A new report from the Department of Justice found that a lack of diversity in police departments is hurting community policing, and that a more diverse workforce would help to rebuild the trust that has been shattered in cities and towns around the country.
“This finding is bolstered by decades of research confirming that when members of the public believe their law enforcement organizations represent them, understand them, and respond to them – and when communities perceive authorities as fair, legitimate, and accountable – it deepens trust in law enforcement, instills public confidence in government, and supports the integrity of democracy,” the report said. “This trust is essential to defusing tension, to solving crimes, and to creating a system in which residents view law enforcement as fair and just.”
The report, from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, shows that racial and ethnic minorities are largely underrepresented in sworn police department officers compared with the demographic estimates for the general public.
“Ensuring that law enforcement agencies represent the diversity of the communities they serve can help restore trust and improve policing,” said Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta in a statement. “Building on innovative and creative strategies implemented by law enforcement around the country, our report highlights how agencies are bridging divides and creating lasting results.”
Several agencies have already taken innovative steps to better diversify and thus connect with their community members, the report found. One of those departments is the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., which uses social media to recruit officers with different backgrounds.
The report is a product of the Obama administration’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
