RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The Rapid City Police Department has been taking steps to hire more minorities and women since a 2015 study on race relations showed friction between the city’s Native American community and a police force made up mostly of white men.
The study also shows a desire on both sides to improve the situation, the Rapid City Journal (https://bit.ly/2klgkex ) reported.
The Rapid City Police Department recently began taking action and has been making more of an effort to recruit more women and Native Americans. In October, the police-community advisory committee was assigned to host focus group meetings made up of Native Americans interested in law enforcement. The effort already seems to be taking effect as three of the nine recruits sworn in to the department Wednesday were women, one of whom is Native American.
Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris said the new recruits will be in Rapid City completing in-house training until March. Afterward, the recruits will go to Pierre for a 13-week state police academy. Lastly, when they return to the Rapid City they will spend several months shadowing experienced officers.
“By next summer, the public should see these bright faces on our roads,” Jegeris said.
He said the department will continue its efforts to become more diverse.
“We plan to roll out a completely new type of recruitment strategy, something that we’ve never done before,” Jegeris said.
Currently, there 123 officers in the Rapid City Police Department. Eight of those officers are female and four Native Americans.
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Information from: Rapid City Journal, https://www.rapidcityjournal.com
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