After Jacob Smith was sworn in as an officer at a Monday night city council meeting, social media users searched for him online and found a racist meme he posted about a month ago, Pleasant Hill police Chief Tommy Wright said Wednesday morning.

    The post carried a message against Black people, according to Wright’s description. The Star is not publishing the details of what it said. When Wright became aware of the post, he said, he opened an investigation that night. Smith was suspended with pay after about three or four hours of service following the meeting.

OK, wait: This cop was a new hire, and stupid enough to post to social media under his real name, and the ‘tip’ about his racist posts came from the public — so that means nobody in the police department vets new hires at all?