ROCHESTER — More than half of the most recent graduating class of 25 Rochester Police Department recruits were women and minorities, according to city officials.
"Improving the diversity of the police force helps us build trust between the department and the community, which leads to improved public safety," Mayor Lovely Warren stated in a press release.
Since the start of 2014, 76 police recruits have graduated from the RPD police academy — of which 64 percent have been women or minorities. The increased diversity in the police force reflects a collaborative recruitment effort between the RPD, the mayor’s Office of Constituent Services and the Department of Human Resource Management, according to city officials. Recruitment efforts have included collaboration with Rochester’s faith-based community and visits to job fairs and college campuses.