PLACERVILLE, Calif. — The Placerville Police Department is facing backlash from its community after photos and videos surfaced of a group of people in Proud Boys hoodies with one of the department's patrol cars at a weekend event.
Last weekend, Dec. 5 and 6, the police department supported the Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive, collecting toys and helping with traffic safety. The department said in a Facebook post that it was not a city of Placerville or Placerville Police Department event.
At some point during the event, a group of alleged Proud Boys took a photo with a patrol car while flashing a hate sign. When the photos surfaced, the department said they were not affiliated with the group and said "neither the City of Placerville nor the Placerville Police Department invited, associated with or supports this organization. We were there to support the Toys for Tots Program."
The department added that, "a group with a political agenda" took the photo as the event was ending.
"We want to assure our Community, no officer from the Placerville Police Department was involved with this group or the photograph taken. It is unfortunate some chose to use the Toys for Tots event to push a personal or political agenda. This event was about supporting the kids in our community," the department said in the post.
But not all community members are happy with the police department's response, commenting on the post to disavow white supremacy and the Proud Boys.
Community activist group EMPACT wrote a response to Placerville Police's post on Instagram saying, "Unfortunately for you, we aren’t dumb. Nor does your 'politically correct' statement ease our hearts and make us feel any safer than we already didn’t feel. You allowed your Proud Boys to come into your space that you claim was innocent in intent, and pose with your officers. Your officers weren’t under distress nor did they appear to be forced into that setting."
A small group of protesters and counter-protesters gathered here Placerville ahead of Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
“For our town and our community, saying we will not tolerate hate in this community. They’re not welcome, we want to make them uncomfortable,” Heidi Mayerhofer said.
Community members like Mayerhofer took to the belltower where the event took place, calling on city leaders to denounce the group and white supremacy. Many took to Tuesday's City Council meeting to express their views.
Patrick is the President of the “Hangtown Proud Boys,” which he described as a politically-incorrect drinking club that only males can join. He said members are primarily conservative-leaning, but come from all backgrounds, including African Americans.
“We’re not politically correct and, if we offend people and if we push something, so be it. But people like them, they’re falling for that. If this is all about the ‘OK’ symbol it has nothing to do with racism for us. Proud boys, we’re not into racism at all,” Patrick said.
However, the Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC], which "monitors hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States," identifies the Proud Boys as a general hate group whose leaders and members are known for displaying white nationalist memes, anti-Muslimism, and misogynistic rhetoric.
The SPLC said the Proud Boys use of the “OK” symbol is usually in deliberate attempts to “trigger liberals” to react.
Placerville’s City’s Mayor and Vice Mayor Dennis Thomas are denouncing the group.
“I think our community has come out very clearly and stated that they don’t want these people acting like that in our community. They don’t want the hate, they don’t want any of those adjectives that describe them… We don’t want that in our community,” Thomas said.
