Golden officials said a doll depicting the rapper Snoop Dogg was found hanging by its neck inside the station

GOLDEN, Colo. — A Golden Fire Department employee is no longer employed by the city after a doll depicting rapper Snoop Dogg was found hanging by its neck inside a fire station.

The city described the March 2026 incident as a racist act in a July 28 open letter to the community. Officials said the “Snoop on a Stoop” doll had previously been moved around the station during the holiday season before it was discovered hanging from a rope in a stairwell. It was removed immediately.

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The city initially conducted an internal investigation, imposed disciplinary action and hired an outside consultant to provide culture, equity and inclusion training throughout the department.

Other city employees learned of the incident in late July and told officials that leadership’s response did not adequately reflect its seriousness or its effect on employees and the community, according to the letter.

“Their voices prompted us to reflect on our response and acknowledge that we fell far short in our responsibility to City staff and our community,” officials stated.

Following those discussions and an additional review, the city announced that the responsible employee was no longer with the department. Officials did not identify the employee or describe the disciplinary action initially taken.

The city will also commission an independent, third-party investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, how officials responded and whether further action is warranted. The review will include recommendations intended to prevent similar incidents.

City officials apologized to employees and residents, and acknowledged that the display carried a history associated with racial violence.

“We failed our employees. We failed members of our community. We failed to meet the standard of respect and professionalism that every person deserves,” officials stated.

The city said it will continue working with its Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, hold employee listening sessions and take additional action based on the independent investigation’s findings.

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