Henrico's uphill battle to recruit more Black police officers

Henrico County Police Chief Eric English, who was appointed in 2020 and became the county’s first Black police chief, does not mince words when asked about the diversity gap between his force and his community, and about recruitment attempts aimed at reducing that disparity. Like the mythical Greek character Sisyphus, English is pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to feel sometimes like the boulder — with the weight of backlash and distrust — is rolling back down.

“It’s very difficult,” English said. “You can’t just look at now and say all of a sudden it’s going to change, when the starting line was very different when policing began.”

The Henrico Division of Police is one of many departments across the country that does not demographically represent the communities it serves. Henrico is 51% white and 31% Black, according to U.S. census data. The county’s police personnel data shows that the percentage of Black police officers in Henrico sits at 7.8%, compared to 85.3% for white officers, as of last June.

English said the backlash that law enforcement has received over the past several years has made people apprehensive to join the force, particularly in minority communities.

“There’s a huge distrust in the Black community of police,” English said. “When you look at it historically, that’s always going to be a barrier for us to acquire the necessary amount of people in order to mirror your community.”

English said another part of the diversity gap is family legacy in policing.

Since arriving in Henrico, he learned that many white officers in the division have grandfathers, fathers and sons who also served. English did not see this family dynamic as much during his nearly 30 years with the Richmond police.

“It makes it a little bit more difficult in terms of diversity here, because it’s much more common in white families to have a contingency of folks that have been in law enforcement,” English said. “That’s not common for Black families; even for myself, I’m the only one in my family that’s a law enforcement officer.”

Why representation matters

Experts say race is an element when police and citizens interact; they can see each other through a prism of racial, cultural and ethnic characteristics, and in a climate of heightened anxiety.

Jonathan Zur, president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, noted that law enforcement often shows up in moments of high stress. He said that when people experience emergencies, they can face added stress if they have to question whether an officer understands or believes them.

“I think those types of things become easier to answer when the police department reflects and connects with the community it serves,” Zur said.

Monica Hutchinson, vice president of the Henrico NAACP, said diversity among officers can help with understanding verbal and nonverbal cues from people with different backgrounds.

“Having a group of individuals that have not just racial and ethnic diversity, but also diversity of lived experience, is going to help,” Hutchinson said. “Some of those cultural differences can be the difference between thinking that someone’s being aggressive versus knowing that someone’s not.”

The division has a multicultural liaison who partners with various ethnic groups in Henrico. English added that officers go on community walks and speak with residents to get a gauge on the community and to build relationships.

Recruiting ups and downs

Police applications in Henrico dropped from 1,086 in 2018 to 259 in 2021, according to data compiled by Lee Enterprises, the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s parent company. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the decreased numbers, but other factors were considered by Henrico police.

Henrico police applicants have to meet certain requirements, such as being 21 before the academy graduation date, having a high school diploma or GED before being hired and being a U.S. citizen.

A felony conviction, certain misdemeanor convictions and a driving record with more than six penalty points within the past year are among the items that will disqualify applicants from being considered for an officer position.

English changed a few of the guidelines to try to increase the applicant pool; non-obscene tattoos and brandings are now permitted to be visible, except in certain places like the hands and face.

Before English became chief, applicants were ineligible if they had used marijuana or THC products within the previous two years. That policy has since been adjusted, and only applies to those products taken on or after the date of application.

The division’s recruiting team plans to cast a wider net at education centers, military bases (through the Army Pays program) and colleges, including historically Black institutions.

Henrico also is seeking to increase gender diversity on the force. The division is involved in the 30x30 Initiative, a national program that works toward having women represent 30% of police recruits by 2030. Henrico currently employs 14% female officers, according to county personnel data.

In 2022, police applications in Henrico rose to 418 through Oct. 19, but that figure is still less than half of the 2018 total.

Diversity not a cure-all

In light of the recent case in which five Black Memphis police officers were charged with killing Tyre Nichols, a Black man, police departments are faced with looking beyond “checking boxes” and finding additional ways to improve officer-to-citizen interactions.

“I think supervision is extremely important, especially when you have specialty units,” said English, referring to the SCORPION street crime unit of which the charged Memphis officers were a part. “You’ve got to have proper oversight.”

There also has been scrutiny of officer conduct in light of the death of Irvo Otieno, 28, at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County in March. Seven Henrico sheriff’s deputies and three employees of the psychiatric hospital are accused of smothering Otieno to death and have been charged with second-degree murder.

The Sheriff’s Office is separate from the Henrico Division of Police and handles security for jails and courthouses, among other duties. Data shows the racial makeup of its 307 staffers is 60% Black and 31% white.

The family of Otieno, who was Black, has said he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Authorities have not released body camera footage of the incident.

The Henrico police division has a body-worn camera policy, under which supervisors conduct regular audits to see if improvements can be made based on video footage. The department prioritizes de-escalation training and recently took part in ICAT training, which stands for “integrating communications, assessment and tactics.”

Henrico residents and community groups not only want to see more diverse officers, but also more representation at the top positions.

“Something that has to be discussed is making sure that positions of leadership are also diversified, making sure that our Black officers have the opportunity for advancement within the police department,” Hutchinson said.

When the search for a new police chief commenced in 2020, the county conducted an external hiring process for the first time, eventually leading to English’s hire.

“(English) is absolutely the right person at the right time to put out that welcome for all of our community,” said Henrico Manager John Vithoulkas.

Henrico citizens also advocated for the county to establish a police civilian review board to increase accountability. A proposal was brought before the Board of Supervisors in 2021, but the measure never reached the voting stage.

For now, Henrico police are looking to the future. The newest batch of police recruits started this spring. The class includes eight white males, five Black males, two white females, four Black females and one Hispanic male.