Arlington Heights defends efforts to diversify police department, village workforce
After facing criticism last year about a lack of diversity in its police ranks and other village departments, Arlington Heights leaders have added a person of color to the force and taken other steps to broaden their workforce.
But they haven't gone far enough, a member of the organization Bridging the Black and White Divide told elected officials last week at a village board meeting.
"We're particularly concerned about the lack of African Americans employed in the village," Paul Scott of Bloomingdale said. "Tone deafness on diversity undervalues the issue and creates a real risk that the village is being passed over by the times. It increasingly risks separation and isolation from all the richness and benefits that real, true diversity provide."
Mayor Tom Hayes pushed back on Scott's characterizations of Arlington Heights.
"I believe, as a member of this board for 29 years now, that this board has done many things to make it welcoming to any and all that choose to live here," Hayes said. "And I just totally disagree that people find it unacceptable and are not accepted as being welcome here. I just completely disagree with that."
In August, the village acknowledged the police department of at least 100 sworn officers and 30 civilian employees didn't have any black personnel after the issue was raised by the Rev. Clyde Brooks, chairman of the Arlington Heights-based Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations.
Since then, Brooks, members of Bridging the Black and White Divide and Village Manager Randy Recklaus have met periodically to discuss police diversity.
Responding to Scott, Recklaus said a woman of color recently was hired by the police department. He also said Arlington Heights last year began leading an area group of village managers and police chiefs exploring hiring issues and ways to reach out to women and minorities.
One initiative in the works is a partnership with Harper College in Palatine to form a broad recruitment effort for minorities and others interested in law enforcement careers.
"We can get a look at people we can offer internships with and show that we're a group of organizations looking to add diversity," Recklaus said. "And of the nine strategic priorities that the (village) board adopted this summer, one of them was increasing inclusion and diversity in our community and our organization."
Recklaus added that managers and other employees last year underwent implicit bias training "so we could just be more aware of our biases" and how they might affect the village.
Scott, a member of a regional NAACP chapter and Chicago nonprofit Unity Partnership that promotes better relations between law enforcement and the community, said he wants to continue trying to help the village diversify its police department.
Trustee Mary Beth Canty said there was nothing wrong with Scott asking Arlington Heights to do better.
"I, too, am a proud member of this community, but I am also a person of color," Canty said. "And I think we can be proud of our community and we can be proud of the services that we provide and we can also demand that they do better. So, I applaud groups and individuals who come and speak out on these issues and ask that we do better as a community without accusation. And I don't think any accusations were made this evening."