Pittsburgh Police Academy's Latest Class Has Only 2 Black Recruits
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Less than 6 percent of the new police officers graduating in Pittsburgh's latest training academy class are black, but diversity activists say the department is making strides in minority recruitment.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Monday's graduating class of 34 officers had only two black recruits.
However, the next class coming out of the academy has 40 recruits, 10 of whom are black.
Brandi Fisher, president of the Alliance for Police Accountability, says the upcoming class shows the department's improvement in recruiting.
The city has been criticized for a lack of diversity in its police ranks.
The city settled a $1 million lawsuit this year filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that claimed police hiring policies discriminated against blacks.
About 26 percent of Pittsburgh's population is black.
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