Pubdate: 2 Mar 1999
Source: Irish Independent (Ireland)
Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd
Contact:  http://www.independent.ie/
Author: David Usborne in New York

POLICE CHIEF FIRED FOR RACE-DRUGS SLUR

AS POLICE in New York City battle allegations of racism following the
shooting last month of an unarmed West African by four white officers, the
chief of New Jersey's state police was without a job yesterday after being
fired for publicly blaming drug trafficking on ethnic minorities.

The abrupt dismissal of Colonel Carl Williams by the Governor of New
Jersey, Christie Todd Whitman, has thrown a fresh spotlight on simmering
tensions between the African-American community and state and city police
forces around the country.

Col Williams was sacked after saying blacks and Hispanics were more likely
to be involved in the drugs trade than whites.

In a newspaper interview, he said: ``Two weeks ago, the president of the
United States went to Mexico to talk to the president of Mexico about
drugs. He didn't go to Ireland. He didn't go to England.

``It is most likely a minority group that's involved with the drug trade.
They aren't going to ask some Irishman to be part of their gang because
they don't trust him.''

His sacking will feed a widening debate in New York about racism in law
enforcement. Black and Hispanic leaders in the US have long complained
about unfair police harassment of non-whites.

New York, where the police have been credited with a dramatic lowering of
crime rates, witnessed large protests early last month after the shooting
of Amadou Diallo in the hallway of his apartment building in the Bronx.

The officers are being asked to explain why they fired 41 shots at Diallo,
who apparently was breaking no law and carrying no weapon. 
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