OWASSO, Okla. — City leaders in Owasso announced an investigation is being conducted into a Facebook post made by the Owasso Police Department over the weekend.
2 News reported earlier about the outrage over a post on the department's social media encouraging people to donate blood by utilizing gang and racial stereotypes. The text of stereotypical gang-related slang terms in the now-deleted post was called "racist" or "unprofessional" in several comments.
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2 News Oklahoma reached out to the city leaders to get a reaction to the post, they chose not to do an interview but released a joint statement from several leaders:
On Saturday afternoon, the City of Owasso was made aware of an inappropriate post on Owasso Police Department's Facebook page. We want to sincerely apologize and recognize the concern and offense this has caused.
This post was removed and does not represent the culture and values of the City of Owasso or the Owasso Police Department.
There will be an investigation into this incident, and accountability will be sought for any employee who violates our standards of conduct, particularly in this matter.
Our police department continues to do an excellent job in serving and protecting our citizens, and this unfortunate incident in no way minimizes their extreme value to our city.
We are committed to maintaining a respectful and trusting relationship with our community, and will take the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again.
The statement is a joint statement from the Owasso police chief, Owasso mayor and Owasso city manager.
2 News will update as we learn more.
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