SOUTHLAKE, Texas  — Two Southlake police officers have been fired after drawing a hate symbol and sharing it during a meeting.

Southlake is a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

According to Southlake Police Chief James Brandon, on June 14 he was made aware that the two officers drew a swastika during a department meeting. Brandon described it as “an inexcusable attempt at humor” and “exceptionally poor judgment.”

“As Chief I am deeply disappointed in the lack of judgment shown by the actions of the officers involved,” Brandon wrote in a statement. “I know that their actions do not reflect the values of the men and women who serve and protect our community each day, our city leadership, our organization, or our community.”

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, hate crimes are on the rise in the state. Data collected by the department and first reported on by the Texas Observer shows hate crimes in Texas increased by 6.4% from 2021 to 2022, which set a new record.

“Hate symbols do not reflect the values that we share as public servants and are not acceptable in any form or situation,” Brandon wrote. “The display of a symbol of hate undermines the confidence of the public in our department and does not reflect our values as public servants.”