The Owasso Police Department is under fire after posting, and later deleting, a promotion for a blood drive that critics say was racist and offensive.
The post referenced the Bloods gang and included cartoon images from a 2003 episode of the animated TV show “South Park.” It read: “Whut up bluuud! We need it! We won’t ‘jump you in, it’s just a little jab.”
Deon Osborne, managing editor at The Black Wall Street Times, said the post was not just in poor taste, it was damaging.
“It’s dangerous and ignorant,” Osborne said. “It’s ignorant because it’s racism being masked as comedy, and it’s dangerous because it further divides. It increases the distrust that already is there between, you know, minority communities and the police.”
Owasso is a majority white suburb where Black residents make up less than 4% of the population. Osborne said the post reflects a broader cultural problem within law enforcement.
“Nothing has happened culturally to change the mindset among a lot of these police departments when it comes to Black and Brown communities,” he said.
Osborne expanded on his comments in an opinion piece published by The Black Wall Street Times.
On Monday afternoon, the Owasso mayor, city manager and police chief issued a joint apology.
In the statement, they said the post does not reflect the city’s culture or values, promised an internal investigation, and emphasized that the incident does not diminish the work of Owasso police officers.
