Minority police officers are often caught in the middle of discord between local police departments and minorities in the jurisdictions they serve.
Such as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was appointed in March following protests over the death of Laquan McDonald. According to the Wall Street Journal, Johnson is managing a major increase in homicides while officers he oversees criticize him for reaching out to activists. At the same time, he is clear to protesters that they will be arrested for resisting arrest and putting their hands on cops.
Racism issues by and within police agencies, as well as public malaise against law enforcement cited in recent events, may propose challenges for minority police officers.
But, the Department of Justice for many years has urged more diversity in law enforcement, and their numbers are growing.
From 1987 and 2013, the percentage of minority police officers in U.S. local law enforcement agencies almost doubled, Newsweek reported. While research is divided on whether diversified police departments have any specific community impacts, the White House Task Force on 21st Century Policing reaffirms diversifying local law enforcement as a priority.
In New Jersey, The Jersey City Police Department just sworn in one of its most diverse classes in the city’s history.
The department has a total of 870 officers. Nearly 70 percent of the 100 officers hired since 2013 are minority police officers.
According to Mayor Steve Fulop, Jersey City once had a police department that did not reflect the make up of its community.
We have come a long way since then...We have shown our commitment to growing our police force in smart and equitable ways, and our newest officers are proof of this,” he said in a prepared statement.
