Police recruitment policies and standards regarding white supremacist affiliations
Asked by Herb Susmann on February 6, 2017.
1 answer from Jack R-W.
I’m interested in finding out if my local police department has specific recruitment policies in place for screening applicants for white supremacist beliefs or affiliations.
This is in response to [an article from The Intercept]( https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/the-fbi-has-quietly-investigated-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-law-enforcement/) on white supremacist infiltration of police departments:
No centralized recruitment process or set of national standards exists for the 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, many of which have deep historical connections to racist ideologies. As a result, state and local police as well as sheriff’s departments present ample opportunities for white supremacists and other right-wing extremists looking to expand their power base.
I’ve never submitted a FOIA request, so I’m wondering if anyone has advice for how to craft a targeted request. I’d like to start by submitting a request to my local department, which is in Massachusetts.
Is it better to submit a broader request about recruitment policies and standards, or to target policies regarding white supremacist/white nationalist/hate groups?
Thanks!