FBI Director James Comey hosted a discussion at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference (IACP) in San Diego.
Comey spoke to law enforcement at the convention center about the tension in some minority neighborhoods. He feels that keeping better track of use of force incidents will improve relations and ultimately make their job a lot safer.
“We especially need to show America, especially people of color and especially the black community what we are really like,” Comey said Sunday.
While Comey said that police officers are overwhelmingly good people, he admitted there are some cops who see men of color as criminals.
“That’s dumb. That unjust, and we have to work to constantly resist it, to train it out, to root it out,” he continued.
Comey said he also fears that if officers are viewed as biased, it will hurt recruitment.
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“This country will be deeply, deeply sorry if great young talent, kids who want to help other people, choose some other way to serve,” he said.
The FBI will launch a pilot project next year to collect use of force numbers nationwide, the hope being it will remove the stigma of racial bias and improve community relations.
The conference, which started earlier this week, brings together federal, state, county, local and tribal law enforcement agencies across the country together to discuss educational tools and resources to better serve their communities.
