Scotland’s
second largest police force has launched the service’s first major campaign to
recruit gays and lesbians.
Lothian
and Borders Police Force wants to increase the numbers of all groups currently
under represented within the force, and will also include women and ethnic
minorities.
The
force, which currently has 2,602 officers including 440 women and 17 from
ethnic minorities, states that it polices a culturally diverse society and
needs its officers to reflect that.
Peter
Thickett, the force’s director of human resources, explained that Lothian and
Borders Police Force prides itself on being one of the most progressive in
Scotland for recruiting officers from under-represented groups.
He
said, “To do this successfully we need to reflect the way our society is made
up.
“We’re
interested in encouraging applications from people who are diverse by virtue of
sex, ethnic minority and age.”
The
force is advertising in the gay magazine, the Pink Paper, and in Scotland’s
Oracle, an ethnic publication.
