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Fired Oakland cop claims she didn’t author social media posts repeatedly disparaging Black people, Guatemalans
The recently fired Oakland police officer accused of posting racist messages to Facebook a dozen years ago tearfully denied having authored the statements that appeared to often target Black people and Guatemalans with slurs and expletives.
The officer’s Facebook page included repeated uses of the N-word and described a “hate” for Black people, according to posts that were captured by Univision. The 30-year-old officer, Jocelyn Chang Newman, was a February 2023 graduate of the police department’s 190th Basic Recruit Academy and had been working on patrol, though it’s unclear where in the city she worked.
In a phone interview Friday, Chang Newman wept while adamantly denying having made the posts — blaming them instead on her ex-husband, with whom she shares three children. She said access to her Facebook account had been limited at times by him during a marriage plagued by abuse, and that she could think of no other way those statements would have appeared online.
“The way I’m being portrayed is not who I am,” Chang Newman said. “How am I going go say something so messed up if my brother is half-Guatemalan, half-Mexican? I don’t agree with any of the statements. I don’t agree with the statements saying ‘I hate Black people.’ I don’t. And honestly, anyone that knows me well enough or has seen me, they don’t perceive me that way, because I’m not that way. I don’t act like that.”
“I just don’t have the words, because I’m speechless,” she added. “The way I’m being painted is not who I am.”
The messages obtained by Univision spanned from at least summer 2012 to spring 2013, and included multiple references to Black people as “ignorant.” They also appeared to repeatedly target people from Guatemala, describing “anything tainted” by people from that country as “nasty.”
“Exactly why I f—ing hate black ppl always have to take from hard working ppl/families that’s why karma lands them in a grave,” read one of the messages posted to Facebook in August 2012.
The Oakland Police Department said on Wednesday it had launched an internal affairs investigation on Feb. 2, immediately after a media outlet brought the alleged statements to its attention. OPD said it was working with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to investigate “any and all cases” that may be impacted by the officer’s alleged conduct.
“We’re going to do every single thing we can to get to the bottom of this,” Interim Assistant Chief Trevelyon Jones said in a recorded statement. “We have to have people here at the Oakland Police Department that love Oakland and care about the community. We cannot have people here who hold racist, hateful views serving our community.”
Chang Newman was on probationary status at the time of her firing, because she had yet to complete a full year of service. The employment status in Oakland stretches for 12 months and leaves people on it without many of the same abilities as full-fledged officers to fight firings, including a disciplinary hearing. Her termination on Feb. 2 came a day before the one-year anniversary of her academy graduation.
Prior to joining OPD, she had a license to work as a security guard in San Francisco, state records show.
The Oakland Police Officers’ Association declined to comment. Michael Rains, an attorney who represents the Oakland Police Officers Association, said that his firm generally does not represent people who are fired while on probationary status.
Chang Newman said she was searching for an attorney to fight the dismissal.
“I want to clear my name, that’s all I want,” she added. “Because the truth has to come out. And this has just blown out of proportion.”
The discovery of the postings added to a long list of racist messaging scandals to hit the Bay Area in recent years, including within the Oakland Police Department’s own ranks.
At least seven Oakland police officers were disciplined in 2021 after the discovery of an Instagram account created by a fired Oakland officer that included memes that were sexist, racist and mocked efforts to curb police brutality. The account drew a following among numerous active Oakland police officers. Yet Oakland police leaders waited months after its discovery in September 2020 to launch an investigation, thinking the account could be an “Antifa or BLM-type trap” or an effort by activists to “infiltrate” their department.
Outside investigators later criticized the department for its sluggish response, and the scandal became another key reason in 2022 that the department failed to shed its decades-long federal oversight.
Even the appearance of Jones this week in a video produced by the Oakland Police Department decrying the posts on Chang Newman’s Facebook page bore its own irony.
Jones and members of the department’s homicide unit were the subjects of a complaint filed about eight years ago by an Oakland sergeant over the alleged exchange of racist and homophobic text messages, sources told this newspaper back then. The scandal prompted city officials to recommend the suspension of two officers in a bid to root out what Oakland’s then-Mayor Libby Schaaf called a “toxic, macho culture” within the department.
Elsewhere in the East Bay, dozens of Antioch police officers were found to have sent or received deeply racist and homophobic texts that included references to Black people as “gorillas,” “monkeys” and “water buffalo” and boasts of violating residents’ civil rights.
And in the South Bay, a San Jose officer resigned after the discovery of racist text messages he wrote in recent years, including usage of the N-word and the proclamation “I hate Black people.” In January, city officials were ordered to disclose more damning text messages and the previously unreleased names of two officers connected to the scandal.
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Why Malia Obama Received Major Criticism Over A Secret Facebook Page Dissing Trump
Given the divisive nature of both the Obama and Trump administrations, it’s unsurprising that reactions to Malia Obama’s alleged secret Facebook account would be emotional. Many online users were quick to jump to former President Donald Trump’s defense, with one user writing: “Dear Malia: Do you really think that anyone cares whether you and/or your family likes your father’s successor? We’re all trying to forget you and your family.”
Others pointed out the double standard held by those who condemn Trump for hateful rhetoric but praise people like Malia who speak out against her father’s successor in what they believe to be hateful rhetoric. Some users seemed bent on criticizing Malia simply because they don’t like her or her father, proving that the eldest Obama daughter couldn’t win for losing regarding the public’s perception of her or her online presence.
The secret Facebook situation is not all that dissimilar to critics who went after Malia for her professional name at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In this instance, people ironically accused Malia of using her family’s name to get into the competitive festival while also condemning her for opting not to use her surname, going by Malia Ann instead.
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Best Practices for Data Center Decommissioning and IT Asset Disposition
Data center decommissioning is a complicated process that requires careful planning and experienced professionals.
If you’re considering shutting down or moving your data center, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Decommissioning a Data Center is More than Just Taking Down Physical Equipment
Decommissioning a data center is more than just taking down physical equipment. It involves properly disposing of data center assets, including servers and other IT assets that can contain sensitive information. The process also requires a team with the right skills and experience to ensure that all data has been properly wiped from storage media before they’re disposed of.
Data Centers Can be Decommissioned in Phases, Which Allows For More Flexibility
When you begin your data center decommissioning process, it’s important to understand that it’s not an event. Instead, it’s a process that takes place over time and in phases. This flexibility allows you to adapt as circumstances change and make adjustments based on your unique situation. For example:
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You may start by shutting down parts of the facility (or all) while keeping others running until they are no longer needed or cost-effective to keep running.
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When you’re ready for full shutdown, there could be some equipment still in use at other locations within the company (such as remote offices). These can be moved back into storage until needed again.
Data Center Decommissioning is Subject to Compliance Guidelines
Data center decommissioning is subject to compliance guidelines. Compliance guidelines may change, but they are always in place to ensure that your organization is following industry standards and best practices.
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Local, state and federal regulations: You should check local ordinances regarding the disposal of any hazardous materials that were used in your data center (such as lead-based paint), as well as any other applicable laws related to environmental impact or safety issues. If you’re unsure about how these might affect your plans for a decommissioned facility, consult an attorney who specializes in this area of law before proceeding with any activities related to IT asset disposition or building demolition.
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Industry standards: There are many industry associations dedicated specifically toward helping businesses stay compliant with legal requirements when moving forward with projects such as data center decommissioning.
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Internal policies & procedures: Make sure everyone on staff understands how important it is not just from a regulatory standpoint but also from an ethical one; nobody wants their name associated with anything inappropriate!
Companies Should Consider Safety and Security During the Decommissioning Process
Data center decommissioning is a complex process that involves several steps. Companies need to consider the risks associated with each step of the process, and they should have a plan in place to mitigate these risks. The first step of data center decommissioning is identifying all assets and determining which ones will be reused or repurposed. At this point, you should also determine how long it will take for each asset to be repurposed or recycled so that you can estimate how much money it will cost for this part of your project (this can be done through an estimate based on previous experience).
The second step involves removing any hazardous materials from electronic equipment before it’s sent off site for recycling; this includes chemicals used in manufacturing processes like lead-free solder paste adhesives used on circuit boards made from tin-based alloys containing up 80% pure tin ingots stamped out into flat sheets called “pucks”. Once these chemicals have been removed from whatever device needs them taken off their surfaces then those devices can safely go through any other necessary processes such as grinding away excess plastic housing material using high pressure water jets until only its bare frame remains intact without any cracks where moisture might collect inside later causing corrosion damage over time due too much moisture exposure.
With Proper Planning and an Effective Team, You’ll Help Protect Your Company’s Future
Data center decommissioning is a complex process that should be handled by a team of experts with extensive experience in the field. With proper planning, you can ensure a smooth transition from your current data center environment to the next one.
The first step toward a successful data center decommissioning project is to create a plan for removing hardware and software assets from the building, as well as documenting how these assets were originally installed in the facility. This will allow you or another team member who may inherit some of these assets later on down the line to easily find out where they need to go when it’s time for them to be moved again (or disposed).
Use Professional Data Center Decommissioning Companies
In order to ensure that you get the most out of your data center decommissioning project, it’s important to use a professional data center decommissioning company. A professional data center decommissioning company has experience with IT asset disposition and can help you avoid mistakes in the process. They also have the tools and expertise needed to efficiently perform all aspects of your project, from pre-planning through finalizing documentation.
Proper Planning Will Help Minimize the Risks of Data Center Decommissioning
Proper planning is the key to success when it comes to the data center decommissioning process. It’s important that you don’t wait until the last minute and rush through this process, as it can lead to mistakes and wasted time. Proper planning will help minimize any risks associated with shutting down or moving a data center, keeping your company safe from harm and ensuring that all necessary steps are taken before shutdown takes place.
To Sum Up
The key to a successful ITAD program is planning ahead. The best way to avoid unexpected costs and delays is to plan your ITAD project carefully before you start. The best practices described in this article will help you understand what it takes to decommission an entire data center or other large facility, as well as how to dispose of their assets in an environmentally responsible manner.
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Massive Volatility Reported – Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update
I am seeing some massive volatility being reported today after seeing a spike in chatter within the SEO community on Friday. I have not seen the third-party Google tracking tools show this much volatility in a long time. I will say the tracking tools are way more heated than the chatter I am seeing, so something might be off here.
Again, I saw some initial chatter from within the SEO forums and on this site starting on Friday. I decided not to cover it on Friday because the chatter was not at the levels that would warrant me posting something. Plus, while some of the tools started to show a lift in volatility, most of the tools did not yet.
To be clear, Google has not confirmed any update is officially going on.
Well, that changed today, and the tools are all superheated today.
Google Tracking Tools:
Let’s start with what the tools are showing:
So most of these tools are incredibly heated, signaling that they are showing massive changes in the search result positions in the past couple of days.
SEO Chatter
Here is some of the chatter from various comments on this site and on WebmasterWorld since Friday:
Speaking of, is anyone seeing some major shuffling going on in the SERPs today? It’s a Friday so of course Google is playing around again.
Something is going on.
Pages are still randomly dropping out of the index for 8-36h at a time. Extremely annoying.
Speaking of, is anyone seeing some major shuffling going on in the SERPs today? It’s a Friday so of course Google is playing around again
In SerpRobot I’m seeing a steady increase in positions in February, for UK desktop and mobile, reaching almost the ranks from the end of Sep 2023. Ahrefs shows a slight increase in overall keywords and ranks.
In the real world, nothing seems to happen.
yep, traffic has nearly come to a stop. But exactly the same situation happened to us last Friday as well.
USA traffic continues to be whacked…starting -70% today.
In my case, US traffic is almost zero (15 % from 80%) and the rest is kind of the same I guess. Traffic has dropped from 4K a day to barely scrapping 1K now. But a lot is just bots since payment-wise, the real traffic seems to be about 400-500. And … that’s how a 90% reduction looks like.
Something is happening now. Google algo is going crazy again. Is anyone else noticing?
Since every Saturday at 12 noon the Google traffic completely disappears until Sunday, everything looks normal to me.
This update looks like a weird one and no, Google has not confirmed any update is going on.
What are you all noticing?
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
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