BigBadBrian
04-22-2004, 04:24 PM
Local 10 News (http://www.local10.com/news/3030870/detail.html)
North Miami PD Drops Requirement In Bid To Recruit Blacks
POSTED: 11:04 am EDT April 22, 2004
UPDATED: 12:52 pm EDT April 22, 2004
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. -- The North Miami police department dropped a swimming requirement for applicants, saying they need new officers and want to encourage blacks to sign up.
North Miami police say they are dropping the requirement for a year. They say few departments require swimming and their officers rarely save people in water.
Officials also believe the requirement discourages African-Americans and Haitian Americans from applying. The issue surfaced a year ago when a Haitian-American city councilman asked police to drop the requirement because he said blacks historically can't swim.
The request fizzled at the time. Critics say race and ethnicity are not factors when it comes to swimming.
North Miami PD Drops Requirement In Bid To Recruit Blacks
POSTED: 11:04 am EDT April 22, 2004
UPDATED: 12:52 pm EDT April 22, 2004
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. -- The North Miami police department dropped a swimming requirement for applicants, saying they need new officers and want to encourage blacks to sign up.
North Miami police say they are dropping the requirement for a year. They say few departments require swimming and their officers rarely save people in water.
Officials also believe the requirement discourages African-Americans and Haitian Americans from applying. The issue surfaced a year ago when a Haitian-American city councilman asked police to drop the requirement because he said blacks historically can't swim.
The request fizzled at the time. Critics say race and ethnicity are not factors when it comes to swimming.