Question

What characteristics do you think a person should have to be a great police officer? Should there be minimum requirements for things such as height, or education? If so, what should the minimums be? Should police departments make extra efforts to recruit women and minorities into their ranks? Do you think people care what color or gender a police officer is who responds to their call for assistance? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Height -> reminded me of this: https://youtu.be/o0Bo654mo0Y?t=50

Answer 2

Realistically, height is going to be a factor as a police officer. You can't direct traffic if they can't see you. Also, chasing down criminals, or even just keeping pace with your colleagues whilst walking. So those with dwarfism in the police department will likely be relegated to desk work.

From my observation, police work is largely common sense, street knowledge, and people skills. You may only need degrees if you're a detective or heading up a team/leading a precinct. Although largely I don't think it's necessary.

I don't think police officers should hire for diversity purposes. They can however, hire out of need. This is because of United States v Virginia, where the court stated "a party seeking to uphold government action based on sex must establish an 'exceedingly persuasive justification' for the classification."

Such a justification might be having female police officers to deal with female sexual assault victims. You may also want a Hispanic or African American officer to do undercover work.

I think some people care what police officer shows up to the door. I have no doubt that there are white racist cops out there, however few. Additionally, stigmas and stereotypes of African Americans and other brown people still exist. These people may not be racist, but they may be biased. For example, a white person likely grew up alongside other white people. He may have never interacted with African Americans in his life, only hearing about them, or seeing their depictions in the media/on TV.

This forms an unknown, and a lack of information. Such is the definition of fear and the root of frantic mistakes.

I'd close this opinion by citing Daryl Davis. He is an African American musician who has turned over 200 members of the KKK away from the white supremacist group.

He often heard from these individuals that they just had never interacted with Black people and those 'ideas' of them were disseminated and perpetuated. Often especially in rural areas, it was immigrants from black/brown countries who came in, took their jobs (businesses can pay illegal immigrants less...because well, who are you going to complain to?). This resulted in a fire, that got fueled by a group, and perpetuated by ritualistic practices.

So it goes to show, if you want to make change and help the other side, cross the bridge, don't burn it.

Answer 3

Thank you so much for helping me out, very much appreciated @Shadow

Answer 4

No problem