In an editorial Sunday, The Des Moines Register, criticizes the Waterloo Police Department saying the U.S. Department of Justice needs to step in to restore trust.
The Waterloo Police Department has been scrutinized for incidents that have happened over the past couple of years. These instances and more could lead the black community to lose their trust in the police department.
Waterloo Police Chief Trelka says police officers are people and make mistakes, but the editorial indicates there’s a difference between “honest mistakes and a complete lack of professionalism.”
Sixteen percent of Waterloo’s 68,000 people are African American, but only two of the city’s 124 police officers are black, the editorial says this could be a reason for mistrust between police and the black community.