NYPD Cops Disciplined For Racist Facebook Posts

West Indian Day Parade in 2011

NYPD brass has disciplined 17 cops who posted racist or offensive comments on a Facebook page devoted to last year's West Indian Day Parade, officials said Thursday.

News of the disciplinary action, first reported by the New York Times, comes almost one year after the Labor Day weekend celebration.

About 150 comments were posted on the page, referring to parade revelers as "savages" and "animals."

Investigators found that about 20 of the people who posted comments matched the names of NYPD police officers.

Paul Browne, top spokesman for the NYPD, said four cops still face departmental trials on misconduct charges.

Six cops were slapped with command disciplines and seven received lower levels of punishment.

The annual parade has become one of the city's largest events.

It is heavily policed and has been linked to violence. Last year, three shootings were tied to the parade.