GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay Police Department says a recently-hired recruit officer does not have extremist views even though he has a tattoo of an anti-government militia movement.
Wednesday, the GBPD posted a photo of its five new sworn-in recruits to social media. The image quickly gained attention and sparked public criticism.
That’s because one of the recruits, Ross Walden, has a tattoo associated with the "Three Percenters" movement.
In response to the backlash, Chief Chris Davis released a statement Wednesday afternoon. “The ‘Three Percenter’ tattoo was intended to symbolize resistance to tyranny, not affiliation with any extremist ideology or unlawful organization," Davis wrote.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Three Percenter movement is "not a group, but a sub-ideology or common belief that falls within the larger anti-government militia movement. Three Percenters ... claim that only 3% of American colonists fought against the British."
Davis explains in the statement that Walden is a former Marine who got the tattoo while deployed oversees.
All GBPD recruits undergo “an extensive” background check and psychological evaluation as part of the standard hiring process, Davis also writes, and every officer of the is held to the values and expectations of the department.
“Our department does not make assumptions about applicants, officers or members of our community,” writes Davis. “We are committed to an objective, unbiased hiring process and to selecting the most qualified candidates who demonstrate professionalism, integrity and a commitment to fair and ethical policing.”
In July, the GBPD changed the way it hires candidates.
As part of its hiring process, the GBPD says it conducts reference checks with 22 individuals who know the applicant.
“All references consistently described Recruit Officer Walden as a person of strong character and integrity,” Davis says.
