By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ELSMERE - Elsmere's mayor calls council member-elect Terry Whittaker's claim that the city's police department has discriminatory hiring practices "ridiculous."

"We try not to be prejudiced," said Mayor Billy Bradford, who has been on the council for about 30 years. "I'm African-American myself and I will make sure we extend every opportunity possible to minorities."

Ms. Whittaker, 42, a former reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, questioned the hiring of two more white male officers during Tuesday's council meeting.

At the meeting, she claimed officers who've left the force have told her that the department doesn't let women and minority candidates apply for police jobs, despite receiving federal COPS grants that encourage minority hiring.

Nine-member force

Elsmere is a 2.7 square-mile bedroom community in Kenton County. It has 8,139 residents, 5.4 percent who are black, according the 2000 U.S. Census. But Elsmere's nine sworn officers are all white men.

The 67-year-old Mayor Bradford points to the fact that Elsmere was one of the first police departments in Northern Kentucky to hire a black officer to illustrate his claim that the department is not racist. That black officer, who was hired in the late 1970s, has since left the department and couldn't be reached Friday for comment.

Officials with the Department of Justice in Washington confirmed that Ms. Whittaker had contacted them with a concern, but couldn't be reached for more extensive comment about the degree to which COPS grants require minority recruitment and hiring.

Ms. Whittaker, who has for the past several years regularly attended public meetings, filed open records requests and fought for government decisions to be made in public, could not be reached for comment.

Elsmere Police Chief Tim Greene said Ms. Whittaker's claims are untrue.

"I'm going to continue to hire the best candidate," he said. "For example, if a female applied and she was at the top (of the test scores), she would be the first one hired. I can guarantee that."

Chief Greene said no minorities have applied for a job with the department in at least three years. He said the small department that he struggles to keep staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week doesn't have the staff or money to actively recruit minorities.

He said all hirings are approved by the full council, and are not just his decision alone.

The two most recent hires were officers from other departments. Chief Greene said he prefers hiring experienced officers because it reduces the money and employee hours the city has to spend on training.

Training regimen

A new officer is required to complete a 16-week course at the state police academy in Richmond and a 12-week field-training program.

"She (Ms. Whittaker) has manipulated everything the city has done for years," Chief Greene said. "She is supposed to be working for the city as council member-elect, but it seems she is working against the city."

Ms. Whittaker, elected Nov. 5, will take a seat on council in January.

E-mail jhannah@enquirer.com