Black Florida police chiefs talk challenges of hiring more black officers

Black Florida police chiefs talk challenges of hiring more black officers

Despite years of talking about change, Florida law enforcement agencies are still made up of predominately white officers.

Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone talks to two black police chiefs to find out why.

OF TALKING ABOUT CHANGE -BLACKOFFICERS REMAIN A MINORITY ONTHE STREETS.

INVESTIGATORKATIE LAGRONE SPOKE WITH TWOPOLICE CHIEFS - WHO HAVE FACEDPOLICE COIEFS - WHO HAVE FACEDTHEIR OWN COLOR BARRIERSLEARN WHY.COLOR BARRIERS<< THEY ARE TWO POLICE CHIEFS&(SIMS) 4:13- LAW ENFORCEMENTHAS ALWAYS BEEN A WHITE MALEDOMINATED PROFESSION WHOREPRESENT TWO SIDES OFFLORIDA& (HOLLOWAY) 6:14:21WEOFFICERS JUST SO THEY CAN WORKIN A MINORITY COMMUNITY BUTBOTH SHARE THE SAME SKINCOLOR& (SIMS) 6:07- IIN MEETINGS AND CONFERENCESWHERE THERETHAT LOOK LIKE ME AND THATUNFORTUNATE AND THE SAMEBATTLE BECAUSE OF IT(HOLLOWAY) 6:16:10 WHEN THEYSEE ME IN THIS UNIFORM THEYSEE ME AS ONE PERSON AND WHENI TAKE IT OFF, THEY SEE ME ASANOTHER PERSON.

ST.

PETERSBURGPOLICE CHIEF ANTHONY HOLLOWAY&AND DELRAY BEACH POLICE CHEIFJAVARO SIMS ARE AMONGFLORIDAIN A STATE WHERE 17% OF ITSCITIZENS ARE BLACK& WE FOUNDLESS THAN 10% OF LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICERSPATROLLING THE STREETS AREBLACK- ACCORDING TO THE LATESTDEMOGRAPHIC DATA KEPT BY THEFLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAWENFORCEMENT.

(HOLLOWAY)6:15:28 WE WANT TO MIRROR OURCOMMUNITY BUT ITFIND THOSE QUALIFIEDCANDIDATES IN ST.

PETERSBURG&IN THE 1960OFFICERS, KNOWN AS THECOURAGEOUS 12- SUED THE CITYOVER UNEQUAL TREATMENT&.ANDULTIMATELY WON.

TODAY WITH ACITY POPULATION THATBLACK&15% OF ITS POLICEOFFICERS ARE BLACK& BUT INDELRAY BEACH&A SMALLER CITY&31% OF ITS POPULATION ISBLACK&YET JUST 13% OF OFFICERSARE BLACK ACCORDING TO THELATEST STATE DATA& (SIMS)4:20- DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU?ANSWER NO IT DOESNME WE LOOKED AT A DOZENFLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENTDEPARTMENTS WITH AT LEAST 100WHITE OFFICERSAROUND STATEHE PERCENTAGE OFBLACK OFFICERS CAN BE TWO ORTHREE TIMES LOWER THAN THEPERCENTAGE OF BLACK CITIZENTHEY SERVE - THESE CHIEFS HELPEXPLAIN WHY.

(HOLLOWAY)6;16;00 THE WAY THINGS AREGOING RIGHT NOW, ITS HARD TOFIND AN AFRICAN AMERICANOFFICER WHO WANTS TO BE APOLICE OFFICER.

(SIMS) 6:28- ITHINK A LOT OF AFRICANAMERICANS SPECIFICALLY SHYAWAY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT BCTHE STIGMA BETWEEN AFRICANAMERICAN COMMUNITY AND LAWENFORCEMENT AND MINORITYCOMMUNITY IN GENERAL SO WENEED TO FIND A WAY TO BREAKDOWN SOME OF THOSE BARRIERSWHICH FOR THEM&MEANSRECRUITING AS EARLY AS HIGHSCHOOLFAIRS&AD IN MINORITYMAGAZINES&AND ATTENDINGCOMMUNITY EVENTS IN MINORITYNEIGHBORHOODS.

CHIEF SIMS SAYSSINCE HE BECAME CHIEF LASTYEAR, MORE THAN 70% OF HIS NEWOFFICER HIRES ARE MINORITIES&9- BLACK.

(SIMS) 3:19- YESTHIS IS DEFINITELY A PERSONALGOAL A GOAL&BOTH RECOGNIZEWILL BE A CHALLENGE TO REACH&AS LONG AS INCIDENTS INCLUDINGMICHALE BROWN AND GEORGEFLOYD&CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.(HOLLOWAY) 6:16:20 THATAFRICAN AMERICAN OR MINORITYWE HIRE, HE OR SHE HAS TO HAVESOME THICK SKIN.

KATIE LAGRONEWPTV NC 5.