Local News in Brief : NAACP Asks Police Probe
The Santa Monica chapter of the NAACP has asked for a federal investigation into allegations of racial discrimination in the city’s police department.
Norman Curry, president of the 250-member chapter, said Tuesday that he has asked the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to look into police hiring and promotion practices.
The request was prompted by three complaints this year from black officers who said they were treated unfairly, dismissed or denied promotion because of race, Curry said. He said the black officers felt “locked in” to low-ranking jobs.
Santa Monica Police Chief James Keane said he welcomed any “impartial investigation,” predicting that it would find that the department has a good hiring record.
There are 11 blacks on Santa Monica’s 150-member police force. The highest rank held by a black is sergeant.
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