Is There Racial Bias In New York State Policing?
If you recently noticed that most of the police officers in your area are White, your eyes are not deceiving you, it’s true. Recently the CBS6 reported that the racial make-up of officers within the New York State Police does not match the people that they serve.
CBS6 recently reported on a study to find out if racial disparities exist within the ranks of the New York State Police.
What the report found may be astonishing to some people, but it shows what most people of color have known for a very long time, people of color are seriously underrepresented.
According to the report, Black people make up 16% of the total population in the state of New York. The AP report shows that out of 4,700 troopers, only 4% of those officers are Black.
Hispanic people do not fare much better. Hispanic people make up 19% of the total population in New York, but they are only represented by 6% within the New York State Police.
Some Black police officers are speaking out about the disparities and the racism that they encountered while employed as New York State Troopers.
One former officer says that one of his colleagues admonished him saying “Take the cotton you’ve been picking out of your ears.“ He went on to say that he encountered racism until he retired in 2019. He said, “It was like I was still on the farm. It didn’t seem extraordinary to me because that’s how that job was.“
With several states working to reform modern-day policing, it seems that they should start with having an equitable representation within their ranks. It’s hard to see the justice system being truly just until law enforcement is diversified and represents the communities that they serve.
Powerful Photos Show Worldwide Impact of George Floyd’s Death
More From 93.7 WBLK
