AGE OF 16, HE WAS RELEASED BACK TO HIS PARENTS AFTER THE ARREST.
>> NEW REACTION FROM A LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT NONPROFIT AND
FAITH LEADERS TO A NEWS 4 JAX.
I TEAM INVESTIGATION OF A
JACKSONVILLE POLICE SERGEANT
WHO ADMITTED POSTING RACIST
MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
MEMBERS OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF
POLICE OFFICERS AND LOCAL
PASTORS SAY THEY STILL HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT SERGEANT DOUG
HOUSE. NEW ASSIGNMENT. BUT
ROLLING ON THE NORTH SIDE
BINDERS. JOINING US NOW TO
TELL US MORE ABOUT THESE NEW
DEVELOPMENT STAR. WELL, A
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE
JACKSONVILLE BROTHERHOOD OF
POLICE OFFICERS TELLS THE I
TEAM THAT THEY WERE
DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT
SERGEANT DOUGLAS, HOW WILL
ONLY RECEIVE WHAT’S CALLED
FORMAL COUNSELING AND NOT A
DEMOTION OR OTHER FORMER
PUNISHMENT. FAITH LEADERS ARE
ALSO CONCERNED MOVING FORWARD
ABOUT SERGEANT HOWELL’S NEW
ASSIGNMENT IN ZONE 6 ON
JACKSONVILLE’S NORTHSIDE IN
HIS FUTURE INTERACTIONS WITH
THE PEOPLE THAT HE PUBLICLY
DISPARAGED. IT WOULD QANTAS
SAYING.
>> IF A PERSON SAYS THEY DON’T
LIKE CHILDREN SHOULD THEY BE A
SCHOOLTEACHER? PERSON SAYS I
DON’T LIKE THE ELDERLY. WELL,
WORKING IN A NURSING HOME MAY
NOT BE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT
THEM.
>> PASTOR MARK GRIFFIN WITH
WAYMAN AMY CHURCH SAYS LOCAL
FAITH LEADERS DON’T GET HAVE
THE ASSURANCE FROM JSO. THE
SERGEANT DOUGLAS HOUSE
ADMITTED BIAS HAS BEEN DEALT
WITH PROPERLY AND WON’T AFFECT
HIS JOB POLICING THE PUBLIC,
ACCORDING TO THIS INTERNAL
AFFAIRS REPORT, HOWELL
ADMITTED TO POSTING NUMEROUS
RACIST AND DISPARAGING REMARKS
ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT BLACK
PEOPLE, MEXICANS AND MEMBERS
OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, HOW IT
WAS NOT DEMOTED FROM HIS
POSITION AS A SERGEANT WITH
THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE. GRIFFIN HAS THIS
REQUEST FOR JACKSONVILLE.
SHERIFF TK WATERS. I WOULD
LIKE TO SEE THE MONITOR HIS
INTERACTIONS.
>> OVER 30 A SECURE NOT A DAY
PERIOD MAY REQUIRE HIM TO
ALWAYS KEEP HIS BODY CAMERA
ROLL AND SO THAT SOMEONE IT’S
UP HERE CAN CAN PEER OUT THE
OBSERVED THAT BECAUSE OF HIS
CAUSE CONCERN WITH WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITIES. WE DON’T WANT
PEOPLE TO EVEN FEEL AS IF
THEY’RE BEING TARGETED OR
THEY’RE BEING MISTREATED
SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF
THEIR SKIN. THE LAST QUESTION
I’M ASKED YOU THE 3 BIGGEST
PROBLEMS. SO WHAT IT WAS LIKE,
PEOPLE JSO REMOVE SERGEANT.
HOW FROM THE GANG
INVESTIGATION UNIT AFTER NEWS
4 JAX ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY.
>> AT A POLITICAL EVENT WHERE
HE WAS SUPPORTING SHERIFF TK
WATERS IN LAST YEAR’S ELECTION
FOLLOWING A SIX-MONTH
INVESTIGATION, DETECTIVES
RULED HOWELL ONLY VIOLATED JSO
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY. THEY
DETERMINED TO CHARGE OF BIAS
BASED CONDUCT WAS UNFOUNDED.
HOWELL WAS ORDERED TO UNDERGO
FORMAL COUNSELING, WHICH
ACCORDING TO NEWS 4 JAX CRIME
AND SAFETY ANALYST. LOOK EACH
A BURDEN IS NOT A FORM OF
PUNISHMENT. A FORMER IS NOT A
FORM OF DISCIPLINE CORRECTIVE
ACTION. BURTON SAYS FORMAL
COUNSELING IS THE FIRST STEP
IN A CORRECTIVE ACTION.
>> SAYING DISCIPLINARY ACTION
WITHIN THE SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT STARTS WITH A LEVEL
ONE WRITTEN REPRIMAND AND
ESCALATE FROM THEIR LEVEL ONE
AND LEVEL 2 IN THE HIGHER YOU
GET YOU CAN GET SUSPENSION OR
DEMOTION. OR TERMINATED.
PASTORS SAY THEY ALSO WANT TO
KNOW WHAT PROACTIVE STEPS JSO
IS TAKING TO STOP THIS KIND OF
NARRATIVE FROM BEING POSTED
ONLINE AGAIN, HOW DO WE HAVE
CONVERSATIONS?
>> AT THE BEGINNING OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT CAREERS THAT HELP
PEOPLE TO THINK THROUGH
DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE.
>> NOW A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE
JACKSONVILLE BROTHERHOOD OF
POLICE OFFICERS STRESS TO NEWS
4 JAX THAT THEY DON’T THINK
POWELL SHOULD LOSE HIS JOB,
BUT THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT
THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE, HE’S NOT HOLDING
SERGEANT HOW ACCOUNTABLE,
ADDING MORE DISCIPLINE WAS
WARRANTED IN THE SITUATION.
THEY SAY THEY ALSO SAY THE
AGENCY AS A WHOLE. THE
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT IS IN NEED OF MORE
DIVERSITY TRAINING. SO WE
ASKED JSO ABOUT THE PASTOR’S
REQUEST IF THE AGENCY WILL BE
FOLLOWING UP. WILL THEY FOLLOW
UP ON HOUSE PERFORMANCE WITH
THE PUBLIC? THE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE TOLD US THAT THEY
REJECTED THE PREMISE OF OUR
QUESTION SAYING THAT THE
INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE
ALLEGATION OF BY SPACE CONDUCT
WITH UNFOUNDED AND THAT IS
FORMAL COUNSELING ADDRESS THE
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY