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Would Hiring More Minority Cops Help Curb the Violence in Harrisburg?
Would hiring more minority officers help curb the violence in Harrisburg?
Police consider it part of the solution. The problem is the city can't find enough qualified applicants.
The police department just added eleven recruits. They are all white. Right now, only seven percent of the police force is African-American. That works out to thirteen officers.
Police say minorities are applying, but many can't make it through the rigorous screening process. "Sometimes during the background investigation we find things that eliminate them based on civil service requirements," said Capt. Pierre Ritter.
Ritter said the department is now recruiting at black colleges and through the Internet to try and attract qualified candidates.
But some residents don't care about the skin color of a cop.
"I don't think it matters if the cop's black, white, Hispanic or whatever. They all wear the same color uniform. So they're all basically the same," said Uptown resident Katrina Dekeyser.
"I don't think it would make that much of a difference, but it might," said Uptown resident James Morrison. "As long as they're doing their job correctly, I'm happy."
The police department has already started the next recruitment drive for January's class.
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