Police chief uses lie detector to keep racists off his force

[Jenna]

A police chief hired to rebuild a tiny Tennessee department dismantled by scandal is using a lie-detector test to keep racists off his force.
Coopertown Police Chief Shane Sullivan took over the department in November, becoming the 11th chief in as many years. He was hired on the heels of a series of police scandals that for a few months left Coopertown with no police at all. Years before that, a mayor was voted out of office after the local prosecutor accused him of racism and running a notorious speed trap.Law enforcement experts say Sullivan's polygraph approach is unusual, though some departments use the devices for other purposes during the application process. Others try to root out bias in other ways. One polygraph expert warned that lie detectors can't accurately predict racism for reasons that include people's inability to recognize their own racism.Sullivan said he doubts racists will even apply for the force if they know about the tests.

First, the only full-time patrolman was fired over a road rage incident. Then the reserve officer was dismissed after a dashboard camera captured him using a racial slur to describe a black motorist. The dash cam video was later aired in the media. Soon after that, the police chief quit.Coopertown Mayor Sam Childs said the chief resigned because of the "predatory media."The rural community of about 4,000 people that is 95 percent white earned a reputation as a notorious speed trap, with about a third of its revenue coming from speeding tickets handed out by city police during the former mayor's tenure.

Police Chief's Polygraph Targets Racist Applicants - ABC News

[lewisipso]

There is no room in Law Enforcement for racism. The concept is one of, if not, the most pressing issues in society today. As it concerns Law Enforcement, we are not here to judge people. We are here to make judgement on peoples action and take action concerning that and nothing more. There is a difference. Anyone with a racist attitude in this business is just asking for trouble.