The WSP is fightin’ mad and fightin’ back. Recently the WSP criticized KING 5 for a story it ran on the station’s Facing Race platform. The story complains about a lack of diversity within WSP, as it is alleged that WSP is currently 86% white male. Curiously, however, the Stand for Truth station focused its story on an employee who was terminated 14 years ago, which upset the law enforcement agency because it felt it was an unfair jab in consideration of its current efforts to lessen racial disparity within its ranks.
The WSP wanted the piece to highlight their latest efforts at racial equality within its ranks by highlighting the agency’s interest and work on attracting more diverse individuals. Instead the piece was tailored to highlight a former disgruntled employee of color, and not the WSP’s stated efforts to improve their processes, reduce barriers to service, and make its agency a place where any qualified candidate can always feel welcomed, supported, and appreciated. That, of course, really upset the WSP rank and file. After all – the segment was centered on the past, not the present. The WSP felt their recent efforts should be lauded, not its past policies highlighted.
The question to be raised in all of this is how will King 5’s story impact WSP’s continued efforts at inclusion and diversity within its ranks? Even if WSP becomes more diverse within its ranks, are those who become troopers the best, and most qualified, people for the job? In short, will the public be safer because of it? After all, isn’t that what this is all about – public safety? Ostensibly the two concepts should coincide – a diverse force made up of the best and most qualified candidates possible. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t operate quite like that, right? Utopia just doesn’t really exist, at least not yet. The reality is that King 5’s story should have centered its story on ensuring that WSP hired the best and most qualified candidates to patrol our state’s cities and counties instead of ensuring that the station appeared woke while promoting its Facing Race and Stand for Truth social justice platforms. No doubt what the vast majority of citizens really want is simply a safe(r) community to live and work.
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