Department of Justice demands cities lower test score requirements for LEO exams

The federal government has demanded the city of Dayton, Ohio lower testing standards for law enforcement positions in the city. The DOJ has a quota in place, indicating not enough African Americans passed the exam so they want the passing score lowered. The Dayton NAACP does not think the testing standards should be lowered.

Of course, this is tied directly to federal handouts to the police department or the city, as funding always is accompanied by mandates. In this case, Dayton needs to lower the standard or they won’t get their “share” of funding. From ABC 2 in Dayton.

It’s a move required by the U.S. Department of Justice after it says not enough African-Americans passed the exam.

Dayton is in desperate need of officers to replace dozens of retirees.  The hiring process was postponed for months because the D.O.J. rejected the original scores provided by the Dayton Civil Service Board, which administers the test.

Under the previous requirements, candidates had to get a 66% on part one of the exam and a 72% on part two.

The D.O.J. approved new scoring policy only requires potential police officers to get a 58% and a 63%.  That’s the equivalent of an ‘F’ and a ‘D’.

This is the absolute wrong way to go about getting more people interested in law enforcement. Dayton NAACP President Derrick Foward notes…

“If you lower the score for any group of people, you’re not getting the best qualified people for the job,” Foward said.

Click to watch the video report.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

17 Comments

  1. winnie888 on March 13, 2011 at 5:54 am

    Why any American of any skin color would consider it a "win" to test into a job with a near failing to failing grade is beyond my comprehension.  It's insulting on so many levels.

    As far as I'm concerned the federal government should not be involved in state/local law enforcement testing/hiring/promotion procedures.  Just another example of big gov. breathing down the backs of state/local communities with asinine, dumbed-down standards.



    • Dimsdale on March 14, 2011 at 4:24 pm

      I believe George Bush called this the "soft bigotry of lowered expectations."  I could not have expressed it better myself.  Liberals believe that minorities (real or contrived) can't make it on their own without the help of the guilt ridden whites.

       

      Could this be a progressive version of Kipling's "white man's burden"?



  2. TomL on March 13, 2011 at 8:10 am

    I just remember back to New Haven's reverse descrimination case involving the fire fighters. Didn't one of Barry's Supreme Court appointees rule on that case against the white firefighters and she was overturned. Some people just don't test well, maybe the union should be holding classes to help all of the applicants so that they get the best of the best.



    • Dimsdale on March 23, 2011 at 8:43 am

      And some people don't firefight well, hence the reason for the tests…



  3. Shared Sacrifice on March 13, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    The whole situation seems like a crisis worthy of Barack Obama's intervention by way of a 2,500 page mandate which provides free education so that all of our LEOs have PhD's in law enforcement or diversity studies by 2014.



  4. GdavidH on March 13, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    This is pathetic. This is the dumbing down of America for the benefit of political correctness. No unexpected consequences to look out for here.



  5. southwest on March 14, 2011 at 3:49 am

    ONLY FELONS NEED APPLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



  6. Wayne SW on March 14, 2011 at 4:07 am

    In 1975 I graduated college with a degree to pursue a career in law enforcement.  I took the NYS  Trooper exam.  The hardest 6 hour test I ever took.  I finished in the top 97% tile.  White males needed to score 98%.  Male minorities and white females needed a 90% and female minorities needed to score over 80%.  NOW, passing is 58%!!!!!!  Dumb(p)-ing down is working! @%^&*…..geeeeez



  7. Don Lombardo on March 14, 2011 at 5:03 am

    To Liberals diversity means only one thing: skin color. It has nothing to do with ideas, opinions, or discourse. It's about keeping their voting base dependent, un-educated, and thankful for the bone that gets thrown their way.



    • Dimsdale on March 16, 2011 at 10:47 am

      Not even skin color! Look at the fabricated minority designation of “hispanic”. The definition transcends race or ethnicity: it is just what you feel, or what you say your culture is, or something even more ethereal than that. Nothing to do with race, but if you ever took a Spanish course or have a Spanish sounding name, POOF! your are a minority!



  8. RoBrDona on March 14, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    The elite colleges and universities are desperate for qualified African Americans and continue to push the scores low as they dare for this group and higher for Whites and Asians. There simply aren't many, and everyone fights for them. As a practical matter the race portfolio is broadened with non-American ethnically "black" students from the islands and Africa – the easiest way to pad the "quota".  On a race-blind basis a decent percentage of our best and brightest are turned away, and I really feel for the Asians, who proportionately are getting hosed.  America used to value hard work.



  9. Marilyn on March 15, 2011 at 1:48 am

    I think the bigger question here is, why so manny minorities fail these exams.  Could it be they spent 12 years in a failing school system?  Were they passed from grade to grade just for  showing up?  Do the democrats really think, the only way they can garner votes is to keep people uneducated poor and dependent?  The first thing President Obama did when he took office was to eliminate school vouchers for children in DC.  Do you know why?  I think I do.



  10. Dimsdale on March 16, 2011 at 5:55 am

    Yes, yes and yes.

    Vouchers put control of a child's education in the hands of parents, not teachers, or more accurately, the teacher's unions. Teachers are shortchanging, no, cheating students of a real education while screaming that higher wages are really "for the children". Horse puckey! Most of those same teachers (and politicians, including NAACP leaders) have their children safely ensconsed in private schools or better public schools. The parents in D.C. that want those vouchers are overwhelmingly black, and Øbama, to satisfy his teacher union supporters, is effectively screwing them.

    Let the money follow the children: schools will get better because they will have to. If not, let them fail. Why should parents who give a tinker's damn be forced to pay BOTH taxes for public schools AND tuition to a private school?



    • Dimsdale on March 16, 2011 at 5:56 am

      The above was intended to be a response to Marilyn, btw!



  11. RoBrDona on March 16, 2011 at 9:18 am

    Yes, It would seem after at least two generations have passed that the web of social services, underperforming education, and race-baiting are indeed specifically designed to entrench the victim class.



  12. BEA on March 16, 2011 at 10:52 am

    If I was on FB I would “like” every comment above! You all make great points!

    As a side note: I?love to read RadioVice posts and the comments that follow. I’m usually?thinking “Oh, that’s exactly what I was thinking!” or “Great point! I didn’t even think of that!” And in this deep blue state it makes me feel like I’m not crazy! 🙂



  13. kdwoody on March 16, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    And this is the responsibility of the Department of Justice…create an unjustness of evaluation and devalue the men and women that have met the rigid standards to pass?  Can Eric Holder, head of DOJ not see that this in itself would create a climate in which any competent law abiding citizen would be more concerned about their health and welfare than ever before.  About that constitutional right to bear arms… certainly now would be the time to be sure that right hasn't been removed. Holder, please step down and do America a favor, your incompetency has been revealed.  Bravo Derrick Foward for knowing right from wrong… a fleeting attribute of leaders in this country… clearly.



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