The mayor’s made significant African-American appointments and worked to increase minority business opportunities and assist in providing opportunities for former felons.
But last week, as the mayor and his first lady spent 90 minutes schmoozing the city’s Black media professionals, Ballard’s brood was taking actions that will continue to inflame our African-American community.
Since Mayor Ballard’s election, this column has warned that he’d cave to the Bush In-Justice Department and weasel out of Indianapolis’ decades old Justice Department consent decree mandating hiring of more minorities and women by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).
A Republican mayor, William Hudnut, defended Indianapolis from Ronald Reagan’s Justice Department that wanted fewer Blacks and more whites on our police department. A Republican mayor, Steve Goldsmith, continued Hudnut’s policy and appointed Indianapolis’ only Black Police Chief — James Toler.
Now, a Republican mayor is seemingly eviscerating the Hudnut and Goldsmith precedents.
The most important diversity in IMPD isn’t just racial diversity in the ranks of patrol officers. It’s “command and control diversity,” having officers of color in IMPD’s command ranks. And right now there’s deep concern.
In the past couple of years, a score of experienced African-American police commanders have retired, leaving a vast void in African-American leadership in the department.
The worst diversity is among lieutenants, the beginning command rank from which IMPD’s top leadership will come from in coming years.
African-Americans now comprise 24.1 percent of the workforce in Indianapolis/Marion County (2006 Census American Community Survey). That’s the benchmark to measure how racially diverse a company or institution is.
Against that standard, let’s look at the stats, from IMPD’s own statistics.
Currently, there are only nine African-Americans out of 101 lieutenants in IMPD or 8.9 percent. Just a third of what the percentage should be.
There are just 16 African-American IMPD officers holding the command rank of lieutenant or above. Sixteen out of 137 or 11.7 percent; less than half what it should be.
I point out these horrid statistics because it’s come out that Mayor Ballard and Public Safety Director Scott Newman are seemingly doing nothing to increase the number of African-American leaders in the IMPD.
I’ve learned that recently 13 IMPD officers were promoted to sergeant. While one didn’t accept the appointment, 12 did. All 12 were white. While I have nothing against white officers and commanders, these monochromatic promotions are outrageous and possibly illegal.
Several sources tell me that included in these white sergeant appointments are individuals who’ve sued IMPD for reverse discrimination; not hiring enough white males to leadership positions in the department.
Let’s be clear. There’s no shortage of white leaders in the IMPD. Currently, 86.3 percent of sergeants, 91.1 percent of lieutenants and 88.3 percent of officers holding command ranks are white. With those huge percentages of white employment, where’s the pattern of discrimination against whites?
Again, according to the 2006 Census ACS, 66.5 percent of the workforce in the city/county are non-Hispanic whites. When you look at the percentage of whites in IMPD where is the pattern of reserve discrimination? It ain’t there!
But the workforce statistics clearly demonstrate continued evidence of discrimination against Blacks, other racial minorities and women in IMPD promotions.
It’s absurd for Ballard and Newman to OK a white promotion list of sergeants and even contemplate settling a false reverse discrimination suit. It’s absurd for Ballard and Newman to condone hiring more white police leaders when more Black and minority leaders are needed in a police force of a city/county increasingly Black and minority.
The collective leadership of our African-American community — political, religious, civil rights, civic, business — needs to get their heads out of their (you know) and stand up to the mayor and Newman on this.
What I’m hearing in the streets
For decades, Indianapolis mayors held closed-door discussions with African-American community leaders. Mayors Richard Lugar and Hudnut met in smoke filled rooms at the legendary Pearl’s Lounge openly and directly addressing leadership’s concerns.
Hudnut, Goldsmith and Mayor Bart Peterson continued the discussions with Black leadership at Concerned Clergy meetings; the clergy and lay cross section of African-American leadership.
Unfortunately, Mayor Ballard’s first Concerned Clergy appearance three weeks ago stunned and shocked many in attendance.
Black leadership in this city has been accustomed to mayors who’ve been well versed and familiar with Black community issues and concerns. But numerous folks who attended the Concerned Clergy meeting with Mayor Ballard felt he was woefully unprepared.
At the meeting, Ballard said public safety was his “number one concern,” but he flatly refused to accept responsibility or even explain recent actions by his police department — actions that have deeply concerned and angered African-Americans.
I’m told the mayor got huffy and defensive when those in attendance wanted to know and understand where he and his administration were coming from on issues of police abuse of power. Those are issues previous Indianapolis mayors have freely and bluntly discussed with African-American leadership.
The Concerned Clergy sends letters outlining the issues of concern so those invited to speak can come prepared. But sources tell me Mayor Ballard told the group he was unaware of their letter and the issues they wished him to discuss.
At one point, several said, the mayor used the innocent sounding two word phrase which when spoken by whites at a gathering of Blacks routinely elicits a strong negative reaction.
For many at the meeting, it was their first experience with the new mayor. And they came away, I’m told, shaken, angry and apprehensive.
I’m afraid it’s gonna be a long hot summer between this mayor and Black community leadership!
Democrats appeared somewhat united behind their governor candidate Jill Long Thompson last week. At a Statehouse media event, which got scant news coverage, a number of African-American Democratic leaders joined others in standing behind and supporting Long Thompson in her battle against Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Unfortunately, Thompson’s PR folks didn’t tell anyone who the Black elected officials supporting Thompson were. I had to go to WTHR/Channel 13’s Web site and watch their coverage of the event and pick out the lawmakers.
See ‘ya next week.
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
