FBI Director: 'Lazy shortcuts of cynicism' can result in racial bias among police

James Comey
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

In an unusually blunt speech, FBI Director James Comey on Thursday conceded that police need to do a better job separating racial bias from their work.

Comey said police needed to better understand "what it feels like to be a law-abiding young black man walking on the street and encountering law enforcement." And citing the song Everyone's a Little Bit Racist from the Broadway musical Avenue Q, Comey said police had to "resist the lazy shortcuts of cynicism" that can lead them to treat black people differently from other races.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.