FBI Director Discusses Racial Tensions, Law Enforcement in Recent Speech

The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently spoke out on racial tensions within the police force in the U.S., saying that his organization is at a "crossroads."

James B. Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said during a recent speech at Georgetown University that he believes the U.S. police force is at a "crossroads" in regard to racial tensions between themselves and the community they serve.

"There is a disconnect between police and the communities they serve,'' Comey said during his speech.

Comey went on to quote a song from the musical Avenue Q, telling those in attendance: "Look around, and you will find no one's really colorblind."

"Maybe it's a fact we all should face: Everyone makes judgments based on race," Comey added.

There have been numerous protests following the deaths of multiple unarmed black men in the U.S. this year at the hands of local law enforcement, including Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Gardner of New York.

"I worry that this incredibly important and difficult conversation about race and policing has become focused entirely on the nature and character of law enforcement officers when it should also be about something much harder to discuss," Comey continued. "Debating the nature of policing is very important but I worry that it has become an excuse at times to avoid doing something harder."

Along with referencing the deaths of Gardner and Brown, Comey also referenced slain NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were killed in a violent attack in New York City. The gunman claimed he shot the police officers in retribution for the death of Gardner and Brown.