Police and racism

Re “LAPD Is Under the Gun on Recruitment,” July 2

Thanks for the interesting peek into the world of Los Angeles Police Department recruitment. The difficulty recruiting African Americans really caught my attention, as it dovetails with my recent experience on jury duty. Although there were several African Americans among the potential jurors for the case (involving an African American defendant), most claimed they couldn’t be fair because they distrusted the judicial system. Of course, they were thanked and excused. The resulting group was hardly a jury of the defendant’s peers. How can we expect to overcome the institutional racism in our justice system if the purported victims won’t do their civic duty and become part of the solution?

LISA HARRIS

Sierra Madre