After inquiry, lights go out on cop Web site

The controversial Web forum domelights.com has been disabled following a Police Department investigation into online threats made against the president of a black police officer's organization that sued the site for allowing users to leave racist remarks.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey launched the investigation Wednesday, two days after the Guardian Civic League filed a request for a court injunction to ban officers from using the site while on duty.

Since the request was filed, numerous posts have sprung up targeting League President Rochelle Bilal, including one saying that she should be "gang-raped."

The group filed a federal lawsuit last week that described the site as a forum for racist content that created a hostile environment for black officers.

For the last two days, officers from Homeland Security escorted Bilal to and from work, and the department had a police cruiser stationed outside of the league's headquarters on 15th Street near Girard Avenue.

But since becoming a vocal critic of some of her fellow officers, Bilal said she has never taken the same route to work.

"A lot of my people are concerned," she said. "You got crazy people out there; of course I'm concerned."

A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3 to find out the result of the injunction request.

The founder of the site, repeatedly identified in the suit as McQ, is believed to be Fred McQuiggan, a police sergeant in information technology and communications services.

In recent postings, McQuiggan, of Torresdale, has said that he rejects racist or sexist comments on the site and that he never administers domelights while on duty.