Mostly White Forces in Mostly Black Towns: Police Struggle for Racial Diversity; New York Times, 9/9/14

Shaila Dewan, New York Times; Mostly White Forces in Mostly Black Towns: Police Struggle for Racial Diversity:

"The obstacles to diversity are many, Dr. Lim, the sociologist, said. Candidates usually must pass written tests, physical agility tests, psychological tests, polygraphs and background checks, some of which can have a disparate impact on minority candidates. Qualified black candidates are sought after not just by competing police departments, but also by employers in other industries. And some police chiefs have cited a negative attitude toward law enforcement among blacks that hinders recruiting.

Police departments have tried all kinds of remedies, from personal trainers to help with physical fitness tests to tailored recruiting. (A RAND survey found that women were attracted to the good salaries in policing, blacks to the profession’s prestige and Asians to the excitement of the job.)

But many small departments lack the resources, or the will, to conduct an exhaustive review of their hiring practices."