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Despite admissions from his own officers, Miami Police Chief John Timoney has denied allegations that local police officers have the Hip-Hop industry under surveillance when in the city.
"Under no circumstances will I tolerate people going out and taking surveillance of artists who are coming to this community," Timoney said at a press conference yesterday (March 16). "We've never followed rappers, we've never taken pictures of them at airports. We don't allow that. The whole thing is a fraud."
Still, Timoney admitted that Miami police officers traveled to New York for training about the Hip-Hop industry and received a binder with some rappers criminal records and photos, after the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur.
Reporter Evelyn McDonald stood by the story, saying "Nicole [White] and I stand by our story. If the chief would like to talk to us, about how the reporting was done, we would be happy to talk with him, but obviously he was not interested in talking to us."
Sgt. Manny Tapanes, was quoted as saying "a lot if not most rappers belong to some sort of gang. We keep track of their arrests and associates"
Police spokesman Robert Hernandez claimed the officers words were taken out of context.
Timoney was named First Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department in 1995, becoming the second highest ranking law enforcement officer.
In 1998, Timoney was appointed Police Chief in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was caught in controversy when locals activists claimed that State police undercover agents posing as demonstrators, infiltrated groups planning protests at the Republican National Convention, tactics which the ACLU condemned.
As Police Chief in Miami, Timoney was at the center of controversy when officers were accused of using excessive force on activists during the Free Trade Area of the Americas protests.
Local leaders called for Timoney's resignation.
Source: allhiphop.com
"Under no circumstances will I tolerate people going out and taking surveillance of artists who are coming to this community," Timoney said at a press conference yesterday (March 16). "We've never followed rappers, we've never taken pictures of them at airports. We don't allow that. The whole thing is a fraud."
Still, Timoney admitted that Miami police officers traveled to New York for training about the Hip-Hop industry and received a binder with some rappers criminal records and photos, after the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur.
Reporter Evelyn McDonald stood by the story, saying "Nicole [White] and I stand by our story. If the chief would like to talk to us, about how the reporting was done, we would be happy to talk with him, but obviously he was not interested in talking to us."
Sgt. Manny Tapanes, was quoted as saying "a lot if not most rappers belong to some sort of gang. We keep track of their arrests and associates"
Police spokesman Robert Hernandez claimed the officers words were taken out of context.
Timoney was named First Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department in 1995, becoming the second highest ranking law enforcement officer.
In 1998, Timoney was appointed Police Chief in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was caught in controversy when locals activists claimed that State police undercover agents posing as demonstrators, infiltrated groups planning protests at the Republican National Convention, tactics which the ACLU condemned.
As Police Chief in Miami, Timoney was at the center of controversy when officers were accused of using excessive force on activists during the Free Trade Area of the Americas protests.
Local leaders called for Timoney's resignation.
Source: allhiphop.com