John Pham is a member of the Chicago Police Department, where he serves as a tactical officer in a role he describes as his calling, and he seeks to encourage Asian Americans to follow his example.
“I’ve always wanted to help people and the Asian American community and that’s why I’m involved with the Asian American Law Enforcement Association,” he said.
He has served as vice president of the association for seven years, working to recruit, develop and advance the careers of Asian Americans in law enforcement.
“I think it’s crucial to have more Asian officers in the community because there’s a trust factor in a cultural aspect and we’re trying to bridge that gap,” he said.
Pham admits the process hasn’t been easy, but said during the height of COVID, he noticed a sudden change.
“A lot of the Asian hate crimes that have happened during the pandemic — I think that’s kind of led to more impact and more involvement from current officers and recruiting officers in general,” he said.
The Chicago chapter of the Asian American Law Enforcement Association is the second largest in the country.
The association has seen its membership increase from 250 to 600 members since 2019. But the president of the association said one of the challenges they face after recruitment is career advancement within of the department.
“We’re certainly making progress, but it’s not where we’d like to see it,” said Henry Lai, president of AALEA. “Most of our members feel that when it comes to career advancement, we are always left behind. »
The Chicago Police Department did not respond to NBC Chicago’s request for an on-camera interview.
According to data from the Chicago Inspector General, as of April 2024, there were 11,679 sworn members of the CPD. 404 of them identified as Asian, which represents only 3.46% of the workforce, a small increase from last year.
“Most Asian families don’t like their children joining the armed forces, but I see that trend is changing right now,” Lai said.
Even though it’s not yet where they want it to be, they know it’s a step in the right direction to break the cultural barrier in a time where they believe more representation is needed.
“Particularly right now, I believe the Asian community is growing right now in Illinois, so definitely more Asian officers will help,” Lai said.
NBC Chicago
