Yes, the Police Dept. packs a reputation for excellence that is the envy of other Southern California agencies.

Yes, they have neon relations with the assorted segments of a typically mixed modern community.

Yes, thanks to a near-perfect Police Dept., Culver City is as safe as the middle aisle of a Catholic church during Mass when the bishop is on the altar.

Yes, the blemish-free department is led by a popular hometown boy, Scott Bixby, who has made the personnel and services as accessible as an all-night supermarket.

However, a far more crucial question, by the lights of City Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells, is:

What color is the skin of these faultless officers who have accomplished such complex feats?

This was the darkest moment of the first day of City Council budget hearings, traditionally the driest, utterly most boring exercise of any year.

Not, however, when Ms. Sahli-Wells, self-ordained ethnicity overseer of all city departments, for the Council, is posing questions.

With the handsomely arrayed command staff and other uniformed officers dressing up the otherwise mostly empty Council Chambers, the silent groan from the “insulted” cops was evident but classily inaudible.

Chief Bixby was the first city player to come to bat during the two-day budget hearings. After a brief opening question from Councilman Goran Eriksson, Ms. Sahli-Wells took over the interrogation that cruised at ho-hum speed until the topic of new people arose.

Perhaps Chief Bixby should have worn armor to the interrogation stand.

He was proposing minimally enlarging the department. Ms. Sahli-Wells wanted to know whether this was to satisfy an immediate or anticipated need. The chief said he was trying to get ahead of the curve.

Which reminded Ms. Sahli-Wells:

“I appreciate that you have been introducing the new recruits (at City Council meetings),” she told Chief Bixby.

“I noticed that not only are they incredibly young, but they are all white,” she added with an air of undisguised disgust.

“I know our Police Dept. has done a great job in terms of diversity.

“I was a little concerned as I see new recruits come on that I did not notice a lot of diversity.”

Finally, in addressing the chief of one of America’s most ethnically mixed police departments, Ms. Sahli-Wells challenged:

“And so as you move forward with your recruitment, what are you doing, what is your department doing, to prioritize a department that reflects the community it serves?”

Chief Bixby, who had to have been taken aback though not surprised, responded immediately.

“We do everything we can to hire from every place we possibly can,” he said.

“Our goal is to hire the very best and the brightest. I think we do that. As you stated, our department is diverse to the point where our department is reflective of the community.”

Chief Bixby closed off the discussion with this line:

“I can’t necessarily control who the best and the brightest are.”

Instead of reacting to the chief’s observations, Ms. Sahli-Wells changed the subject slightly.

“I am so thankful you have embraced (President Obama’s two-year-old) My Brother’s Keeper initiative,” she said of the plan to help minorities broaden their educations and opportunities.

Then the hammer came down again.

“I want to make sure (your commitment to My Brother’s Keeper) continues,” Ms. Sahli-Wells told Chief Bixby.

She provided a roadmap that he is to follow.

“I want to make sure that when you are working with H.R., you make sure recruitment is wide enough to keep (diversity hiring) in the front of our minds.”