James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I., made a speech at Georgetown University in which he called for an honest discussion about race and the attitudes of law enforcement.
WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, on Thursday delivered an unusually frank speech about the relationship between the police and black people, saying that officers who work in neighborhoods where blacks commit crimes at higher rates develop a cynicism that shades their attitudes about race.
He said that officers — whether they are white or black — who are confronted with white men on one side of the street and black men on the other do not view them the same way. The officers develop a mental shortcut that “becomes almost irresistible and maybe even rational by some lights” because of the number of black suspects they have arrested.
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“So, if the college wants to enroll more black students, what is the holdup?” the editorial said. “Is the college unable to provide the resources necessary for an effective recruiting program? Unable, no. Unwilling, yes.”
It added: “We think that a lack of commitment is the problem. The college, it seems, is only committed to staying out of the courtroom. We wish we attended a college committed to its social responsibilities.”
A version of this article appears in print on February 12, 2015, on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: F.B.I. Director to Give Speech Addressing Relations Between Police and Blacks. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
