City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday, July 30, 2012) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards, City Council President Lovely A. Warren and Police Chief James M. Sheppard announced today that a new Rochester Police Department (RPD) recruit class is the most diverse in recent memory, with 16 of 28 recruits – or 57 percent – representing minority populations. Minority representation in Police Academy classes has historically been well below 25 percent.
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“One of Rochester’s greatest strengths is the incredible diversity of its population, which brings together a wide range of experiences that enriches the lives of all our residents and visitors,” said Mayor Richards. “It is critical that our Police Department reflect that diversity and this Academy class demonstrates a significant advancement toward that goal. I want to commend and thank everyone who participated in the recruitment effort that resulted in this remarkable achievement.”
The success we've had with minority recruitment for this latest class shows that determination and focus go a long way toward meeting our long-term goal of having a police force that better reflects the population it’s sworn to protect,” said Council President Warren. “Of course, this process will take time as retirees are replaced with new hires, but we've proven that we can significantly increase minority recruitment.
“The Rochester Police Department’s Background and Recruitment Unit has worked hard on finding the best of the best applicants to serve as members of the Rochester Police Department,” said Chief Sheppard. “We are excited that this academy class will have 28 recruits, in which 16 are minorities. The Rochester Police Department takes great pride in providing a police force that reflects the moral values and cultural backgrounds of the residents of our community.”
Chief Sheppard administered the oath of office for the new recruits Monday in advance of an academy class set to begin Aug. 1.
The improved diversity numbers reflects an extensive recruitment effort in the local and national minority communities that was conducted by the RPD, the City Council, the Bureau of Human Resource Management (BHRM) and the Bureau of Communications.
Recruitment efforts included:
A centralized recruitment campaign coordinated by BHRM;
An expansion of the RPD recruitment team;
Collaboration with City Council and Rochester’s faith-based community, in which Council members worked directly with 10 African American and Hispanic churches to directly identify potential recruits among the congregations;
An aggressive advertising campaign that included media purchases in national minority publications and the New York Post, as well as local media;
Several visits to job fairs and college campuses, including five Upstate community colleges.
The RPD Academy that will start Aug. 1 will include:
Mayor Richards, Council President Warren and Chief Sheppard would also like to thank the members of the following churches for their assistance in the recruitment effort:
Aenon Missionary Baptist Church;
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church;
Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church;
Bethesda Church of God in Christ;
Church of Love and Faith Center;
Elim Christian Fellowship;
Light of the World Assembly of God;
Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church;
Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church;
New Progressive Church of God in Christ.
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News Media: For more information, contact RPD Sgt. Justin Collins at 428-7634.