ANTIOCH, Calif. — A police department in the San Francisco Bay Area, currently under federal scrutiny due to the discovery of racist and sexist text messages, has decided to engage a consultant to revise its operational policies, as announced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In an agreement that was disclosed on Friday, it has been established that the Antioch Police Department, along with the City of Antioch, will appoint an expert consultant in law enforcement who is approved by the DOJ. This consultant will evaluate and refresh the department’s practices related to non-discriminatory policing, use of force, recruitment, promotion processes, and disciplinary matters over the course of five years.

“The effectiveness of law enforcement relies heavily on fostering public trust,” expressed U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California.

The troubling text messages exchanged among personnel at the Antioch Police Department between 2019 and 2022 came to light in 2023 as part of the ongoing federal investigation.

The heavily redacted messages revealed offensive and inflammatory content, featuring derogatory, racist, homophobic, and sexually explicit language. Officers went as far as boasting about fabricating evidence and assaulting suspects. Some messages included referring to women in a derogatory manner and sharing images of gorillas, while the use of racial slurs was rampant.

“The behaviors that triggered this investigation are intolerable and indicate major shortcomings,” stated the City of Antioch in a press release on Friday. “We remain firmly dedicated to fostering a Police Department that is transparent, accountable, and community-oriented.”

Antioch, home to 115,000 residents approximately 45 miles east of San Francisco, has seen significant demographic changes over the past three decades, transitioning from a predominantly white population to a more diverse community.