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Seek And Ye Shall ... A) Find, B) Discriminate...

According to this article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the ?Rochester Police Department is seeking more minorities.? (HatTip to reader Mike Bertolone)

Recruitment Officer Jesse Green said anyone can apply to take the test since city residency is not required when applying. But the department will be taking a closer look at minorities who apply. ?We want more diversity,? Green said.

More than half of the city of Rochester?s population consists of African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, according to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Yet, only 26 percent of the more than 600 sworn members of the department are African-American, Hispanic or Asian.

The Rochester Police Department says its goal is to have a police department that is reflective of the community it serves, but it does not have an exact percentage goal for how many minorities the department would like to have.

Police spokesman LaRon Singletary said it is important for the department to have individuals who can understand and address the diverse needs of the community.

I wonder if the Rochester Police Department will be called upon to explain to a judge why ?taking a closer look at minorities who apply? does not amount to discrimination against all those who are not looked at so closely.

If it is called upon to explain, as it should be, perhaps Police spokesman LaRon Singletary can make available the data revealing, say, how many Jewish and Muslim police officers serve in Rochester.

There are roughly 25,000 people living in Jewish households in the Rochester area, and many thousands of muslims, according to the Islamic Center of Rochester, maybe as many as 19,000. In a city whose population was 219,773 according to the 2000 census, or possibly 207,000, or even if only 189,312 in 2005, you?d think that a department truly interested in being ?reflective of the community? would have a good number, perhaps even a ?critical mass,? of Jewish and Muslim officers.

Does the Rochester Police Department have a properly reflective number of Jews and Muslims? Does it know how many it has? Does it believe that ?Hispanics? are fungible, so that a Mexican-American can ?reflect? a Cuban or a Puerto Rican? Does it care?

Full post as published by Discriminations on March 15, 2009 (boomark / email).