By: Stacy LangeOfficers Say a More Diverse Group Would Make it Easier to Serve the Public
Syracuse (NY) - The Police and the media often come hand-in-hand, but rarely in advertising. The Syracuse Police Department has delved into all forms of media, with TV commercials, billboards, radio spots, banners on Centro busses, and an improved web presence. Their goal is to attract people who may have never considered police work as a career. Their looking for the officers they say they're in desperate need of.
"The problem is that we serve a large percentage of minorities, but have a very small percentage of minority officers. Our numbers are embarrassing when it comes to the number of minorities we have employed with our agency now" says Sergeant Geno Turo in the SPD recruitment office.
The low number of minority officers has been a problem for years. Out of 505 total officers, 38 are minorities. That's only 7.5% of the total police force.
Sergeant Tavores Flounory has been one of the few African-American police officers for over 20 years. He now works in recruitment and thinks that if he actively recruits in the community other African-Americans will consider police work as well.
"I've always wanted a more diverse police force. It makes it easier for us and people are more comfortable seeing people who like them, protecting them." Sgt. Flounory said.
SPD has been actively advertising for 2 years now. They concentrate their ads to the two months before each civil service exam. This is the first step toward becoming a police officer.
It's clear that the advertising efforts have worked, Sgt. Turo says their recruitment numbers have increased 20 fold. But the racial gap still exists.
"Were fighting. But with something like this it's going to take three, four, even five years until we see any real changes."
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