By Ashley Silver
Police1
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A recent internal review conducted by a police consulting firm unveiled startling survey responses from Black officers at the Knoxville (Tenn.) Police Department.
According to NBC News, the survey results showed nearly all of the 15 Black officers in the department feel they have been discriminated against at some point, with each of them referencing a biased promotional process.
The internal assessment received its findings from focus groups and an anonymous survey. NBC reported nearly all the department’s roughly 360 sworn officers and most of its about 100 nonsworn personnel responded to the voluntary survey.
Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel commissioned the internal review after undertaking his new role in June.
Some of the survey comments shed light on the lack of promotional opportunities for Black officers and those of color having to meet higher standards than their counterparts to progress within the department.
“If you are a Black officer, you have to work five times harder and officers will always second-guess you,” one anonymous officer said in the report.
Another respondent wrote, “When applying for posted positions and training, if more than one Black officer applied for a job that has multiple open slots, only one Black officer would get selected and the other one would be told to wait until the next posting.”
NBC also reported only about a third of the department’s 15 Black sworn officers said they have a voice at work, with leaders being receptive to their concerns or feedback. Twelve participants said they felt the organization discriminated against them because of their race and Black officers were the least likely to say they felt there was a clear process for de-escalating problems internally.
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