Shouldn't police represent the community in the hiring numbers?

[OAITW r.2.0]

Seems like if there is 75% black population, 75% of the police force should be black. What am I missing?

[DURHAM D]

1. Well, at least the Chief of Police is AA. nt

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. If you have a Black American at the top, but a solid minority doing the policing....he becomes

the sacrificial lamb....nt

[Igel]

3. Self-selection.

And qualifications. Or, in many cases, disqualifications.

Take where I live. 30 college credits or 2 years military service--AA are slightly overrepresented for military, but underrepresented for college enrollment. No drug use. Good credit. And pass a battery of tests (some of which are almost certainly psych).



Note that the demographics have shifted in the last 10 years. The police force still largely looks like the area did 20 years ago. And this we're stuck with in the interests of fairness and equity. Firing somebody because their skin doesn't look quite right is no better than hiring or firing somebody because of skin color.

[MichMan]

4. Legally you can't just fire the white cops and replace them with black cops

[Massacure]

5. I suspect education may be a factor

Most police academies require recruits to have at least an associates degree. 44% of the white population has at least an associates degree, but only 29% of African Americans and 21% of Latinos.

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_RFA.asp

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. If education favors white applicants, then the end result is fail.

I think the imperative is balancing the % of community to the police identity. Not saying that this is a perfect correlation, but it might be better for community relations.

[Hekate]

7. What you're missing is an Affirmative Action program, which is not quotas...

You can also make a point of getting law enforcement training into the community colleges and encourage local high school students to consider it as a profession. (They still have Career Day, don't they?) Talk up the requirements, be real about it.

Local public high schools should be representative of the community, and percentages of POC applicants and trainees should rise accordingly.

Oh for those bygone days when we at least tried.

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. I bet the white policeman had the education creds.

Yet, here we are....

[2naSalit]

9. EEO-Equal Employment Opportunity law(s)

require consideration of all eligible candidates/applicants equally. What happens is that systematic elimination of anything but white applicants for a majority of positions available which also includes obvious cheating. If it's exams that they have to take for promotions or getting the job in the first place, it's rarely representative in the end.

[uponit7771]

10. ****YES !!!**** ... and live in the community they patrol

[greyl]

11. A few generations of history. nt