African Americans are looking for a Chief who will protect the City from crime, respect the rights of all the diverse communities, and understand how the wrongs of the past must be corrected to shape the future of this Department. He must emphasize community policing,take ownership of problems and develop appropriate solutions to those problems. He must be willing to hear complaints from the community and his own subordinates, and take responsibility for fixing the problems that are reported to him in a timely manner.

The Chief must be grounded in integrity and believe in fairness. He must be honest enough to admit that in our society Whites occupy most of the top positions in powerful institutions, including this police Department.

This is why the Chief must understand and demonstrate that he has an appreciation for diversity; not just diversity in numbers, but diversity in the decision-making process. African American officers need to be assured that their interest will be protected, and the best way to do that is by having a voice at the decision-making table. We need balance, and not a system that allows unearned privileges to be given to one group over another. Diversity allows all groups to play a part in the decision-making process of the Department, and this is the only way we will regain our respect from the community.

We need a chief that understands that the Black perspective is different from the White perspective when it comes to racial issues. For example most Whites believe that discrimination targeting Blacks is no longer a serious problem, where most Blacks believe that it is still a serious problem. We need a Chief that understands that the position of Captain should be the most diversified position on the Department because they select over 80% of the pay-grade advancement positions in the Department, which provides the feeder pools for future promotions.

We need a Chief that understands the importance of surrounding himself with a diverse group of commanding officers with the experience to provide the community with the best policing possible. If the Chief for some reason refuses to embrace diversity, the Department will return back to the dark days of its past where the police and the community were divided along racial lines. The Department will also suffer internally from the privileges given to one race over another.

If the Chief chooses to practice diversity, then this Department could become truly one of the best big city departments in the country and his legacy as the leader would become one of team building with everyone sharing in the success of providing the City with the best protection in the world.~~~