Pages

January 23, 2015

County 911 operator resigns over Facebook post critical of police brutality, says she feared for her safety after an employee of a local police agency accessed her personal information on a law-enforcement database

The Baltimore County 911 employee whose comments on police brutality were criticized by the county police union has resigned from her job.  
Kelli Murray, 32, said she felt unsafe after an employee of a local police agency accessed her personal information on a law-enforcement database, and because of online insults posted about her. She resigned Jan. 9 after nearly eight years with the county.  
Last month, comments Murray made on Facebook surfaced amid nationwide debate over police conduct. Murray said, in part, that she would rather her son encounter "a so-called thug" than an officer, as she feared for her son's safety interacting with police because he is black. The Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 4 condemned the remarks and said Murray should not be allowed to continue in her position.

Murray, a mother of six, said she made the comments in response to Facebook posts by others who questioned why people were rallying around Michael Brown, who died after being shot by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo.

"I am not anti-police," Murray said in an interview Tuesday."I am anti-police-brutality."

Murray, who received a Telecommunicator of the Year Award from the county in 2013 for her work performance, said she has received support from the Baltimore organization Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, but has also encountered insults and bullying online. A Facebook page created called "Fire Kelli Murray Now" refers to her as a "Baltimore cockroach."

"I am completely insecure about my safety and my family's safety," she said.

County spokeswoman Ellen Kobler confirmed county officials learned someone improperly accessed Murray's information on the police database. Kobler said it was not an employee of the Baltimore County Police Department, but would not say which department the person worked for. "We advised the supervision of that agency so that they could take whatever action they felt necessary," she said.

Source:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-911-operator-resigns-20150120-story.html

No comments:

Post a Comment