MOSCOW (Sputnik) – "I think it goes without saying that a police force should reflect the public composition in a state that honors the rule of law," the Swedish Police Union’s Christer Palmkvist told Sveriges Radio (SR).
With an estimated 16 percent of the population from a non-Swedish background, the police applications in the country have seen a twofold drop, according to police academy recruitment and admissions statistics.
The union authority stopped short of calling the drop in minority applicants a trend, but a local police academy educator attests to the dwindling numbers.
"I have been here since we started in 2001 and we have had some groups where we’ve reached almost 15 percent," Betty Rohdin told SR’s Ekot program. "Nowadays there is hardly anyone [of a minority background]."
Police told the broadcaster that foreign-born law enforcement officials are needed in Sweden primarily for their communication abilities, especially in areas with a high concentration of immigrants.
