Diversity is Strength in Policing a Free Society!

If ever there was a “big lie” it is telling people in a free society that diversity is something to abhor and avoid. To do so is race and sexism in its full exposure. I led city police department for over 20 with that the goal to be “closer to the people we serve” and to boldly assert that within our organization, “diversity is our strength” as we all work together to improve the work we do.

I thought I could not be more shocked by the assault on our system of government, the FBI, and local police — but I was. It’s that lie that diversity is not essential to policing a free society. I know the politics in all this — “DEI is bad, “woke,” and a liberal plot against white America.”

I thought we historically went through all this and discarded this idea during our civil rights movement. I know we did because I was a street cops during those years. What’s wrong with pursuing “diversity, equity, and inclusion?” For that is what we about as a free and democratic society; no more exclusion, lack of fairness, and keeping men and women of color out of the primary workplaces in our nation — notably, the fair and impartial enforcement of our laws!

I personally know what opening the ranks of our nation’s local, state, and federal police have made us a better country for everyone. I saw the positive difference in how we went about going our work when I brought women and formerly excluded men and women into our department. We not only became better, but we also became great! [You can read about part of this data-supported change in our organizational culture in this DOJ publication and also among the 1600+ posts in this blog over the past decade.]

You can also read all about it in my book, Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off About Racism, Protest, Corruption and the Seven Steps Necessary to Improve Our Nation’s Police.   

So, make no mistake, our democracy and way of policing a diverse, free society, is under attack by the current administration of our government. One has only to check out what is happening in the White House, the Department of Justice, the FBI, gutting many federal agencies designed to help other people at home and in the world, and the current enforcement of immigration laws to come to an informed decision that our democracy is under significant attack.

Most recently, federal law enforcement agencies have been told not to attend any events tied to diversity I law enforcement. These events are often the primary way in which we encourage young women and people of color to join our agencies.

It is virally important for our nation to continue to assure that those that enforce our laws are like the rest of us; that we are a diverse nation that has always welcomed those who seek the freedom and good life most of us enjoy. Are we perfect? Of course not, are we committed to being better? Yes, that’s who Americans are.

It’s time to speak out, stand up and resist! Check out world history, it is how fascism begins!

Lest we forget, “Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, and the forcible suppression of opposition. It prioritizes the nation or race above individual rights and interests, often leading to strong regimentation of society and the economy. Fascism typically opposes communism, democracy, liberalism, and socialism” (AI overview).

We are there.

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Border Officials Told Not to Attend Events Tied to Diversity in Law Enforcement

A Trump administration memo issued to border and customs officials in March further curtailed efforts to ensure a more diverse work force.

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz, NYT, June 2, 2025

“The Trump administration this year ordered federal border agents and customs officers not to attend events hosted by organizations that support women or minority groups in law enforcement, according to a senior border official.

“Customs and Border Protection, the largest law enforcement agency in the federal government, issued a little-noticed internal memo in late March telling its officials not to attend events or conferences hosted by organizations like Women in Federal Law Enforcement and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, or NOBLE, said the senior official, Timothy Quinn. Mr. Quinn worked at the agency for nearly 12 years until he retired on Friday as a result of the policy.

“In an interview on Monday, Mr. Quinn said the directive was included in a broader travel advisory issued on March 28 to senior officials at the agency, who were then expected to pass along the instruction to the rank and file. The memo, which invoked President Trump’s executive order banning diversity practices across the federal government, barred attendance at events or conferences “that have a gender basis, race basis or a culture basis,” Mr. Quinn said.

“’I think that’s discrimination,’ said Mr. Quinn, the former head of Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Intergovernmental Public Liaison. ‘I don’t understand why we wouldn’t engage with these organizations to share this kind of information…’

Further in the article, a colleague from my days, Gil Kerlikowske, spoke up:

“Mr. Kerlikowske said the Trump administration had sent a ‘very clear’ message to law enforcement. ‘Which is we’re more than willing to work with white male associations, and we’re not willing to recognize the differences and challenges that people who are not white males have in commanding departments and being in leadership positions…'”

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You can read the full new article published on June 3, 2025 HERE.