In a since-deleted Facebook post, the Owasso Police Department shared an image from the TV show South Park to promote an upcoming blood drive.
The image from the animated show depicted the Bloods street gang. Along with the image was a written post by Owasso police encouraging the public to participate in a blood drive.
“Whut up bluuud!” The post read, followed by “We won’t ‘jump you in’, it’s just a little jab.”
Some on social media have responded to the post, calling it inappropriate. Some posts even called it racist. Others said it was funny and got their attention.
The Owasso Police Department responded in another post, acknowledging the strong response.
“Well that got out of hand quickly! Our last blood drive post apparently offended a few people, certainly no intent to offend anyone, so apologies if you were offended.” Another post read. “We better stick to a tamer blood drive flyer to get the word out. Cheers Owasso and see you at the blood drive!”
A search of the police department’s previous posts on the blood drive found references to vampires and Dracula.
A joint statement was released by the Owasso mayor, city manager, and police chief.
“On Saturday afternoon, the City of Owasso was made aware of an inappropriate post on Owasso Police Department’s Facebook page. We want to sincerely apologize and recognize the concern and offense this has caused.
This post was removed and does not represent the culture and values of the City of Owasso or the Owasso Police Department.
There will be an investigation into this incident, and accountability will be sought for any employee who violates our standards of conduct, particularly in this matter.
Our Police Department continues to do an excellent job in serving and protecting our citizens, and this unfortunate incident in no way minimizes their extreme value to our city.
We are committed to maintaining a respectful and trusting relationship with our community and will take the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again."
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