Morristown Police Skew Whiter, More Male Than Town Population

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Police departments around New Jersey are less diverse than the Garden State itself. But in Morristown, some of the differences between the racial and ethnic differences between the town and the police bureau are even more pronounced (see full data below).

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General released demographic data Thursday on all police departments around the state, including the Morristown Bureau of Police. The disclosure of diversity data represents a step in the state's efforts to get law enforcement to reflect the diversity of their communities, according to the attorney general's office.

In Morristown, 36.5 percent of residents are Hispanic. But as of Dec. 31 — the date for which police agencies submitted demographic data to the state — only 7 percent of Morristown police were Hispanic. Meanwhile, 84.2 percent of the town's 57 officers are white, compared to 45.6 percent of the town's overall population.

Overall, New Jersey police departments skewed whiter and less Hispanic than the state as a whole, but Morristown police had greater racial and ethnic disparities. In New Jersey, 17.6 percent of officers are Hispanic, compared to 21.6 percent of residents. White officers make up 69.6 percent of New Jersey law enforcement, compared to 51.9 percent of the population.

Law enforcement around the nation still lack women among their ranks, and Morristown is no exception. Only 5.3 percent of Morristown police are women, compared to 10.4 percent in New Jersey and about 13 percent nationwide.

The Morristown Police Bureau and Chief Darnell Richardson made history in January, as Richardson became the town's first Black police chief. But he says the state's hiring practices, which Morristown police must follow, will need to change for the department to better reflect the town's diversity.

"The Town of Morristown is bound by the New Jersey Department of Civil Service rules and the Morristown residency requirement," Richardson told Patch via email. " ... Until these rules are changed, these are the Morristown Police Department’s hiring practices."

Essentially, Morristown focuses its recruiting efforts on getting candidates to take the New Jersey Civil Service police examinations, Richardson says. Once the agency receives the test results, the Morristown Police Bureau must follow the "rule of three," which lets authorities choose from one of the top three eligible candidates from an open hiring process or promotional list.

"The Morristown Police Department will continue its recruiting efforts by encouraging ALL Morristown residents interested in becoming Police Officers to sign up for the New Jersey Civil Service police examinations," Richardson wrote. "This recruiting is accomplished by advertising the exam via community groups as well as social media."

A state law established in 2020 requires and establishes a framework for each law-enforcement agency to establish minority-recruitment programs. Per the law, the attorney general monitors the results of each agency's minority recruitment and selection program and releases the data annually.

The attorney general's office released the first police-diversity report Thursday. Because of a shortened first reporting period, the available data only reflects current officers (as of Dec. 31). The agency said it will also include applicant and promotional information after the first full calendar year of reporting.

"In a state as diverse as New Jersey, it is imperative that law enforcement reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, especially as we seek to build trust between police and the community members they are sworn to protect," said Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. "This public release of officer demographic data is an important step towards transparency and achieving that goal."

Here's the Morristown Police Bureau's full data:

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