Wilton Manors sergeant forced to resign over 'hateful' comments
By Lisa J. Huriash, Sun Sentinel

5:21 p.m. EDT, July 14, 2011

WILTON MANORS—
A police sergeant on the force for 32 years has agreed to resign after being accused of making "hateful" comments about blacks and Hispanics.

Under a separation agreement approved Tuesday night by city commissioners, Sgt. Peter Bigelsen will be paid almost $45,000 in accrued sick time and personal hours in exchange for his resignation. Bigelsen, 65, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Wilton Manors Police Chief Paul O'Connell, who called Bigelsen "a bigot with a badge," had recommended the sergeant be fired.

Late last year, Bigelsen was placed on administrative leave for sending hundreds of racist e-mails from his work computer. The chief said three incidents then occurred in February and March that made him want Bigelsen out: two remarks to or about Hispanics and a comment to a black officer to "go to the back of the bus."

"Mr. Bigelsen had just returned from a lengthy and well-publicized internal affairs investigation regarding his use of the department's e-mail system during which he spewed his racist venom," O'Connell wrote City Manager Joseph Gallegos in a memo on May 31. "One would think that after such an ordeal he would have learned his lesson…. Rather than the non-personal communication of e-mail, he raised the stakes and the impact of his racist words to a new level: in your face."

Bigelsen had been in trouble before. In 2007 he was cited for making an inappropriate comment to a female employee.

In 2010, a review of his work emails over a six-month period showed most were not work-related and included jokes about politics, religion, sex and immigration issues.

Bigelsen's emails were forwarded to nonemployees and employees. He told investigators he exchanged similar emails with former Police Chief Richard E. Perez, who served a 30-day suspension without pay as the result of sending racist emails from his work account. Perez resigned in October.

"I have come to the inescapable conclusion that the time for Peter Bigelsen to go is now," O'Connell wrote. "I know he has a long history with our police department, but the privilege of longevity is always vetoed by the consistent pattern of abuse by Mr. Bigelsen. Clearly, the only remedy for this kind of cancer is to remove it."


The first of the DIRTY four to go was DISGRACED FORMER AND NEVER TO BE AGAIN CHIEF RICHARD PEREZ :devil: . Now, the second to go is the greatest ARSE Kisser since E Costello, Mr. Peter Bigelsen. His lips were so tightly wrapped on Perez's Arse, its a wonder he was able to breathe. Now, on the chopping block are the final two, E Costello and D Seibert. Seems like their positions have been abolished. As of the end of September, they will be joining Mr. Perez in the private club of the unemployed. Its about time. We all know Seibert was a waste from the start and now lets see... she is suing the city for taking away her vacation time (the time she never submitted while taking her MANY vacations) and also, she is complaining of health problems. Seems like she wants a little more time on the books so she is attempting a little workmans comp time to take her to, lets see...sometime in February of next year. Good luck to that. You certaintly deserve what you have coming. Regards to your best friend and partiner in crime, DISGRACED FORMER AND NEVER TO BE AGAIN CHIEF RICHARD PEREZ :devil: .