February 2006 Underrepresentation of minorities in the police occurs for a variety of reasons. These include ignorance of opportunities, lack of educational qualifications, past experience of abuse by police in such communities, and direct or indirect discrimination in recruitment processes. If recruitment of minorities is to be increased, the precise reasons for underrepresentation in any particular State need first to be analysed, and then addressed by means of special measures. The special measures that are likely to be appropriate are the following: a) Initiatives to increase information in minority communities about employment opportunities in the police, to create a positive image of the police, and to positively encourage interested persons to apply. Such initiatives could include distribution of leaflets, use of radio and television (including advertisements), visits by police to schools and community centres (including cultural and religious centres), opportunities for young people to visit police stations or training schools, and joint initiatives with community leaders and ethnic associations/NGOs. Targeted recruitment campaigns, using many or all of these methods, could be aimed at particular underrepresented groups. b) Measures to address the lack of sufficient educational qualifications in potential applicants who are otherwise suitable and well motivated. These might be intensive short courses designed to bring provisionally selected candidates up to the required entry level. c) Action to identify and address any possible causes of discrimination against minority applicants in the recruitment and selection process. These could include providing training in fair recruitment and selection for those responsible for these tasks; reviewing procedures (e.g. reliance on personal interviews) for possible bias or unnecessary disadvantage to minority candidates; and reviewing criteria for selection to ensure they are fully justifiable and do not set unnecessary hurdles that indirectly disadvantage minorities. When introducing such initiatives, it is essential that standards are not lowered for minority applicants at the point of entry into the police. Persons belonging to ethnic majorities (and the media) are sometimes quick to suspect and allege that standards are being lowered, and that they themselves are now being discriminated against 16