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Financial Issues a Big Reason for Lack of Diversity in Bay Area Police and Fire Departments

Richard Word got his start as a patrol officer in East Oakland, where is he now the police chief. Early on he was called "Uncle Tom" and "You're their boy" by those who thought he turned his back on the African-American community by going into law enforcement. In nearby Fairfield, fire chief Vince Webster hasn't faced such open hostility, but he still struggles to improve diversity in his department, which has just one black firefighter. Both Word and Webster believe race should play no part in hiring the very best police and fire personnel, and they believe economic realities play a bigger role in their department's diversity issues than anything else.  Click here to read more.
 
 



INSIGHT Into Diversity