DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - A new initiative announced by Attorney General Mark Herring will help law enforcement agencies in Danville and Martinsville recruit more minorities. The project will be paid for by a $50,000 grant to pilot a recruitment model. We have more on the second phase of promoting safe 21-st century policing here in the commonwealth.
It's an effort to break down racial barriers and create trust between the communities and police force. Both Martinsville and Danville police departments comment few minorities are applying for law enforcement positions. That's why attorney general mark herring is leading a recruitment initiative that would hire more minority officers and help these forces better reflect the communities.
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"I think race is an always an issue no matter where you go," said Danville Police Chief Philip Broadfoot. "I don't think it's any worse or any more prevalent than in Danville or anywhere else."
Martinsville's police chief said, because of nationwide incidents like what happened in Ferguson and Baltimore few people are applying for law enforcement jobs -- especially minorities. Martinsville has 51 police officers on the force -- four of them are African American. Danville has just 19 African American officers out of 128.
"My hope is that with this we determine what those barriers are so that, not just Martinsville, not just Danville, but across the country law enforcement agencies can be more effective at recruiting qualified candidates," said Martinsville Police Chief Sean Dun.
Both police departments will survey people to identify recruitment barriers in an effort to improve community and police relations.
"If they keep doing the same thing that they did before, you're going to get the same results," said community member Richard Harris. "But now, I can see some hope."
"Danville and Martinsville provide unique opportunities for these pilots, because they already have an emphasis on community policing," said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. "Both police chiefs have expressed desire to increase what they're already doing towards minority improvement."
While both departments want a diverse force, they will only give the job to the most qualified applicant.
The survey will be complete by the spring of 2016. The next step, is taking the research and findings to create recruitment plan that reflects the communities.
Back in September, Attorney General Herring announced the first stage of his 21st century policing initiative. The training program teaches officers how to use force appropriately: de-escalate dangerous situations and recognize potential biases they may bring to the job.