Nearly seven years after setting a goal to recruit more diverse candidates and following a summer of global protests against racial injustice and police brutality amid a pandemic, the racial demographics of the Chattanooga Police Department’s first 2021 cadet academy mostly reflect those of the city’s population.
The 24-cadet class, including five women, is 54% white, 34% Black and 8% Hispanic or Latino, according to data provided by the department. As of July 2019, U.S. Census Bureau data shows Chattanooga’s population is 62% white, 31% Black and 6% Hispanic or Latino.
“The Chattanooga Police Department as a whole has worked diligently for years now to become more diverse, and I couldn’t be more proud of the efforts,” Chief David Roddy said in a statement. “We are starting to see the result we’ve been striving for and that our community members have asked for.”
Building a police force that reflects its community has long been a goal – and a struggle – for the department. It has tried a number of methods to bridge that gap over the years, including visiting universities, attending job fairs and personal recommendations with cash incentives.
And while this year’s class mostly mirrors the city’s racial demographics, there is still much work to be done, spokesperson Elisa Myzal said in a news release.