Opinion ID: 1834882
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Suppression of First Amendment Rights

Text: Officer Bulloch argued that his First Amendment rights were wrongfully suppressed by Chief Pope, and the following deposition testimony by Chief Pope is cited in the appellant's brief as the basis for this claim. Q. As far as Terry and his profile, and the public, Terry Bulloch, did he not, over the years, get a large amount of publicity? A. Yes, he did, and I honestly did not think this was good. Matter of fact, I don't think it's good for our Narcotics Officers right now to get a lot of publicity, and we try to minimize this. First of all, we're dealing ... and Terry knows this better than anybody else, they're dealing with people that's a dangerous group of people, and if they start getting too much publicity, they can wind up in somebody's slab in the river, and we don't ... if you'll notice now, we don't ever identify any of our undercover officers that comes in here. We do that for their protection, and their protection only. Q. Did you ever order Terry Bulloch to keep a low profile, out of the papers and the T.V.? A. I don't know if that was the exact terminology I used, but I did, in fact, tell Terry that I thought he was exposing himself too much, that this publicity was bad, and this was centered around the fact that .. . that he was in a dangerous job. It was centered around the fact that I felt like that he had become a target. I felt like that by talking to him that he was becoming paranoid. This happens to narcotics people. I felt that he could very well become a danger to himself, seeing a booger behind every tree, and that's the reason ... that I asked Terry to maintain a low profile. Record at 152-53. Officer Bulloch does not elaborate on how he was injured as a result of suppression of First Amendment activity. Connick v. Myers holds that employee speech is entitled to judicial protection only if it concerns matters of public concern, and this protection does not extend to comments of personal interest. Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138, 103 S.Ct. 1684, 75 L.Ed.2d 708 (1983). Even employee speech on matters of public interest must be balanced against the government's interest in promoting efficiency, integrity and proper discipline in the discharge of public service. Gonzalez v. Benavides, 774 F.2d 1295, 1300 (5th Cir.1985). Further, we find Chief Pope's request to Officer Bulloch to maintain a low profile to be well within the legitimate and necessary means inherent to the efficient operation of a police department which is deeply involved in combatting narcotics activity in the community.