U.S. Attorney Tom Beall to host Diversity Dialogue with Law Enforcement U.S. Attorney Tom Beall to host Diversity Dialogue with Law Enforcement

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall will open a discussion at 1 p.m. today (Tuesday, Dec. 6) at Wichita State's Hughes Metropolitan Complex, with local law enforcement agencies on recruiting, hiring and retaining law enforcement officers to better reflect the broad diversity of the communities they serve. The meeting is open only to registered participants.

Michael Birzer, professor of Criminal Justice and director of the School of Community Affairs at Wichita State University, will serve as moderator.

The Diversity Dialogue in Wichita will be part of a national initiative by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Commission. The objectives are outlined in an October report called, "Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement." The report, which can be accessed at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?5257, examines barriers as well as promising practices for advancing diversity in law enforcement.

"We must continue to review our efforts to promote diversity and share what we have learned so far," Beall said. "Identifying the barriers we face and generating new ideas for cultivating diversity among law enforcement will help strengthen trust and improve policing."