Police Department Disparity

The article in the New York Times the other day detailing the racial disparity of police departments around the country was eye opening. But it leaves gaps in the story. The exclusion I’m interested in is whether or not there was active recruitment within the black community by the police departments where blacks are so under represented but more importantly, who’s job is it? For example, was there recruitment and no interest, no recruitment and no interest or no recruitment and interest. Certainly if you can demonstrate that there was an interest within the black inhabitants of Ferguson, for example, to join the police force but it went untapped or worse, was actively discouraged or discriminated against, well then you have a problem. But is that the case? I would bet that it isn’t. I would bet that there is little interest among the youth of that community in a career as a law enforcement officer. Might there even be peer pressure in the opposite direction? So the question then becomes, is it incumbent upon the police departments of cities like Ferguson to change that lack of interest. Do they send in teams of recruitment officers with brochures, tables and booths like the military does? Do the departments have those kind of resources? Is it their job? Careers tend to travel through a family line. Doctors breed doctors, actors actors and cops cops. The stereotypical Irish beat cop can still be found in many departments and you will find that sons and daughters have followed fathers into the occupation. To change the complexion of a small police department like Ferguson you would have to discourage the sons and daughters of existing police officers and encourage people who may have no interest in the job. Who gets that assignment?