SAN DIEGO —
San Diego’s efforts to make its police force as ethnically diverse as the city’s overall population got a boost this spring with the most diverse police academy class ever.
Two-thirds of the 48-member class launched in April are minorities, continuing a steady shift in the city’s 1,900-member police force toward matching up better with the ethnic breakdown of San Diego residents.
New data shows the 268 officers hired since January 2020 come close to reflecting the city’s ethnic diversity, except when it comes to the Asian-Pacific Islander demographic. People from that group make up 16 percent of city residents but 11 percent of new police hires.