 while investigators were searching the phone of a Sedgwick County deputy in an unrelated case.
In April, a committee appointed by Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said the department must crackdown on biased police officers, poor leadership, botched investigations and poor oversight.
The committee’s findings mirror those of the Wichita Citizen’s Review Board, a group of citizens that reviews investigative reports on police cases, released earlier in April 2022.