When newly minted Glendale police officers Olga Varouzian, Anna Khlgatian, Patrick Takla and Daniel Lee received their badges last week, they became the latest examples of the department’s efforts to better reflect the city’s ethnically diverse population, Glendale News-Press reported.

Of the 17 recruits who were sworn in last year, 10 were listed as being of an ethnic background other than white. The most recent hires include six Armenian officers, one Latino and one Korean - representing the three largest ethnic minority groups in Glendale.

The need for officers with ethnic backgrounds that reflect the local population has become even more vital as the Police Department works from an area command and community policing model, Police Chief Ron De Pompa said.

“To be truly effective, you need to represent the community,” he said. “You need to have the language skills and the cultural awareness to effectively connect with those communities and neighborhoods.”

Officers of diverse ethnic backgrounds made up half of the Police Department’s 244-person force last year.