The “Black Book” was only a rumor until investigators found it in the trunk of a Greensboro police officer’s patrol vehicle. Since June 2005, allegations of police corruption and racism have created a whirlwind of activity and confusion for city officials, police and citizens.

As of Jan. 20, 2006, the FBI is investigating several charges of racial discrimination within the Greensboro Police Department.

The Black Book has been the focus of recent allegations of racial profiling within the police department. The book was discovered to be a black three-ring binder containing information and photos of 114 African-American males, including 19 police officers.

Some officers have claimed that the book was used by “secret police” to keep tabs on black officers.

Police Chief David Wray denied claims that the book of photos was used in an inappropriate manner. In his official press release on Jan. 19, Wray stated that the Black Book was a photo array used for an internal investigation involving a female informant.

A Greensboro police officer used this particular array in an attempt to identify the perpetrator of an alleged sexual assault.

The female informant did not identify an officer from the photos investigators showed her.

Wray resigned Jan. 9 in the wake of allegations of discrimination in his investigative practices.

On Jan. 19, Wray said to the News and Record that he would “look forward to an impartial FBI investigation which will get to the truth and clear the good name of all of us who have been unjustly accused.”

In June, Wray suspended Lieutenant James “Hercules” Hinson during an on-going investigation into corruption in the department even though internal investigations had found allegations against Hinson to be unfounded.

Hinson felt he was targeted because he is an African-American.

“If I was a black officer, I would certainly feel targeted,” said City Manager Mitchell Johnson, according to a Jan. 11 article in the News and Record. “Whether it represents systematic racism or simply very poor decision making … is yet to be determined.”

“The activities of this unit and its continued pursuit of unproven, previously investigated and unsubstantiated charges against certain African-American officers created an atmosphere of fear, distrust and suspicion, which undermined the department’s morale and efficiency,” wrote Johnson in a press release.

Reginald Hayes, Director of Public Safety at Guilford, believes that diversity is one of the most important keys to maintaining an effective public safety department. An atmosphere of distrust and fear within a department could cause serious problems.

“Diversity is what sustains Guilford College,” said Hayes. With more than 20 years of training and experience serving communities through public safety, Hayes understands the importance of diversity to the effectiveness of public safety teams.

Hayes admits that assembling a diverse staff that can connect with students, provide guidance and promote a safe environment has not been easy. It is a delicate balancing act. Considerations such as maintaining the ethnic and gender diversity of the public safety staff have been essential building blocks in the process, but he feels that the department has made significant progress.

David Norton – Political Science, Sociology and Women’s Studies major – agrees with Hayes that social agencies need a variety of people to create effective systems. He points out that certain diversity issues are sometimes overlooked in smaller cities such as Greensboro.

“A diversity of people working in an authoritative system helps individuals feel more comfortable when personal issues need to be addressed,” said Norton. “In larger cities like D.C., there even are gay and lesbian liaison units trained to deal specifically with issues relating to LGBTQ issues. When officers are representative of the constituency that they serve, it makes it easier for people, especially victims, to seek the help they might need.