X-Posted from GD: Ferguson Police Tolerate Sexual Harassment of Female Officers: Justice Department

Ferguson Police Tolerate Sexual Harassment of Female Officers: Justice Department

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2015/03/ferguson_police_tolerate_sexual_harassment_of_female_officers_justice_department.php

Buried in footnote No. 61 of the Department of Justice's damning report on the Ferguson Police Department's widespread problems with racial bias, investigators say they also found evidence that the department tolerates sexual harassment of female officers by male officers.

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While the justice department's report focuses on racial bias and diversity in Ferguson, footnote No. 61 explains that it also found troubling patterns of gender bias at the police department. From the report:

"While not the focus of our investigation, the information we reviewed indicated that Ferguson's efforts to retain qualified female and black officers may be compromised by the same biases we saw more broadly in the department. In particular, while the focus of our investigation did not permit us to reach a conclusive finding, we found evidence that (Ferguson Police Department) tolerates sexual harassment by male officers, and has responded poorly to allegations of sexual harassment that have been made by female officers."

The report makes no effort to describe allegations of sexual harassment, but investigators say increasing gender diversity on the force could be "critical" to improving the department overall.