Commission considers ways to increase racial diversity in law enforcement
Police call hiring difficult in current environment
Police call hiring difficult in current environment
Police call hiring difficult in current environment
The Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community and Transparency took up the issue of hiring and recruitment Thursday.
Officials said they hope to find ways to make law enforcement more diverse and more representative of the communities they serve.
Commission member Eddie Edwards said New Hampshire law enforcement is already becoming more diverse.
"I don't think we've heard any testimony to suggest law enforcement agencies aren't doing this already," he said.
This commission was established following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and weeks of demonstrations and protests with the goal of improving relations between police and the community in New Hampshire.
Police officials said hiring candidates is difficult in today's climate.
"We embrace challenges, especially here in New Hampshire because we are different," said Joseph Lascaze, of the New Hampshire ACLU. "And I understand that there is a difficulty in getting officers of color and various demographics to be recruited."
Commission members suggested New Hampshire law enforcement should be more aggressive in recruiting people from outside the state. Task force member Ronelle Tshiela, of Black Lives Matter, said the issue could have a long-term effect on policing.
"Children in neighborhoods where they see officers who look more like them, they could be more inclined to become police officers when they grow up, which is, I think, a solution to in the future hiring more diverse officers," she said.
The commission plans to meet again Friday with a final draft of its report going to the governor by the end of the month.