2011 mayoral candidate Mary-Jane Foster, considering another run, criticizes Mayor Bill Finch for low police staffing and makeup of the department. From Foster:
Mayor Finch’s recruiting initiative to hire new police officers is too little and too late. We’ve known the number of police officers would reach all-time lows for some time. We’ve known we risked losing the newest recruits because of low salaries and a demoralized police force. Yet nothing happened–no recruiting efforts, no retention efforts.
Now, after a highly touted campaign that bragged about diversity and opportunity, just over half of the 2000 candidates have met the testing qualifications. Only 14% of the applicants are from the city. Fourteen percent Bridgeport residents! This is an embarrassment for the Finch administration and the Bridgeport Police department not to mention the city as a whole. The result is unacceptable and I’m calling on the mayor to cancel or postpone the test until a new plan is developed that provides for real community outreach.
Where was the effort to attract Bridgeport residents? It would appear there was no real recruitment going on and no real plan in place to recruit residents of the city. There should be significant and meaningful outreach to our community. Perhaps the interim Civil Service Director, who doesn’t even live in the city, doesn’t understand or know that Bridgeport residents need jobs and residents who serve on our police or other public service fields are especially invested in the quality of life in Bridgeport.
Boasting of the most diverse police force in the state is a joke. If 45% of the applicants identify themselves as minority while the city’s population reflects a 65-70% minority population, then the force doesn’t represent the city. Of the 1,013 who met the test qualifications, 560, or 55 percent are white; 233, or 23 percent Hispanic; and 152, or 15 percent are black. This may be an issue nationwide but the mayor’s response was that as long as it isn’t getting worse it’s acceptable. It’s not. Mediocrity and status quo are unacceptable–I would hope the mayor of the state’s largest city would think so too.
The fancy ads and endless press conferences do not constitute a real recruiting effort. Delay the test. Reach out to the community to spread the word. I will provide whatever help you seek in better promoting the test and will call on my connections in the community to assist in the outreach effort. The city will live with the results of this test for years. Let’s get it right today instead of regretting it tomorrow.
MJF, if you want to be the mayor of Bridgeport, you should at least know Bridgeport is just about 78% minority, not 65-70%.
Seeing as you really are unknown to the vast majority of minorities in Bridgeport, you are probably not the best person to assist with “minority” recruitment.
Let’s see, who would probably be better able to assist with this effort? I don’t know, but what about minority members of the community?
The white population of Bridgeport is just under 38%. That means the “minority” population is about 62% as of 2012
2012 Population by Race and Ethnicity Bridgeport, CT Connecticut United States
Population by Race
White Population 37.67% 76.42% 71.71%
Black or African American Population 35.51% 10.42% 12.86%
American Indian and Alaska Native Population 0.51% 0.30% 0.96%
Asian Population 3.73% 4.17% 5.30%
Multi-racial Population 4.60% 2.81% 3.13%
Other Population 17.98% 5.89% 6.05%
Population by Ethnicity
Population Hispanic 41.27% 14.68% 16.91%
Population Non Hispanic 58.73% 85.32% 83.09%
The data for Bridgeport, CT may also contain data for the following areas: Bridgeport
If you add up the percentages you posted:
White 37.67%
Black 35.51%
Asian 3.73
American Indian .51%
Hispanic 41.27%
It totals 118% which is not possible. I did not even include multi-racial and other population data. Census data separates “white only” data.
www .clrsearch.com/Bridgeport-Demographics/CT/
Here is the chart Bob used. They define Race and Ethnicity as two separate items. You combined the two and used the Hispanic from the second section.
They explain their reasoning for this.
Race versus Ethnicity: According to the Census, race and ethnicity are considered two separate and distinct identities. Hispanic or Latino origin is asked as a separate question and categorized under ethnicity. In addition to their race and/or races, all respondents are categorized by one of two ethnicities, which are “Hispanic” and “Non Hispanic.”
Hispanic Ethnicity: According to the Census, people of Hispanic origin were those who indicated their origin was Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or some other Hispanic origin. It should be noted, people of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
That is why the Census is the best resource to utilize for racial demographics. They purposefully publish “white only” data. Often Hispanics identify themselves as “white.”
See how bad your math skills are? That’s because of the poor management of the Bridgeport Public School District. Hahahahaaaaaaaaa…
The Bridgeport Kid, I am not sure what your point is. I am correct in my percentage of minority residents in Bridgeport. The Census data is accurate, not the link put up by Bob.
This comes from 2012 demographics from a site called:
www .clrsearch.com
So Maria, where have the minority members of the community been? Aside from George Mintz, Ron Mackey and Donald Day, I haven’t seen any concerns expressed by leaders in the minority community.
Where do the two new members of the City Council stand on the test? What about the Minority Caucus of the City Council? Did I miss their statement? How about the IMA?
At least Mary-Jane spoke up.
Maria, shut up! Again you are posting wrong information about MJF. Just so you know, MJF attends local black churches on a regular basis, she also speaks to many of the black ministers from Bridgeport. So here you are again shooting your big mouth off about something you don’t know about. BTW, please do MJF a favor and back a different candidate.
Andy, please list the specific “wrong information” I posted about MJF. I pulled my data from the 2010 Census data. It took me all of 60 seconds to confirm I was right before I posted my comment.
Isn’t it fair to expect a potential mayoral candidate to do a little research before they write and submit a thought-out letter to a blog?
Besides Reverend Bennett, please share the names of the “many black ministers” she speaks with.
I don’t have to justify whom MJF speaks with in the black community to you. Who in hell are you? BTW, she not only speaks to the black ministers, she attends services in many of their churches and I don’t need to justify that to you.
Maria, you seem to think you are the political guru. Well I hate to tell you, you are nothing but an ill-informed windbag.
It’s not that you “won’t” justify your remarks, it is that you “can’t” justify your remarks.
She does not attend services in “many” of their churches. That is an absolute exaggeration.
Andy, I agree, you are an ill-informed windbag. 🙂
I concur. The accusation of involvement with the KKK, as laughable as it is on so many levels, did occur.
Where is that written and by whom?
Andy Fardy, you have a few thinks wrong, black ministers had nothing to with MJF in the last election and in fact a number of black ministers told out-and-out lies about her, like she was a Republican and she was associated with the KKK, all lies.
Ron, you had better check again.
Andy–Ron is right about this issue. Money was used out of Alvin Penn’s campaign committee. It was doubly insulting because Jack and Alvin were dear friends.
Andy, even MJF will confirm what Ron Mackey has stated above. I even heard it from a very reputable church member who was at the service with the KKK membership statement. Sorry, wish we were all wrong on this one.
If that’s the case, why wasn’t it a major issue?
It was.
What does one do about something like this without risking the alienation of a sizable bloc of voters? Best to leave a remark like that to stand on its own lack of merit. Who wants to create a more serious divide like that during an election cycle? (Or ever, really.) Calling more attention to this was not the right thing to do in my opinion.
I just looked at Howard Gardner’s website and didn’t see anything there about what he would do to increase Bridgeport resident and minority civil service hiring.
What is Joe Ganim saying about the issue? Nothing.
What is Bill Finch saying about the issue? Nothing.
One is stuck in the past and the other stuck in the “green” future. Neither one seems concerned about the here and now.
Mayor Finch, Joe Ganim and Howard Gardner didn’t write an inaccurate letter and submit it to OIB. MJF did.
Minority is not defined as just black. It includes Hispanics, Asians, etc. I have been involved in several meetings where minority leaders and community activists have expressed concern about this issue and how it can and should be addressed.
My comments were related to a potential mayoral candidate not even understanding the makeup of the city she may seek to govern.
You are out and out full of it. Yeah, at the meetings everyone talked about the police dept recruiting problem. Maria, you know you are lying through your teeth.
Andy, there was a 30-year minority veteran of the BPD at the meeting and I specifically asked why he thought both the recruitment of Bridgeport and minority residents was so poor. I would have to defer to his knowledge in this area because he is an insider and understands the recruitment process and required qualifications better than I.
I don’t lie because I don’t have to. Just about everyone who knows me will tell you I tell it like it is.
Baloney.
38 situps in 1 minute with most Bridgeport residents knowing just a little over a week before the physical test is a complete joke. You have to practice to get 38 situps in a minute and it does not take one week to practice, more like two months. Shame on Finch, only 14 are city residents wow. Half never even made it to the test, smh. I agree, call off the test!!! I knew about the test less than two weeks before the test and no way in heck could I do 38 situps in a minute and I’m a pretty fit guy.
Mary-Jane, I applaud your desire and effort to speak out on the Mayor’s abysmal effort to recruit and hire blacks and Bridgeport residents. As an individual who has worked tirelessly over the last 20 years to hire people of color and women for the Bridgeport fire department, Mary-Jane is right on target with her assertions.
Maria, I think recruiting and hiring is out of your field of expertise and being personal friends of Mackey and myself, Mary-Jane knows whom in the black community to reach out to. From the tenor of her letter she knows exactly who and what the problem is. Good job, Mary-Jane.
Don, thank you for the clarity.
Ditto!
The point is well taken–the recruiting effort was late and weak. Bottom line is whatever your race or ethnicity and whatever the percentage is, you are going to be without adequate staffing on the police force.
Donald Day, I don’t believe I indicated “recruiting and hiring” were my areas of expertise, however I have recruited, interviewed, hired and evaluated over 350 employees over 24 years in a variety of management positions.
I was just at a meeting with six minority leaders this evening. Five clearly indicated they had no interest in supporting MJF for Mayor. One didn’t take a specific position and just listened.
Her “assertion” Bridgeport was “65-70%” minority was absolutely “not” on target. In my opinion, it hurts her credibility when she submits a prepared statement with such a significant error. If I could Google the census data in all of 60 seconds, MJF could have, and should have also.
Maria Pereira, so these five minority leaders you talked to this evening clearly indicated they had no interest in supporting MJF for Mayor because she failed a math quiz? MJF is the only one talking about hiring City residents and talking about the terrible numbers for the police dept. and the terrible results for the upcoming police exam, so who do these five minority leaders you talked to this evening say will address what MJF did?
Ron, her OIB letter/op-ed was discussed at the meeting, however that was not the reason. In all honesty, all five felt she was not known in their communities and could not think of a single thing she has done in their communities.
I asked the attendee who was mostly listening to tell me one substantial thing she has done for minorities, impoverished neighborhoods, poor residents, middle-class residents and labor. I never received a response.
Maria Pereira, I can’t tell you of ANY candidate EVER running for mayor in Bridgeport who has EVER done anything for blacks but maybe your six minorities can tell us. No way. Tell us, who do they think is the best candidate?
None of us have committed to any specific individual, however there was discussion about potentially supporting one of only two candidates.
Maria, you are either an out-and-out liar or you are senile because in earlier posts you stated you were going to support MJF for mayor. Now you say you are not, well I think that’s great because you stand for everything that is wrong with Bridgeport.
Andy, it appears it is you who is suffering from senility.
I have NEVER stated I am supporting MJF for mayor. I wrote I “hope” she runs for mayor. There is a difference.
I find it strange members of the Bridgeport City Council are silent on hiring City residents and taxpayers just like Mayor Finch, why?
Instead of the same four or six people fighting each other on here, how about some answers to the problems not just a free-for-all, the suburbs offer much more pay and better benefits so even if cops start out in Bridgeport they are gone within five years.
Maria, you are an out-and-out BS artist. After being challenged you come up with a 30-year police officer and six unspecified minorities who can’t recall what she has done in the minority community. Really? You should write fiction novels, really, because that is what you write here on the blog. You went from supporting MJF to trying to vilify her.
I don’t lie, Andy. I have never supported MJF. I believe I have made it clear I believe her to be quite hypocritical.
REBEL, that’s why we’ve been advocating for Bridgeport residents as police and fire because the facts has shown Bridgeport residents who are hired for either service don’t leave for suburban departments nor do most move from the city after being hired.
I’m at a loss Maria, trying to figure out who those black leaders of the community to whom you speak. Were they political, religious or business leaders who attended this meeting? Bridgeport blacks don’t have one, two or three people who speak for the black community as a whole. Not the NAACP, the IMA or those pseudo-black politicians. Not here, not today.
Maria, I’m inclined to agree with Andy, which I haven’t done many times, when he says you should write fiction novels. Mary-Jane’s difficulty with being the Mayor of Bridgeport has nothing to do with the black community and whether they will or won’t accept her. The black community is absolutely sure Finch doesn’t have our best interest at heart and as a people we have seen less upward mobility under his tenure as Mayor than any Mayor in the last 40 years.
I can also assure you the 30-year veteran police officer you alluded to in your post knows considerably less about the about hiring and recruiting in the City of Bridgeport than either Mackey or myself, not bragging, just facts.
Donald Day, I have never said I met with black leaders. I wrote I attended a meeting with “minority” leaders. Whether you think I should write “fiction novels” or not is not relevant. Every person present at that meeting is effective politically and brings a significant amount of votes. Ultimately what matters is who can deliver a significant amount of votes to a particular candidate.
I have never been involved with a campaign that has failed. I have been involved in four elections and one referendum and all those efforts have resulted in victories. I don’t plan on now supporting a candidate for mayor who will lose.
I recognize Andy, Ron Mackey, Gabrielle Parisi, Bob Walsh, and yourself are all MJF supporters. It is your right to support whomever you choose.
As I have stated here previously, I hope MJF gets into the mayoral race, but not because I believe she can win. In fact, I don’t believe she can win. That is simply my opinion.
I guess we will have to see what happens on September 16, 2015.
Maria Pereira, so who are you supporting, Finch or Ganim?
Ron Mackey, I have not committed to any candidate, however I am part of a political coalition that has committed to collectively support one candidate. We have not made a decision yet, and are considering two candidates.
Did you really ask me if I am supporting Finch? Are you joking? I think it is safe to say everyone who has posted on this particular story is completely opposed to Finch.
Maria Pereira, well it’s obvious you have eliminated Mary-Jane Foster and seeing as you’re not supporting Finch then it’s Ganim or some unknown person who would have an uphill battle to raise money to run.
Maria told some of her old-lady supporters she was going to support Ganim.
I did a simple Google search of ‘recruiting minorities for police.’ It is a topic nationwide. They few articles on the first page suggest a challenge police departments have recognized. It is a social issue where many black communities cannot relate to law enforcement. Recruiting techniques are frequent topics, but there is resistance from people who cannot relate to laws and the expectations of society. There are huge social issues including criminal records that would disqualify candidates and the many issues reflected in a culture dependent on social welfare programs that relate to the concept of working for a living.
The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. of Illinois, was an 11-member commission established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots in the United States and to provide recommendations for the future.
This report spells out the issue of race, recruiting, hiring, promotion in the police and fire departments in America. The answers for Bridgeport are right there in the file cabinet in David Dunn’s office, the reason I know this is because Donald Day and myself were shown the information plus the information that we gave the head of Civil Service, Jack Collagin.
Tom,
Sometimes the problem is in how to ask the question. If you ask why are we not getting more qualified, minority candidates for the police test, you might get one set of responses.
On the other hand if you ask what do we need to do to attract more minority candidates you would get another.
If you approach a problem with preconceived notions or if you are looking for ways to explain the results you may never scratch the surface to get down to the root problems.
I Googled “the correct way to recruit minority candidates for a police department” and probably got different results than you did.
But it appears your answer is it is hard for everyone so live with it. I, and apparently Mary-Jane Foster, do not reach that same conclusion.
www .policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=2056&issue_id=42010
policeconsolidation.msu.edu/sites/default/files/PoliceRecruitment_LEEF.pdf
majorben.com/resources/minority-recruitment-a-growing-dilemma/
Everything starts from the top, if the mayor and the police and fire chief want women, Hispanics and blacks to be hired then they will be hired. It’s not a priority with this mayor and these chiefs.
Everything starts at the bottom and those who think a minority should be a priority are out of touch with the times and should consider relocating to Indiana.