Out of the Chattanooga Police’s 450-officer department, 78 percent of those officers are white. Seventeen percent are black, and only 2 or 3 percent are Asian or Hispanic/Latino, respectively.
But with a new initiative, the department is pushing to change that, said Assistant Chief of Special Operations Danna Vaughn.
The department’s “Each One, Reach One” initiative offers a monetary incentive for anyone who refers a person of an under-represented race – African-American, Asian or Hispanic/Latino – interested in joining the police force. The program launched quietly last year and is now in full force to recruit for the Cadet Academy beginning in August.
It is sponsored by local donors who hope to see a police force reflective of the community it serves, Vaughn said.
According to the most recent census data, 33.1 percent of the city’s population is black, 5.8 is Hispanic – the most rapidly growing demographic, said Vaughn – and 2.3 are Asian. Still more identify as two or more ethnicities.
Each nominated recruit will be contacted by the department, and for each who successfully enters Cadet Academy, the nominee will receive a $500 incentive.
In total, enough funds are available for incentive dollars to increase the force by 30 minority officers, said Vaughn.
Each One, Reach One also provides additional outreach and support for those interested as they wait to hear back and prepare for Cadet Academy.
“It is a long process to get a seat in the academy,” Vaughn said, adding that the reason many minorities lose interest after applying to become a police officer is due to the lengthy process and stressful nature of waiting to hear of acceptance. “We’ve seen a success rate with pairing up our candidates with recruiting officers.”
Next year, Vaughn said she hopes to see the number of minority officers soar even higher for the planned 2018 spring and fall academies, to provide a greater connection to and understanding of area neighborhoods where residents feel under-represented and often do not trust officers.
“It’s just better all the way around. … Obviously, people are more comfortable speaking to someone they are familiar with,” she said.
“… As long as we have the money, we’ll do this.”