THE VIDEOS ARE pretty poor quality, and anyone who has spent time in the local independent film scene has seen things a lot more obscene, shocking, and offensive. But when you look at the racist, sexist, homo- and transphobic clips that some San Francisco police officers made recently, the most obvious thing that comes to mind is this:

These people were at work.

The videos show officers, in uniform, using San Francisco Police Department cars and equipment. They may be a lame and puerile attempt at humor – the kind of thing that shows up at a particularly dumb frat party – and the creators may argue that they were supposed to be a harmless parody of police work. But the fact remains: This sort of thing has been inappropriate – and illegal – in the California workplace for a long time now. And any sane employer in the state who found workers behaving this way on company time would have no choice but to fire them immediately.

But San Francisco's past record dealing with problem cops suggests that won't be automatic.

The truth is, San Francisco police officers who improperly shoot and kill people, who beat and maim civilians without cause or justification, who allow suspects to die in custody for want of adequate treatment and care, who frame innocent people and send them to jail for life – and cops who can't seem to solve more than a fraction of the homicide cases that are becoming epidemic in town – manage to stay on the job.

We're glad Mayor Gavin Newsom and Chief Heather Fong responded to the incident with quick and harsh criticism and a promise to end the cowboy mentality in the SFPD. But they have a long, long way to go – and investigating one incident of the sort of behavior that's commonplace in the department isn't going to do it.

If Newsom wants real change, he has an opportunity here to make it – but it will involve a real, wholesale housecleaning and a political war with the powerful police officers union.

Let's face it: The San Francisco Police Department is a mess. There are any number of cowboy cops who operate with virtual impunity. There are countless more who harbor – and often express – the sort of racist, sexist, and homophobic attitudes shown in the recent videos.

This would be a fine time to start changing that culture and attitude – for good. Firing everyone who was knowingly involved in making an offensive and inappropriate video while on duty, in uniform, or using department facilities or equipment would send a nice signal that this sort of behavior won't ever be condoned again.

But that's just a start. If Newsom is serious, he needs to make clear to the chief, the Police Commission, and everyone else involved that the SFPD is entering a new era – and cops who engage in racist, sexist, and homophobic behavior and who beat, kill, and abuse people without cause, or who try to squelch investigations into misconduct, will be dismissed as quickly as the law and due process allow.