From around the world,serving New York

The Dominican Republic leads the way,with 263 officers born there. The list also includes nations that would have been well represented two generations ago: Italy,Ireland and Germany,for example. But those three countries account for a total of only eight officers,far surpassed by those born in Haiti,78; Jamaica,59; Pakistan,29; and Russia,18.

The department has made a concerted effort to become more diverse: recruitment advertisements are now routinely placed in foreign-language newspapers,and new recruits are categorised by their potential to be trained for certain assignmentslike counterterrorism or community affairsbased on their language,culture or place of birth,something Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly refers to as selective certification.

Those who claim proficiency in a language other than English are subjected to a Berlitz test to assess expertise in writing,speaking and reading. Language skills in demand include Arabic and its dialects,Russian,Hindi and Mandarin.

Now there are officers who can translate for those who do not speak Englishhelping eliminate a language barrier for people in need of police assistance,and assisting suspects who may have trouble understanding their rights or the reason for their arrest.

If we are able to speak their language,if we are able to understand cultural differences,it makes it easier to do this complex and demanding job, Kelly said. It just,in my judgment,makes common sense.

It has all worked to shatter past notions of a police force made up mostly of white men of European descent who followed their fathers and grandfathers onto the job.

That,Kelly said,has changed dramatically,and it has changed for the better. As the city has become more diverse,the department has become,I believe,the most diverse police department in the world and were proud of it,and we want to continue to maintain our diversity. Its good for policing; it makes us a more effective organization.

The departments newest class of rookies underscores the trend.

Of the 250 new officers who graduated last Monday,65 of them were foreign-born,hailing from 23 countries,the police said. Those officers spoke a total of 28 different languages,including Bengali,Punjabi,Yoruba and Creole.

Thomas A. Reppetto,a police historian and author,said the diversification of the department was consistent with the age-old trend of new immigrants supplanting the old. That is the story of New York, he said. It has always been an immigrant city,and eventually the new immigrants are reflected in the municipal work force. NYT

Officer Henry Ko,Nigeria

For Henry Ko,the path to becoming a New York City police officer was certainly more winding than most.

He was born in Lagos,Nigeria,in 1975,to parents of Chinese descent. His family immigrated to Queens when he was 3,so he recalls little about Nigeriajust a lot of lizards and dirt, he said.

He attended school in the US and went on to serve as a United States Marine,doing tours in Japan and Iraq. But of all his varied credentials,it is Officer Kos Asian roots that position him firmly in one of the fastest-growing groups of new officers in the city.

According to department records,there are 1,241 Asian police officers today,compared with 299 in 2006,when the overall force was far larger.

Officer Ko said he could not speak for others in describing why the job has become increasingly attractive to Asians. But he said he suspected that the huge growth in the number of Asian officers was partly attributable to the Americanisation of first-generation Asian-Americans who were raised by parents who wanted promising careers for their children.

For his part,he said that wearing a badge means doing something that makes a difference and serves my community.

Officer Ko entered the Police Academy in July 2008. He now patrols the crossroads of the world,Times Square,where all the cross-cultural currents he embodies are reflected back.

A handful of times,Officer Ko,who speaks Mandarin,has translated for suspects; they have been charged and maybe it is their first time being arrested. When an individual cant communicate,theres a sense of frustration or despair, Officer Ko said. Just being able to explain to them whats going to happen gives them a sense of calm.

NYT