Recent tragic events across the country have raised awareness of the use
of violence in the police force. Most recently in Baltimore - and from Ferguson
to Madison - local police forces have been debated and defended, accused and
inspected - locally, in national news outlets, and around the world.
All the while American demographics are changing, and the population
is more diverse than ever. In the aftermath of police shootings of African
Americans in particular, many have turned to the demographics of the police
force itself as a potential source of explanation, and even though it is a
somewhat simplistic cause, the results are
worth contemplating: minorities make up a quarter of police forces, whites are
overrepresented by more than 30 percentage points, and in many metropolitan
areas this imbalance is even higher.
There is no doubt that racial disparity is a multifaceted issue that
needs to be addressed from various angles, and changing the misrepresentation
in the police force is by no means an easy fix. None the less, I believe that
meaningful and significant progress can be made, be being attentive to diversity
management.
But before we can apply insights from diversity management, the police
force itself needs to be more diverse. Several studies have showed how
some methods of testing cause African Americans and/or women to underperform
due to various societal pressures. As such the first step is to be attentive to
the admission process: are some applicants systematically failing to get into
police academy? Are minorities being reminded of stereotypical notions of their
ability? As Jeanne McNett argues diversity is about “valuing, respecting, and
appreciating the differences” (McNett, 2004), and as such, before we can even
begin to value them, the first step is recognition of differences.
For a more diverse police force to have an impact, the next step is to
ensure equal opportunity for advancement and leadership positions. If not
managed properly, diversity does not necessarily lead to better utilization of
talent and savings, but can result in increased costs (Gall & Dechant,
2004). The argument for diversity’s
impact on the bottom line is often made with regard to businesses, but really it
can be applied to government and nonprofits as well. And if the business
rhetoric doesn’t resonate, there is the social justice aspect: Leadership
opportunities should be equally available to all.
A counter argument is often made, that the race of the police officer is
not an issue and as such a diverse police force shouldn’t be a goal in itself.
Why is this so important? Diversity matters, because the reality is, that
American communities are still very much segregated. Statistician Nate Silver
has noted that in the 75 largest U.S. cities only 35 % of the white police
officers live in the cities they serve. IT matters, because as long as we
don’t live together stereotypical notions and biases will rule judgment, as professor
Laurence Brown argues.
Even though attentiveness to diversity and fruitful management thereof
has a possibility of contributing to progress, there is still a long way ahead.
As a foreigner currently living in the U.S. I was astonished when I learned the
number of homicides
occurring at the hands of the police every year. Clearly this has to be tackled
with policy initiatives as well. This is in line with the argument presented by
McNett, stating that value shifts follow from power shifts (McNett, 2004). In
New York for instance a court-order against civil service exams has led to a
more diverse police force (Ashkanas & Park, 2015). Local leaders can only do so much – this is a
challenge that requires action all the way up the political system. Yesterday Hillary Clinton spoke at Columbia University, and she concluded: "[This is] A time for
honesty about race and justice in America.
And, yes, a time
for reform."
References:
Ashkenas, Jeremy & Park, Haeyoun. 2015. The Race Gap in America’s
Police Departments, The New York Times.
McNett, Jeanne. 2004. Diversity in the Workplace: Ethics, Pragmatism, or
some of Both? Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and
Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 241-253.
Robinson, Gail and Kathleen Dechant. 2004. Building a Business Case for
Diversity. Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises
3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 241-253.
Thomas, David A. & Ely, Robin J. 2004. “Making Differences Matter: A
New Paradigm for Managing Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity:
Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 211-227.
