Kevin Riley was workingsecurity at the Willow Grove Park Mall. He didn't know what he wanted to do in life,. He just needed a job.
The Cheltenham nativegot to know many of the Abington police officerswho frequented the mall as part of their daily patrols. Hesaw how they interacted with the kids. How they knew a lot of them by name.
“I've seen the impact a lot of the officers had on the community," he said.
"Policing’s not just about kicking in doors. It is about community relations."
Several years later, Riley is a Bucks County Park Ranger and a part-time officer in Bristol Borough. He is the only Black officer on the borough's force, and one of just afew in the county.
It's difficult to pin down just how many Black and Hispanic officers are patrolling the streets and responding to calls in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Police departments aren't required to report demographics in Pennsylvania, as they are in other states.The state’s main law enforcement organization, the PennsylvaniaChiefs of Police Association, doesn’t track racial or gender diversity among rank and file or leadership.
More than skin deep:Pennsylvania police agencies are whiter than communities they serve, even as leaders pursue diversity
This news organization reached out toall police agencies inBucks and eastern Montgomery counties seeking data, but not all agencies responded.
Across the region, reporters found:
- Of the22law enforcement agencies that responded, nine reported no racial minorities on their force.Anotherfive agencies have only one officer who isa racial minority.
- Police leaders acknowledge the importance of having a diverse police force that represents the communities they serve.
- Law enforcement agenciesstruggle to identify,recruitand retainofficers of color, and most rely on methods that are outdated or ineffective.
- Smaller overall applicant pools createnew competition for minority candidates. It’s a situation that hurts small, rural departments, where there are fewer opportunities for career advancement.
Available federal data shows the lack of diversity in police agencies is a national problem. As more veteran minority police officers approach retirement age, there are not enough new minority officers to take their places.
Civil rights and community activists questionthe sincerity of white-dominated police department efforts to bring racial diversity to their ranks. They citelocal government and department hiring regulations that act as barriers.
They also contend too many police departmentsignore a basic and proven method for bringing more diversity into their ranks: Developsolid and open relationships with the minority communities they serve.
“Those are all the things that are absolutely and desperately needed,” said Kenneth Huston, president of the Pennsylvania NAACP. “There is just a serious distrust with the police departments and the communities in which they serve.”
Limited applicant pool, testing create barriers
When hiring new officers, many departments in Bucks County use the county's Police Consortium test, a written and physical exam given once or twice a year. Those who pass both parts of the test have their names given to participating police departments.
Of the 329 people who took the test last year, only 31 identified themselves as racial or ethnic minorities; 125 were white. Another 179 candidates did not specify race.
Richard Vona, director of law enforcement training for Bucks County, said therehave been discussions in the past on how to reach a more diverse candidate pool, but it's been difficult to find interested candidates.
Advertisingis mostly on social media, Vona said. In the past, the test was advertised in a Philadelphia newspaper to reach a broader audience, but the return was minimal.
Some argue the county could do better.
"In a perfect world, we would understand why we're not attracting a diverse applicant pool and would take steps to correct the issue," said Upper Makefieldpolice Sgt. RichKraus. "We may need to change the way we approach recruiting. With the city of Philadelphia right next door, there are plenty of opportunities to communicate with a tremendously diverse population.
"Perhaps better advertising or in-person recruiting at colleges, job fairs and other public events in the city would bring in some more attention to the opportunities in Bucks County."
The latest test, scheduled for Saturday, had more than 200 applicants. It was unknown how many were people of color.
Passing the test doesn't guarantee a police job. Candidates still might not meet a particular department’s hiring requirements, including obtaining Act 120 certification. That means successfully completing police academy training —a high-cost, full-time commitment.
Not all departments can afford to pay for a candidate to complete the training, adding another barrier leaders said can keep minorities out of police jobs.
"This training costs over $5,000 and requires a six-month, full-time commitment," said Kraus, whose department does not pay for the certification. "This commitment simply isn't possible for everyone, based on various obligations and lack of necessary resources in some cases."
Upper Makefield plans to hire a new officer this year to add to its 17-member force. Of its current officers, one is Asian and another is of Asian descent but doesn't self-identify as such, Kraus said. None are Black or Hispanic.
Of the township's 8,600 residents, 5.3% were Asian, 3.4% Black and 3.2% Hispanic, as of the 2010 census.
The township will turn to the consortium for applicants, where Kraus acknowledged the applicant pool is shrinking.
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"Policing as a career has also become less popular in recent years. Twenty-five years ago, you'd have several hundred applicants for one job," he said. "Now, you're lucky if a county-wide consortium representing the hiring needs of 39 police department produces a couple hundred applicants."
Some larger Bucks Countydepartments, such as Middletown and Bensalem, run their own testing for police applicants. Still, most applicants come from within the county, which is 88% white.
Candidates from outside the county may not want to travel from where they live to work in Middletown, said police Chief Joseph Bartorilla.
Middletown's department has 57 officers, all of whom are white. Seven of them are women. The township has a population of roughly 45,000; Black and Hispanic residents account for about 4% of the population each.
The Middletown chief said the department typically tests every two years, with its last test being held before the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
He said the for the next test, which will likely be held next year, he will probably reach out to organizations like the Peace Center or the county NAACP to help reach a broader group He also mentioned possible using PoliceApp, a nationwide recruiting app used by other Bucks County departments,to spread the word.
Candidates who do pass the consortium test and graduate from the police academy with their certification then face the question: Do they want to come to Bucks County?
Warminster Chief James Donnelly III said potential candidates who pass the test can be sought out by multiple departments.
Minority candidates might choose larger departments where there is more room for growth over a small suburban department like Warminster, which has a staff of 41 officers — all of whom are white, in a township where roughly 13% of the population identifies as a racial or ethnic minority, according to census figures.
“Once you get into this spot, you’re not going anywhere if the turnover's not a lot," Donnelly said.
Police departments seek to build relationships
Abington is one of the most diverse communities in eastern Montgomery County, with a population that is 12% Black and 4% Hispanic. The township's police department also is one of the largest forces in the county, with 89 sworn officers and the ability to hire three more.
Of its current officers, eight are Black, including one woman, and two are Hispanic, also including a female officer.
For Abington, which had 600 applicants last year alone, the problem isn't access to a diverse applicants. It's getting candidates through the entire process.
"We typically experience a 20 percentdrop in participation for various reasons across all demographics," said Deputy Police Chief Christopher Porter."Having candidates preparementally and physicallyand follow through with the entire process is a big part.The farther they move through the process, the more they learn about our organizationand the more we learn about them."
Porter said a real issue holding back a disproportionate numberof minority candidates from even applying or following through the process is the belief that a rather minor run-in with the law automatically disqualifies them. His recruitment team often educatecandidates about criminal record expulsion programs.
"One challenge from the chief was how to increase minority candidacy, and we went about making surewe are being fair on every level," Porter said."Our whole hiring process is about fairness andmakingsure everybody has every bit of information that we absolutely can provide them."
Porter also said there is a special area on the department's website dedicated to recruitment, which includes answers wide range of questions.
"All of our officers are recruiters here, but we have a small group ofselect officers that can address some of those questions more directly," Porter said. "People from all types of social and ethnic backgrounds are calling us."
Montgomery Township police Chief J. Scott Bendig said the solution to attracting a diverse applicant pool lies in advertising and comprehending a career in law enforcement.
"The more exposure for the general public to a non-law enforcement setting, the better. We need to rebuild relationships that have been hurt by the misconduct of some law enforcement officers," Bendig said. "People need to see that law enforcement officers are your neighbors and friends, not just those you see in the media.
"Building those partnerships will break down many of the barriers that have hampered law enforcement's efforts to recruit a more diverse workforce. Today, law enforcement is a less desirable profession than in years past. The candidate pool across all races, ethnicities and genders, has declined significantly over the years."
The township's police department has one Black, one Hispanic and one Asian officer among its force of 34, Bendig said.
Bucks police call for back up to help in minority recruiting
Amid nationwide calls for police reform following the death of George Floyd last year, the Bensalem police department entered into a first-of-its-kind agreement with the Bucks County chapter of the NAACP.
This past year, the department partnered with the local NAACP chapter for help in recruiting.
“There’s no one doing that in Bucks, that much I can tell you,” Director of Public Safety Fred Harran said.“Once we see what our numbers look like, then we’ll be able to see if that paid off or not.”
The public safety director said the department has also had members of the Bucks County NAACP onthe department’s several hiring boards for years now.
Bensalem has four Black andone Asian officer among its staff of 103 officers. One identifies as Muslim.
The township is one of the most diverse areas in the county, with 12.6% of its population being Asian, 10.3% Hispanic and 8.6% Black, according to census data.
Huston, of the Pennsylvania NAACP, said more police chiefs across the state are seeking local chapters' assistance in opening conversations with minority-dominated communities.
Given the current tensions in Black and brown communities with law enforcement, such outreach efforts are a positive step.But more are needed, Huston added.
Only serious and ongoing conversations that includeexpected outcomes will break through decades of inaction that has led to the current hostile climate, Huston said.
“We can’t just keep doing the status quo. We can talk about this for the next 40 years, but what are we going to do?" he said. "It’s important from a cultural standpoint. People of Black and brown communities want to see people who look like them."
Following Bensalem's move, multiple county police chiefs, as well as the county Chiefs of Police Association,have said they would reach out to the NAACP for help reaching more diverse candidates.
Some departments also said they would go beyond the Bucks County Police Consortium's candidate list to hire new officers.
In Lower Makefield, ChiefKenneth Coluzzi said in the past he has reached out to the NAACP and various religious organizations to let them know the department is hiring, and will send a captain to local colleges to recruit new officers.
Of Lower Makefield's 36 officers, one is Black and another is of mixed Asian descent.The rest are white men. They are currently hiring for four more positions.
Coluzzi said they are going to hire the best candidate, however they owe it to the community to try to hire a multicultural workforce.
He said that the township supervisors issued a push for the township in general to try to foster multicultural inclusion in its hiring. Coluzzi said the department had always tried to do that and had reached out to minority officers elsewhere to get them to apply.
He said they have in the past reached out to minority officers to get them to apply.
“We try to do the best we can based on our applicant pool," he said.
Buckingham Chief Michael Gallagher said his department hopes to expand its own college recruiting process to reach a more diverse pool of applicants.
“What we’re trying to do here in Buckingham is trying to get a whole new set of faces who apply," he said.
Buckingham has 22 officers, two of which are female. All are white.
In Bristol Township, the department has reached out to local pastor group to help with recruitment efforts. It also keeps a list of those who have inquired about employment in the past.
“We try to get in good touch with the community that way,” Bristol Township Lt. Ralph Johnson said.
The township is among the most diverse in Bucks County, with nearly 10% of its population of 53,000 residents identifying as Black, and 12% who are Hispanic. Three officers of its 59 officers are Black. Three are Hispanic.
Falls Chief Nelson Whitney said once the COVID-19 pandemic passes, he would like to have contact with various collegesto keep them in mind. He would also like to contact the NAACP in reaching broader audiences.
“Clearly we need some assistance in getting the message and reaching other people around the community," he said.
He said police should embrace the idea of going out into the community and recruiting.
“We need to take an active role," he said.
'Trying is not enough'
Yet not everyone believes hiring a few more minority officers will fix what they see as a systemic issue.
Bucks County Anti-Racist Coalition Founder Kevin E. Leven believesdepartments' attempt at diversifying is "a diversionary tactic" designed to both confuse and quell the public while muffling outside criticism.
"Diversifying police departments will not solve anything. In fact, studies show that doesn't work," Leven said. "The problem isn't the lack of people of color on the force; the problem is thatpolice departments engage in practices and policies that target people of color and other marginalized groups.This is something we need to take a step back from and completely reimagine."
That includes discussions around police funding, coalition leaders believe.
"We need to look for serious solutions to this problem, and just throwing people of color in is not conducive for them and is not fixing the issue," Leven said.
Others, however, believea more diverse police force is a start that leads to improved community relations.Residents feel more at ease when they see police officers who look like them in their communities, and those officers typically engage more with the community.
Research shows that when minorities police their own communities there is greater trust and understanding of the culture, and that translates into fewer arrests, saidAlfred Titus, a professor of criminal justice and community policing at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
“Any officer going into a community he is familiar with and can relate to the issues they are facing is less likely to look at arrest as the only solution,” said Titus, who is Black and a former New York City police officer. “The perfect scenario would have everyone trained and on the same page, but we have not quite gotten there yet. Until then this is the best solution.”
Mike Shields, a Black Warminster resident who had spoken to Warminster Chief Donnelly about police representation following the death of George Floyd last year, was happy to hear that departments are contacting organizations like the NAACP to help recruit.
“I think that’d be great," he said."You have to start somewhere, right?”
Shields had organized a protest in the township last year, but canceled it after having a sit-down conversation with Donnelly. He commended the work of the township police department and the chief, and recommended departments keep doing their research on the topic of diversity.
“We live in a diverse world," he said. "Why would you just want one type of entity or one type of person run the police department?”
“I think it would just make the world a better place," he said.
Bucks CountyDistrict Attorney Matt Weintraub said having a diverse staff allows departments to better identify with the community. To that end, the office has worked with an outside agency to help with recruiting, and even enlisted the help of the county's diversity officer, Bernard Griggs Jr.
However, of the 23 county detectives overseen by his office, only one is Hispanic. The rest are white. All are men.
“I will say that trying is not enough; we have an obligation to produce results in that regard," Weintraub said.
“The people we have, do a fantastic job," he added. "But I do believe in diversifying as well."
'Pride in being an officer'
Officer Krystopher Harley, who is Black, joined Bensalem police in November 2019, after working for SEPTA police. He had worked as a mechanic for a while until his father, a Philadelphia officer, asked him about becoming an officer.
Harley said he couldn't see himself doing a mechanic job long term, so he pursued law enforcement.
Harley said he applied through several agencies, and was even in the running for another Bucks County department before committing to Bensalem.
“They gave me an opportunity and I’m glad they did," Harley said.
He noted that the department has given him training opportunities, and is a clean, professional department that is respected by the community.
“It makesyou take pride in being an officer," he said.
Being Black, Harley said, lets him connect to other residents of color, he said. The perception, he said, is that other officers may treat them differently.
Harley noted that his colleagues would not do that, but it is all about the perception of those he is interacting with.
“I’m able to bring another dynamic to mysquad," he said.
He said the department asks officers to spread the word to others when Bensalem police are hiring. He said he has told his former colleagues, many of whom are minorities, about the department hiring.
“They want good people as candidates," he said.
Harley said county departments might be able to attract more diverse hires by advertising in other areas, like Philadelphia. It would be worth noting that departments are seeking minority applicants, he said.
Harley said he was being proactive when applying because he knew where to look, but added that some people might not know that.
“It could've been a combination of just looking and knowing where to search," he said.
He found out about Bensalem from a former co-worker, he said.
Bristol Officer Riley said departments should be interacting with the community for recruitment events. He noted that there are community military events, where those interested in joining can ask questions.
Police departments, he said, largely post information letting people know they are testing.
“I would have never known, I just had friends that were police officers," he said.
He credits his career path to the influence that the Abington officers had on him.
“They were just humble guys," he said.
He said he loves the job and the unpredictability of it.
“The unknown, I love that part of the job," he said. "You don’t know what you’re going to get.”
He praised Bristol Borough, adding that it was a "melting pot," with people of all walks of life. It's one of the most diverse communities in Bucks, with a population that's 10% Black, 8.1% Asian and 5.4% Hispanic.
“No matter what part of life the people are from, they’re good people," he said. "You want to help people like that.”
