PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - NAACP officials are urging Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza to appoint a black police officer to the rank of major in the Providence Police Department.
A study commissioned by the NAACP shows the highest rank held by a black officer in the city is sergeant.
James Vincent, president of the NAACP’s Providence branch, tells the Providence Journal (https://bit.ly/1FpwUP1) that a lack of diversity at the command level “jeopardizes the relatively good” relations that have developed between police and the community.
Elorza issued a statement Thursday saying diversity is essential, but promotion practices are strictly defined in the contract with the police union.
He says he looks forward to reaching a solution that “both respects the achievements of our current officer corps and also increases the diversity of our command staff.”
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Information from: The Providence Journal, https://www.providencejournal.com
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