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Hamilton County sheriff candidates discuss race issues
Four of the five Hamilton County sheriff candidates discussed their stands on diversity in the sheriff’s department and racial profiling during a forum tonight.
Democratic candidate Greg Beck, who is black, said he is the only candidate of the group who knows what racial profiling is. Write-in candidate Fred Fuson said he has been profiled.
Independent candidate Jim Winters said he would have to collect data to find whether profiling was going on in the department. Tim Akins, also an independent candidate, stressed holding officers accountable.
In regard to diversity in the department, Mr. Fuson and Mr. Akins said recruitment is key. Mr. Beck said he would continue programs he helped start as a member of the County Commission. Mr. Winters said he did not want to make too many changes in the department.
The forum was hosted by the Chattanooga chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Republican candidate Jim Hammond did not attend.
For complete coverage, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Comments
Having some experience with the subject, recruiting policies go only so far; simply put, without qualified candidates [heavy accent on "qualified"] departments can do nothing.
The only alternative is to lower qualification standards to meet politically-correct diversity "goals". This is unacceptable on several levels; poorly qualified candidates make poorly qualified officers no matter how "diverse" the force.
This does not mean efforts to recruit should stop -- on the contrary. Who is better qualified to relate to individually diverse groups than an officer who is a member of the group?
Unfortunately, law enforcement does not appeal to those highly qualified candidates most desperately needed. Instead, they go elsewhere. And that goes across racial groupings. One must ask why that is...and that is a whole new subject having little to do with diversity.
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