Clifford Montiero made some interesting statements.  Where do I begin?  Let's start by the inherent racism in his call to limit the search for a public safety commissioner to a minority.  Couldn't a white commissioner do a good job getting the word out about upcoming police training academies?  Probably not.  Will a recruiter who "looks like the community" he's trying to reach victimize residents from other groups?  According to Clifford Montiero, that seems like a distinct possibility. 

     He implies that it is necessary for a recruiter to "look like the community."  Does that mean we need to hire a white recruiter for potential white officers, a latino recruiter for latino officers, a black recruiter for black officers, and an Asian recruiter for Asian officers?  Sound ridiculous?  Of course it does, but according to the implications of Clifford Montiero's request, the typical person doesn't have the capacity to look beyond race.  If you don't think so, check out this excerpt from the article:

Police hiring is especially important to minorities, he said, because the police have the power to harass and arrest.

“Policemen beat people who don’t look like them,” Montiero added, alluding to the alleged assault of the handcuffed suspect.

     Policemen beat people who don't look like them.  Interesting.  Now, does that only apply to white officers?  As a white male, should I fear being pulled over by a black, Latino, or Asian police officer?  I never have, but according to Clifford Montiero, I should.  After all, I "don't look like them." 

     I have a great idea that would make the Providence police force more diverse: Bring back residency requirements.  Another would be to encourage community organizations to get the word out to members of the community.  If they are already involved in recruiting, perhaps they're not doing enough.  I think they're good ideas, but Clifford Montiero probably wouldn't like them.  After all, he probably wouldn't think I look enough like the community.