Garner Police Department 2019 Annual Report Published August 2020 | Page 20

Biased-Based Policing Review
GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT policy 820.09,
Bias-Free Policing, establishes our commitment
to ensuring fair and equitable treatment of
all persons. The policy states, “The Garner Police
Department is committed to preserving the peace
and maintaining order in our community by practicing
bias-free policing and respecting the rights and dignity
of all. No member of this department shall engage
in bias-based profiling in any arrests, asset seizure/
forfeiture efforts, field contacts or traffic stops.”
Each year the Garner Police Department reviews
traffic stops and other areas where bias may be
present. After review and analysis of our 2019
traffic-stop data, we are pleased to report that
there were no indications or concerns of bias in our
interactions with those we serve. The Garner Police
Department received one complaint of a race-based
arrest in 2019. That complaint was determined to be
unfounded.
The Garner Police Department is committed to treating
all persons with respect and dignity. Our thorough review
of traffic-stop data, use-of-force reviews, and complaint
investigation practices ensure that we continue to police
without any bias or prejudice toward others.
Staffing Diversity
THE GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT strives to hire employees that represent the community we serve.
Recruiting efforts attempt to attract employees from a diverse background of races, ethnicities and
genders. The department experienced average employee turnover from retirements and other causes in
2019, but this turnover only slightly affected the overall employee profile. The chart below illustrates our yearend
employee totals by race, gender and ethnicity.
Asian Male, 1.6%
Hispanic Female, 4.7%
Hispanic Male, 6.4%
Black Female, 1.6%
White Female, 1.6%
Black Male, 6.4%
White Male
77.7%
Note: Totals count sworn staff only and are based on 63 out of 68 approved positions.
Five vacancies existed as of December 31, 2019.
The department continues to seek innovative ways to attract and retain quality, diverse employees in an effort
to reflect the community we serve. The department partnered with other area law enforcement agencies and
Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) in 2019 to build a regional youth recruitment ecosystem in the
Raleigh/Durham Triangle region. This will be a two-year long project. Staff from TJCOG will contract with a team
from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to conduct research, analyze models that deliver a product that will
assist area law enforcement agencies, including Garner, develop strategies to recruit a more diverse work group.
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GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2019 ANNUAL REPORT