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OutFront Minnesota is disappointed with the decision by Interim
Minneapolis Chief of Police Tim Dolan to allow psychologist Dr. Michael
Campion to bid for future contracts with the department. Interim Chief
Dolan made his decision in spite of serious concerns raised by the
Police Community Relations Council, comprised of various community
leaders including OutFront Minnesota.
OutFront Minnesota had raised concerns in August about Dr. Campion's
objectivity and his ability to separate his personal beliefs from the
psychological testing process of new police candidates. Dr. Campion was
a board member of the
Illinois Family
Institute until 2005. The institute is a well-known strong opponent
of GLBT civil rights.
Interim Chief Dolan determined that Dr. Campion should be allowed to
bid on new department contracts, based only on a review of Campion's
work that had been conducted before the Police Community Relations
Council inquiry. OutFront Minnesota believes Interim Chief Dolan did not
take into account the concerns raised by the PCRC in his decision, nor
did he conduct a new investigation of Dr. Campion's possible bias.
Dr. Campion had been used by the police department to conduct final
psychological evaluations on police candidates. His findings were used
to either approve or decline the hiring of police officers. His work had
an enormous amount of authority, and therefore, his work should be
subject to the highest possible scrutiny.
OutFront Minnesota is highly concerned about the use of a police
psychological evaluator who has long standing ties to an anti-GLBT
organization, as well his writings from the 1970's advocating
"conversation therapy" for GLBT people. During the Police Community
Relations Council questioning of Dr. Campion, he gave no indication that
he had renounced any of these beliefs and was, in our view, evasive in
answering the questions.
This is not only a GLBT issue. Communities of color, who are also
represented on the Police Community Relations Council, have expressed
outrage at the continued use of Dr. Campion because of perceived racial
bias. The concerns of the whole Police Community Relations Council were
raised with members of the City Council, as well as Interim Chief Dolan.
OutFront Minnesota asserts that the citizens of Minneapolis deserve
the safest and strongest police force possible. Police candidates should
be subjected to rigorous, but fair, psychological standards, not based
on anti-GLBT bias, anti-racial bias, or other personal bias that is
irrelevant to job performance. OutFront Minnesota believes that
Minneapolis police administration must follow a hiring and evaluation
process based on fairness and equality which then produces the best
possible police force.
Read More:
Minneapolis Star Tribune Online Article posted 10-02-06 "Psychologist
can again seek city contracts"
City Pages Article published 9-27-06 "What's
Your Favorite Color: Blue or Lavender?" |
