NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police will soon have more officers on the force. This comes after months of recruitment to make sure the department is diverse.
Department heads want to make sure they get the best candidates, but they also want to make sure the force reflects the demographics of the Nashville population.
As the minority communities in the city continue to grow, there becomes a growing need to have more officers who look like the community they serve. This remains an issue with hundreds of police departments across the country.
As of December of last year, white officers made up 75 percent of MNPD's police force that's according to the city's website. Followed black officers at 16%, Hispanic with under 3% and Asian with just barely over 1%.
On Friday, the first round of testing for new recruits begins.There is a physical test which includes doing 15 sit-ups in 1 minute, 21 untimed push-ups, and running a mile and a half in 17 minutes. Then the written test requires basic knowledge, interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and practical intelligence.
