Introduction
Workplace diversity has become an essential characteristic of contemporary companies and organizations. It is crucial to view the process not as a tendency brought by political correctness but as a necessary mechanism to bring more perspective into work and thus enhance its results overall. One of the spheres that, for a long time, has been stereotyped as masculine and predominantly white is law enforcement. Police diversification is a topic that evokes an array of diverse opinions. Nevertheless, its necessity and the benefits that the process brings have already been proved, so the main issue is the investigation of the way to diversify police personnel.
Main body
Maple Heights in Ohio is a town that exemplifies the imbalance between residents and police officers. The demographic picture there has changed drastically over the past couple of decades: Maple Heights went from being predominantly white to being two-thirds black in a relatively short amount of time (Ashkenas and Haeyoun). These changes were faster than the ability of its police departments to adapt its hiring processes. Despite its ethnic diversity, the town’s police force majorly consists of white police officers, and the situation has not progressed significantly since 1977 (Ashkenas and Haeyoun). In this way, Maple Heights is an ideal example of a city in need of police diversification. To dissolve the problem to a certain degree, recruiters may aim, for instance, at schools in Maple Heights, as it could be easier to connect with young people and influence their career choices.
The specificities of law enforcement career paths may lead to a limited number of willing candidates in the hiring pool. This decreasing interest possibly complicates the process of selection, especially when one of the goals is to diversify police units (Gibbs, p. 211). Taking into consideration this difficulty, an adequate number of police officers to observe the exam and ensure the adequacy of its outcomes should be provided. The number of officers should correlate with the number of potential personnel, so every person can be attended if needed. Hence, this number would vary depending on the expected total of recruitees. Still, the core of the recruitment unit should contain at least five officers with different degrees of experience. Where feasible, the unit should also include women and minorities to encourage the candidates.
Choosing the right time is another vital element to achieve a successful hiring session that aims at diversification. In this case, the needs of potential candidates should be considered as many of them may already be working or occupied on certain days. Thus, one of the sessions should possibly be completed during weekends while another two during the workweek. The time of the sessions should also be varied as one of the sessions could take place earlier in the day and another one closer to the evening.
Investigating motivation for minorities and women to become police officers is a further step to gain valuable insight into enhancing diversification. A study conducted by Raganella and White determined that women entering the police force state that their primary motivation is the desire to help others (Gibbs, p. 210). Thus, emphasizing this perceived altruistic aspect of the job in the hiring campaign could potentially motivate more women into pursuing law enforcement careers. Gibbs also recommends advertising police officer career as a childhood dream, since, for many respondents, including women and people of color, which was the case (Gibbs, p. 217). The need to provide for themselves and their families was another critical component selected by women and people of color, making financial recompensation the main factor for enhancing diversification on a larger scale (Gibbs, p. 211). Moreover, removing impediments in the selection process overall seemingly is the cornerstone in strengthening the young men’s and women’s desire in the try-state area to become police officers. In this way, creating hiring strategies aimed separately at women and non-white people is an additional measure that could enhance diversification.
The content of speech during recruitment sections has the potential to encourage further or dishearten potential candidates altogether, and that is why it is a strategic asset in the practice of diversification. The presence of women officers and officers of color may act as a complementary stimulus, as they have an approach and words that could be more relatable for future personnel and serve as a living example. Furthermore, bringing introductory materials and presentations is an elementary but vital step. In this regard, Gibbs states that “police agencies also may want to emphasize that policing allows helping people and making a difference in society” (p. 217). In such a way, centering recruitment sessions around the altruistic philosophy of policing may help attract minorities and women.
Conclusion
With the change in policing towards greater community orientation, the necessity for the police force to be representative of the people they are supposed to protect has become especially poignant. The involvement of women and minorities in the first stages of recruitment, such as passing the exam, should be prioritized by hiring units. Developing and implementing effective hiring strategies that could enhance workforce diversification ultimately becomes a prime concern.
Works Cited
- Ashkenas, Jeremy, and Haeyoun Park. “The Race Gap in America’s Police Departments.” The New York Times, 2015.
- Gibbs, Jennifer C. “Diversifying the Police Applicant Pool: Motivations of Women and Minority Candidates Seeking Police Employment.” Criminal Justice Studies, vol. 32, no. 3, 2019, pp. 207–221.