Akron is wrapping up another police recruiting drive amidst the pressure of retirements and a national distrust separating police and some communities.
On a Wednesday afternoon, about 20 people who are considering applying to become Akron police officers show up for an information session.
The instructor positions himself on the floor: 鈥淪itups are a little more difficult..."
Demonstrating the physical fitness has been part of the police test has been part these kinds of sessions for decades. But at this one, as much time is devoted to questions like this this:
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if you had intentions of being a police officer but how has that affected you personally, your family and spiritually?鈥�
Why diversity matters
Last fall, the U.S. Justice Department published on the findings of a task force on advancing diversity in law enforcement. It calls diversity a 鈥渃ritically important tool to build trust with communities鈥� 鈥� and lists benefits ranging from defusing tension to solving crimes and protecting officer safety.
Mike Murphy believes that.
"I think it鈥檚 important that we have as many different views and outlooks on the job as possible.鈥�
He鈥檚 a soft-spoken sergeant with a reserved but warm smile 鈥� one of the three African Americans and the head of a recruiting team of four 鈥� which also includes two women. The message they deliver is simple:
"What we tell people is they can be a part of what they want to build the police department into.鈥�
Strain nationally has an impact locally
Murphy鈥檚 crew acknowledges there are reservations, especially in the African-American community. The old-timer in the group 鈥� 23-year-veteran Mike Gould Sr. 鈥� talks about it in his recruiting video and says it鈥檚 nothing new.
鈥淵ou had the situation with Rodney King, LA riots and all this kind of thing. And just being honest with him say, man, I don鈥檛 want to be the police.鈥�
But he did become 鈥渢he police鈥� and he鈥檚 glad, and he鈥檚 advocating for the choice to a new generation of officers.
The new faces of the department
About half of the people at last week鈥檚 recruiting session are African-American; a third are women. Most are young, though a few are into their 30s 鈥� almost middle-aged in traditional police terms.
And after written tests, background and polygraph checks, an interview with the chief, and months of training, some will join the recruiting class that will supply the Akron department for the next two years.
To find them, the city has recruited at barbershops and restaurants, as well as college campuses and job centers. And through
'Look like thecommunity'
The department recruiting video includes drone footage of chases 鈥� balanced by images of kids with ice cream cones perched on the trunk of a cruiser. The flashing messages: 鈥淲e teach,鈥� 鈥淲e serve鈥� 鈥淲e help.鈥�
Patrol officer and recruiter Kim Williams says 鈥� still -- one-on-one communication often works best.
鈥淵ou know I鈥檝e been telling a lot of female applicants that we鈥檙e good at this job. We need this police department to look like its community. We need everybody with different skill levels, different education levels, different backgrounds."
Williams and Amita Claytor were sworn in three years ago 鈥� two of the three women in a class of nine. Both say having women on the force adds an important perspective.
鈥淢en and women are wired differently. We have the same training but we鈥檙e going to have a different approach often. And I think it really means something to have more women on the force.
A broader look atdiversity
Claytor says there鈥檚 another perspective city needs. The team is working with the International Institute of Akron and Asia Inc., trying to recruit from the large number of Bhutanese/Nepali refugees who have settled in the city.
鈥淲hen we are on calls, a lot of the times, it鈥檚 their children that are translating for us. And you see these young people and they鈥檙e coming up in schools. If we can start to cultivate them now, so they can be future law enforcement officers, I think that would be such a tremendous thing for the community and for them.鈥�
Empowering
In the more immediate future, Donald Clayton and Shayla Grace attended last week鈥檚 training session and are planning to apply by Friday鈥檚 midnight deadline. Both are African-American, and both are in law enforcement now 鈥� she鈥檚 a corrections officer in the Columbus area, he鈥檚 working in hospital security.
And both say the diversity of the Akron recruiting force meant something to them.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very encouraging just to know you have the same equal opportunity as well and can accomplish anything," she says.
He adds: 鈥淚t鈥檚 empowering.鈥�
Officer Kim Williams says what empowers her and the other recruiters is the Akron community. 鈥淎 lot of big cities have had events, where they鈥檝e had large protests and things like that. And I can tell you that our officers make good decisions and we don鈥檛 see the backlash, we don鈥檛 see that community mistrust.鈥�
She says what the recruiters are hoping is that the Class of 2017 will continue and strengthen that trust.
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