A photo taken by the Record of three female New Westminster police officers is being misused by an anti-Women’s March group based in the United States.
The photo, featuring three local officers in front of a New Westminster Police Department cruiser, was part of a feature story on female officers in the local police force, which was published in the Record in June 2014. The photo, owned by the Record, is now circulating social media after an American-based Facebook group used the photo without permission to protest the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday.
The post reads: “One of the most empowering things I’ve done as a woman was learn to shoot, learn how to defend myself, and strap on my vest everyday … not wear a (…) ridiculous pink hat and ‘protest.’ Working the street is the ultimate equal opportunity; bad guys don’t give a (…) if you’re a man or a woman. Want to feel ‘equal’? Go fight someone in the street, get shot at, or have someone try to kill you.”
The New Westminster Police Department has denounced the post, confirming the group does not have permission to use the image of its officers.
“It’s obviously not our comments associated to it (the photo). Somebody has used our photo and put their own comments and own beliefs on that, which aren’t the beliefs of our organization by any means,” acting Sgt. Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the New Westminster Police Department, told the Record. “We’ve asked the people who host that page to remove that photo just because it does have our members and images on there, and it’s still up and we’re hoping it will be removed.”
Both the Record and the New Westminster Police Department have received emails, calls and messages on Facebook regarding the image. All attempts are being made to have the image removed.
“We’re well aware of it and it does not reflect the beliefs of this organization,” Scott added.
