N.J. Struggles for Diversity in Police Force

New Jersey police departments, long accused of hiring discrimination in lawsuits, are still struggling to recruit minority officers as the state’s general population rapidly diversifies.

A Wall Street Journal analysis of a dozen New Jersey police departments found that many, including in some of the state’s most racially diverse cities, are disproportionately staffed by white officers. The disparity is particularly pronounced among departments’ supervisory ranks, according to data from March provided by the departments.

In the northern city of Elizabeth, where 18% of the population is white, 59% of the force’s rank-and-file officers and 79% of supervisory officers