Wilmington Police Department Under Fire After Detective Given 'Whitest Black Guy In The Office' Trophy
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- In Delaware, the Wilmington Police Department is investigating after it learned an officer was given a racially-insensitive trophy.
What does it mean to be Black? Or according to this trophy, the whitest Black guy in the office.
"It means that you are not fitting in to your own culture," said Coby Owens with the Delaware NAACP.
The trophy was reportedly given in jest was awarded to a Black male detective by his white supervisor, according to officials.
It has been on display on the detective's desk since 2019.
"It's unfortunate that this has actually been on the desk for almost three years now and to finally see a picture of it and show something like that is just unacceptable," Owens said.
Wilmington Council President Trippi Congo released a picture of the gold figure with a statement, saying this is an example of the culture displayed by the department.
"I understand that they're like family, but they're not and for them to give that kind of award when they already know the tension between Black and white officers," Congo said.
Congo says the officers that brought this to his attention find it offensive although the recipient reportedly doesn't mind.
He says they felt emboldened to at least speak with him after a no-confidence vote in Police Chief Robert Tracy passed six to four.
"Hopefully, one day, they will feel comfortable enough to speak themselves, but for right now, they're not and I can't put that into words how that must feel," Congo said.
Eyewitness News reached out to the Wilmington Police Department, which says it was first made aware of the trophy Friday and immediately launched an internal investigation.
"This is a matter we take very seriously; this message is entirely inappropriate and not in keeping with the high expectations we have for members of our department," Tracy said in a statement.
We asked the department for an interview regarding this. It says since it's an internal investigation they are limited.
The department declined to identify any of the officers involved.
