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Description
In an effort to diversify the police force, the Bloomington Police Department helped spearhead a new program that removes some of the typical barriers for people of color.
A
E
C
We
would
hire
police
officers
from
a
pool
of
candidates
that
already
have
either
a
job
in
law
enforcement
or
they
have
their
post
license.
The
pathway
to
policing
program
allows
us
to
expand
our
pool
of
candidates
to
folks
who
do
not
already
have
all
of
the
required
law
enforcement
training.
The
concept
is,
we
would
hire
them
and
then
we
would
then
provide
them
with
that
training
and.
A
C
That
pool
of
candidates
was
not
very
diverse
and
in
fact,
at
some
in
some
processes
there
was
no
diversity
at
all
in
those
certified
hiring
lists,
and
so
we
had
to
try
something
different
to
help
us
be
in
a
better
position
to
hire
police
officers
that,
from
a
diversity,
standpoint
kind
of
help
us
match
the
the
diversity
of
our
community
having
a
police
department
that
starts
to
kind
of
match.
The
demographics
of
your
community
will
do
a
couple
things
one.
It
provides
the
department
with
the
perspective
that
we
might
not
otherwise
have.
C
A
When
pots
teamed
up
with
five
other
agencies
to
spearhead
the
pathways
to
policing
program,
a
move
that
helps
candidates
who
can't
afford
the
schooling
or
can't
afford
more
debt,
the
program
takes
away
the
financial
burden
by
hiring
officers
before
training
and
paying
them
throughout
the
process.
The.
D
B
Right
out
of
college
I
got
a
job
as
a
counselor,
but
other
selves
and
again
enough
money
to
be
able
to
afford
going
back
to
school
so
being
in
this
program,
where
they're
able
to
provide
that
financial
means
for
you
and
be
able
to
get
the
experience
and
transition
quickly
into
the
field
really
beneficial.
If.
E
I
didn't
do
this.
I
would
have
been
going
through
the
skills
program
anyway,
but
I
would
have
been
going
through
Metro
State,
and
with
that
I
mean
you
can
go
through
the
whole
program.
At
the
end,
you're
not
guaranteed
a
job
I
mean
you
could
be
sitting
around
for
years
before
you
get
a
job
offer.
So
with
this
it
was
like.
You
knew
like
what
you
were
doing
was
you
know
it
was
gonna
get
you
to
where
you
want
to
be
in
your
department,
which
was
good
well.