Columbus' Minority Recruiting Effort Still Falling Short

Columbus has seen little improvement in its recruitment of minority and female firefighters and police officers. The city has spent 150 thousand dollars in the last few years on minority recruiting. But there were only three blacks and one woman in a class of 41 recruits who graduated from the fire academy on Friday. 33 of Columbus' more than 15 hundred firefighters are women. There were three blacks, one Asian and one Hispanic in a recent police recruit graduating class.  Minorities comprise more than 40 percent of Columbus' population. Columbus has hired an attorney to help diversify the workforce.