Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies while special favours are being granted to minorities. Police leaders need to provide assurances that this is not happening. In fact, those who are likely to be most concerned that standards should not be lowered are the police officers from a minority background themselves: they will not want to be regarded as 'second-class police officers'. 7. Measures will also need to be introduced to ensure that police officers from a minority background are accepted and treated equally inside the police organization, which should provide a neutral working environment, and have equal opportunities for progression in their careers. When promoting ethnic representativeness in the police, it is not sufficient to focus on recruitment alone. Experience shows that unless minorities feel they are treated equally and with respect inside the organization, and have the same opportunities to progress in their careers, they are likely to leave their employment in the police. This tendency may occur especially in the early stages of minority recruitment, when numbers are still small and minority officers may feel personally isolated from other members of their communities. Women police from ethnic backgrounds may also face similar pressures, given that they are a 'double minority' in terms of both their gender and ethnicity. For these reasons it is important to ensure that there is a neutral working environment, i.e. one in which police from minority backgrounds are fully accepted as equals and individuals, and are not subject to any disadvantage or negative stereotyping on account of their ethnic identity. However, this should also be an environment that is sensitive to diversity in the needs, customs and religions of different groups (e.g. with regard to matters of dress, diet, and religious observances such as prayer and holy days). Positive measures should also be considered to support and encourage police officers from minority backgrounds to progress in their careers: these could include specific career development training programmes or provision of 'mentoring' schemes for those with potential for advancement. At the same time, it is important that effective internal complaints mechanisms are in place, so that police officers who experience discrimination do not have to endure such behaviour in silence. Managers need to encourage minorities to make complaints when they experience discrimination or other forms of ethnically-motivated behaviour, so that they are aware of such problems and can deal with them directly. 17