February 2006 Police therefore need not only to actively promote their public image as an ethnically representative body, but also to publicise the steps they are taking to make this a reality (e.g. by methods set out under Recommendation 12). They should take care that these efforts encompass smaller and marginalised minorities as well as larger and more integrated groups. They also need to ensure that in all police activity, minorities are treated fairly and with respect, so that minorities perceive the police organization as a desirable place of employment. It is important that the multi-ethnic character of the police is both present and visible in all regions. This is as important in mono-ethnic as well as multi-ethnic localities, and especially so in regions where minorities are the main residential group. It is also important that minorities are present in senior positions within the hierarchy, and not only in the lowest ranks. This not only shows that opportunities to achieve senior rank are open to all groups, but brings a minority perspective directly into policy-making at senior executive levels, and indicates that in their policy management the police are a genuinely multi-ethnic organization. Where police organizations are not in the short term able to recruit minority persons directly to senior posts, then the appointment of suitably experienced persons from minorities as specialist advisers is an alternative method of bringing minority perspectives into the management of policing. 5. Statistical targets should be set for increasing the representativeness of the police, and monitoring of the ethnic composition of the police should be introduced in order to measure progress. A strategic approach should be adopted for ensuring that the ethnic composition of the police will become representative of the population. The desired ethnic composition should be identified as the goal to be achieved, and interim targets should be set that are realistic to achieve within a set time-frame. 'Targets' should be clearly distinguished from 'quotas'. Targets are aims or goals for the increased representation of particular groups which can be achieved in various ways. Examples of methods which ensure equal opportunities for individuals at the point of selection are described under Recommendation 6. The use of targets to ensure that staff are representative of the population constitutes good practice. Quotas are allocations of places for members of particular groups to be filled during a selection process. The use of quotas as a means of achieving targets for recruitment 14