---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Law enforcement agents need to be vetted…"
description: "\"Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly and psychologically and emotionally to see who they are, if they're really built for fairness ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg"
---

#  Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly…

![“Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly and psychologically and emotionally to see who they are, if they're really built for fairness in all communities.” quote by Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg)

> “Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly and psychologically and emotionally to see who they are, if they're really built for fairness in all communities.”

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Law enforcement should undergo thorough psychological screening to ensure fairness across communities.

**In simple terms:** Police need deep psychological vetting for fairness.

Key Takeaway

Implement rigorous mental health assessments.

Themes

law enforcement fairness psychology community screening

Mood

concerned determined

Type

policy reform

When to use this quote

- recruitment
- training
- community policing

Key Concepts

public policy ethics social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance thorough vetting with staffing needs?
- What standards should define fairness?

A Different Perspective

Screenings may not predict behavior in all contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fairness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairness/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law enforcement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-enforcement/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/)

## Related quotes

> [I've played lots of law enforcement agents, and I do have friends that are in the bureau, in the DEA, and who are detectives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-yoba/i-ve-played-lots-of-law-enforcement-agents-and-i-do-have-friends-that/)

[Malik Yoba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-yoba/)

> [Agents need to be free to pursue investigations in ways that they haven't. There have been restraints that a reformed FBI needs to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/agents-need-to-be-free-to-pursue-investigations-in-ways-that-they/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [“It's the shock of the thing, is what I'm saying, and my new and somewhat untested theory is that when something is shocking it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystelle-bamford/it-s-the-shock-of-the-thing-is-what-i-m-saying-and-my-new-and/)

Krystelle Bamford

> [When they are saying life is not fair they don't know that life doesn't have relation fairness at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-they-are-saying-life-is-not-fair-they-don-t-know-that-life-doesn/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom and triviality; they cripple man, and all factors that make man into a psychic cripple turn him also into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/exploitation-and-manipulation-produce-boredom-and-triviality-they/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [“Sometimes I feel that the only concept of fairness in our society is creams like fair & lovely or fair & handsome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroninio-almeida/sometimes-i-feel-that-the-only-concept-of-fairness-in-our-society-is/)

[Jeroninio Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeroninio-almeida/)

> [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/)

[Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/)

> [I keep telling myself to calm down, to take less of an interest in things and not to get so excited, but I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-adie/i-keep-telling-myself-to-calm-down-to-take-less-of-an-interest-in/)

[Kate Adie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-adie/)

> [Thou shouldst not decide until thou hast heard what both have to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/thou-shouldst-not-decide-until-thou-hast-heard-what-both-have-to-say/)

[Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/)

> [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/)

[Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/)

> [Obama's perverse view of fairness threatens to create reverse incentives, militating against growth, jobs, expansion and upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/obama-s-perverse-view-of-fairness-threatens-to-create-reverse/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

## More by Lynn Whitfield

> [When I saw 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' and Audrey Hepburn was standing in front of Tiffany's in this Givenchy dress, or when I saw 'All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/when-i-saw-breakfast-at-tiffany-s-and-audrey-hepburn-was-standing-in/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [When men age, their love interests get younger. It doesn't stop them from doing different genres of stuff. As women age in film, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/when-men-age-their-love-interests-get-younger-it-doesn-t-stop-them/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [At consignment shops, I can collect things reasonably, and it's joyful. My dining room table was $75, and I'm so proud. It's beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/at-consignment-shops-i-can-collect-things-reasonably-and-it-s-joyful/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [A spiritual relationship to me is much more about making your own connection to the divinity that you believe in and much less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/a-spiritual-relationship-to-me-is-much-more-about-making-your-own/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I think Marvin Gaye is one of the greatest American music icons. His 'What's Going On' is as fresh today as when he did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-think-marvin-gaye-is-one-of-the-greatest-american-music-icons-his/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I have always been part of a family with a great appreciation for the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-have-always-been-part-of-a-family-with-a-great-appreciation-for-the/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [Josephine Baker is such an iconic woman that once you've touched her and she has touched you, it never goes away. I'm stuck with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/josephine-baker-is-such-an-iconic-woman-that-once-you-ve-touched-her/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I wanted to do what I was seeing Dorothy Dandridge doing, what I saw Marilyn Monroe do, what I saw Bette Davis do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-wanted-to-do-what-i-was-seeing-dorothy-dandridge-doing-what-i-saw/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [Many of the people I know and that you know are very complex human beings, and it's not all about race. Everything isn't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/many-of-the-people-i-know-and-that-you-know-are-very-complex-human/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [Funny enough though, despite what Donald Trump has to say and the way African-American people are portrayed so often in media, African-American people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/funny-enough-though-despite-what-donald-trump-has-to-say-and-the-way/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I started at Howard in the drama department. At the same time, I was a fledgling member of the Black Repertory Company in Washington,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-started-at-howard-in-the-drama-department-at-the-same-time-i-was-a/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I think that huge Christian institutions deal a lot with corruption. You see it happen with so many institutions. We've seen the questions with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-think-that-huge-christian-institutions-deal-a-lot-with-corruption/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [I am very loyal to the women I am fully licensed to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/i-am-very-loyal-to-the-women-i-am-fully-licensed-to/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [The life of an artist is always reproving what you can do, and I feel like there is still so much more to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/the-life-of-an-artist-is-always-reproving-what-you-can-do-and-i-feel/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

> [The metamorphosis of people is so interesting. I guess that's why everybody loves before and afters, throwback Thursdays, and all that kind of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/the-metamorphosis-of-people-is-so-interesting-i-guess-that-s-why/)

[Lynn Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

[Explore all 25 Lynn Whitfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/)

## More Fairness quotes

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Obama's perverse view of fairness threatens to create reverse incentives, militating against growth, jobs, expansion and upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/obama-s-perverse-view-of-fairness-threatens-to-create-reverse/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/)

[Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/)

> [Thou shouldst not decide until thou hast heard what both have to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/thou-shouldst-not-decide-until-thou-hast-heard-what-both-have-to-say/)

[Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/)

> [I keep telling myself to calm down, to take less of an interest in things and not to get so excited, but I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-adie/i-keep-telling-myself-to-calm-down-to-take-less-of-an-interest-in/)

[Kate Adie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-adie/)

> [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/)

[Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/)

> [“Sometimes I feel that the only concept of fairness in our society is creams like fair & lovely or fair & handsome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroninio-almeida/sometimes-i-feel-that-the-only-concept-of-fairness-in-our-society-is/)

[Jeroninio Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeroninio-almeida/)

> [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom and triviality; they cripple man, and all factors that make man into a psychic cripple turn him also into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/exploitation-and-manipulation-produce-boredom-and-triviality-they/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [When they are saying life is not fair they don't know that life doesn't have relation fairness at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-they-are-saying-life-is-not-fair-they-don-t-know-that-life-doesn/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It's the shock of the thing, is what I'm saying, and my new and somewhat untested theory is that when something is shocking it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystelle-bamford/it-s-the-shock-of-the-thing-is-what-i-m-saying-and-my-new-and/)

Krystelle Bamford

> [“Had I done the right thing by not telling her? Maybe not. Who on earth wanted the right thing anyway? Yet what meaning could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/had-i-done-the-right-thing-by-not-telling-her-maybe-not-who-on-earth/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Capitalism is against the things that we say we believe in - democracy, freedom of choice, fairness. It's not about any of those things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/capitalism-is-against-the-things-that-we-say-we-believe-in-democracy/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

[Browse all 746 Fairness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly and psychologically and emotionally to see who they are, if they're really built for fairness in all communities.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lynn Whitfield"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted-more-thoroughly-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fairness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted-more-thoroughly-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/lynn-whitfield-23769_fairness_law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted_1445276.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Law enforcement agents need to be vetted more thoroughly and psychologically and emotionally to see who they…” — Lynn Whitfield",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lynn Whitfield",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-whitfield/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Law enforcement agents need to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted-more-thoroughly-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-whitfield/law-enforcement-agents-need-to-be-vetted-more-thoroughly-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```