PHOTO: GRCC police academy graduate Jasmine Alcauter speaks at this year's graduation.
by:Joe LaFurgey
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Common challenges facing just about everyone in law enforcement, from veteran officers to those just putting on the badge, was highlighted during the virtual graduation ceremony of recruits with the Grand Rapid’s Community College Police Academy last month.
GRCC police academy graduate Jasmine Alcauter said to her fellow recruits during the virtual ceremony, " The question becomes so normalized that there comes a point in life where you begin to ask yourself the same thing: Why do I want to become a police officer at a time like this?”
Academy officials say one part of the solution is to recruit officers who grew up in communities of color and better understand the issues those communities face. But it’s not always easy to recruit people of color, and academies have addressed the challenge with varying degrees of success.
One of the programs that has drawn diverse students. is Grand Rapids Community College’s police academy.
As GRCC is a community college, its student population tends to be more diverse, leading to a more diverse police candidate pool, and GRCC officials say those future officers also serve as the school’s best recruitment tool.
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