Chicago Police Dept. Plagued by Systemic Racism, Task Force Finds

By Monica Davey and Mitch Smith, The New York Times

CHICAGO — Racism has contributed to a long pattern of institutional failures by the Chicago Police Department in which officers have mistreated people, operated without sufficient oversight, and lost the trust of residents, a task force appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel has found.

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Related content:

Emanuel acknowledges racism in Chicago Police Department (Chicago Tribune)

Ex-LAPD detective awarded $2.1 million after claiming retaliation, discrimination

By Matt Hamilton, The Los Angeles Times

A jury awarded $2.1 million Tuesday to a former Los Angeles police detective who claimed she was so mistreated and harassed after taking a medically ordered leave that she suffered irreversible harm and could no longer work.

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University Leaders Debate Police Involvement in Campus Sexual Assaults

By Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

In order to combat sexual violence on campus, university leaders must broaden the conversation and take a more active role in shaping the policies that are being implemented to deal with the problem.

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• The University Of Texas Has A Blueprint To Stop Campus Cops From Blaming Rape Victims (The Huffington Post)

Police Chiefs, Looking to Diversify Forces, Face Structural Hurdles

By Matt Apuzzo and Sarah Cohen, The New York Times

INKSTER, Mich. — When William T. Riley III became the police chief of this small city west of Detroit this summer, he found a department that bore little resemblance to the city it served.

Nearly three-fourths of Inkster’s 25,000 residents are black. Its mayor and all six City Council members are, too. Yet in a newly released Justice Department survey, it was listed among the nation’s least representative police forces, with 21 white officers and five black officers.

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Related content:

• Black Police Applicant Frustrated by Opaque Hiring Process (The New York Times)

Pregnant Officer Denied Chance to Take Sergeant’s Exam Fights Back

By Rachel L. Swarms, The New York Times

Police Officer Akema Thompson felt the energy in the air the moment she walked into the Manhattan precinct station. And as soon as she stepped into the women’s locker room, she knew why.

A sign on the wall announced a preparatory course for officers interested in taking the sergeant’s exam. The Civil Service test, an initial step to climbing the career ladder in the New York Police Department, was being offered for the first time in two years, and her station was buzzing.

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California's racial profiling law is 'terrible' legislation, police officials say

By Kim Christensen and Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times

California is about to tackle head on the charged issue of racial bias in law enforcement.

Gov. Jerry Brown this weekend signed legislation mandating that California law enforcement agencies collect — and make public — data on the racial makeup of all those encountered by police.

For civil rights activists, Brown's action was a big step toward protecting minorities from racial profiling.

For many in law enforcement, the measure creates a massive new bureaucratic headache that will do little to illuminate the question of whether police treat minority groups fairly.

Read the story here.