Police recruitment policies and standards regarding white supremacist affiliations

Asked by Herb Susmann on February 6, 2017.

1 answer from Jack R-W.

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Herb Susmann

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!

Jack R-W

Do not mention anything about white supremacy in your request, ask for something like “All recruitment and screening policies.” or something to that effect. It’s best to never mention your intent in your request, and it’s best to keep your request specific without being too specific.