I read an article in the Star Ledger about the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and their inability to hire an adequate number of black candidates. Can the NJSP be blamed if black men and women chose other professions, which may be more lucrative? Is the NJSP doing enough? They profess to be aggressively recruiting in venues with a large minority population, e.g, colleges, and churches, but still cannot find qualified individuals. Is there something wrong with the test? How about the background investigation? Is it so stringent that it places too high a standard for youths coming from inner cities? Will their history of discrimination and exclusion continually be dredged up? What can they do to turn this situation around? The article goes on to espouse the wonderful job they have done to increase the number of latinos. I think they should be applauded for their efforts, however, the promotion rates for those same latinos are disproportionate to their actual numbers. The NJSP will continue to face this quandary as long as 80% of the troopers graduating the NJSP academy are white males, especially in a state where the minority population is increasing.
