North Miami PD Drops Requirement In Bid To Recruit Blacks

Local10.com ^ | April 22, 2004 | Staff

[kennedy]

The North Miami police department dropped a swimming requirement for applicants, saying they need new officers and want to encourage blacks to sign up.

North Miami police say they are dropping the requirement for a year. They say few departments require swimming and their officers rarely save people in water.

Officials also believe the requirement discourages African-Americans and Haitian Americans from applying. The issue surfaced a year ago when a Haitian-American city councilman asked police to drop the requirement because he said blacks historically can't swim.

The request fizzled at the time. Critics say race and ethnicity are not factors when it comes to swimming.

[kennedy]

he said blacks historically can't swim

I've heard that white guys can't jump, but I've never heard that black guys can't swim.

[annyokie]

You never met a Navy recruiter, I'm guessing?

[John Thornton]

Could you imagine the hoopla if a white person made such a statement? Jesse Jackass would be boarding his private jet right now.

[wingnutx]

When I went through navy bootcamp in 1988, every single guy who failed the swim test was black. Beats me why. Maybe it's just not a popular pastime with black Americans.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Funny.

The only free swimming pools I've ever seen have been in poor neighborhoods ... Paid for by the richer neighborhoods.

[Bikers4Bush]

"..I've never heard that black guys can't swim."

I don't think it's that they can't as much as it is that they aren't usually taught how.

That being said, you don't see a whole lot of black folks in the water at the Olympics.

[kdot]

Why are they only dropping the requirement for a year? Either cops need to be competent swimmers or they don't.

[OpusatFR]

What? Can't swim?

Interesting considering the municipal pools in this area are all built in low income or minority areas. It wasn't until recently that the Y was built in the suburbs and you can pay to learn to swim.

As it was, my kids had to learn to swim in the Ocean.

[Pikamax]

"when a Haitian-American city councilman asked police to drop the requirement because he said blacks historically can't swim. "

how about blacks who live away from oceans and lakes historically can't swim. idiot councilman.

[truth_seeker]

In Huntington Beach, CA one of the senior (career) lifeguards is a black fellow.

So he can swim REALLY well. Nice guy, too.

[Khurkris]

and Charlie don't surf!

[Joe Hadenuf]

In Huntington Beach, CA one of the senior (career) lifeguards is a black fellow. So he can swim REALLY well.

Uh, a lifeguard that can swim good? That's reassuring.

[kennedy]

So he can swim REALLY well.

Are you sure? Maybe they just dropped the swimming requirement for the job. You can't discriminate in the employment of life guards.

[BIGZ]

Of course genetics are used when it is in favor of blacks but as the Bell Curve proved genetic are genetics.

[cynicom]

Next they will drop the apptitude tests for blacks. Lots of cops then.

[Condor51]

"Next they will drop the aptitude tests for blacks"

---

Amazingly, on this topic there's an article in the Chicago Sun-Times sports section today about the NFL and the Wonderlic test. Most prospective draftees are scoring SO LOW that the teams are discounting them entirely.

Out of 50 questions many are scoring in single digits like a SEVEN. The Bears GM won't mention names as it would be embarrassing to "the players".

Conversely, some who are named are scoring like a 45 to 48 but guess what, those players are white. So in the spirit of diversity, their scores are being thrown out too! Now if you click the link you can download ten sample questions and I'll tell you, you'd have to be dumb as a sack of rocks NOT to score at least a twenty.

[Alberta's Child]

In a similar story, the organizing committee for the New York City Marathon last year came under fire for proposing a separate award for the American athlete who finishes highest. There is a lot of concern that competitive distance running is so thoroughly dominated by Kenyans that people are losing interest in the sport.

[Clemenza]

East Africans traditionally have physical advantages that allow them to succeed in long distance running. Don't tell that to the PC police.

[eccentric]

Why not just teach them how to swim?

[Rome2000]

North Miami

Carnies. Circus folk. Nomads, you know. Smell like cabbage. Small hands