NEWARK -- Employment opportunities have certainly grown for minorities since 1968, the year civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated.
The look of the Newark police and fire departments, however, has changed little in 36 years. Newark Police Det. Cliff Biggers, an African-American, is the only minority of the 190 employees in the city's safety forces.
Herb Koehler, who has been secretary of the city's Civil Service Commission since 1968, is amazed at the lack of diversity the city has been able to hire.
"It's a real puzzle to me," Koehler said. "Over all the years, nothing has really changed. We endeavor to get the word out to minority groups.
"When we give an exam in an ordinary group of 50 to 100 applicants, we might have two or three (minority candidates). We don't have a lot of success in attracting candidates."
The minority population is about 6 percent of Newark's total, but the city employs only 10 minorities in its 478-member work force, or 2.1 percent.
The county, which has a minority population of almost 5 percent, is a little closer to reflecting the population, with about 3 percent of the work force minorities. If including just the dozen departments under the jurisdiction of the Licking County Commissioners, there are 14 minorities of 326 employees, or 4.3 percent.
County Commissioner Albert Ashbrook said, "We don't recruit for any group. I look for somebody who can do the job, Democrat or Republican, man or woman, black or white. It doesn't matter. We advertise in the field from which they come."
The county almost doubled its minority population from 1990 to 2000, going from 3,625 to 7,146.
Newark Police Chief H. Darrel Pennington said the department has attended work fairs in Columbus to try to recruit minority candidates to take the civil service test, but still gets few minority candidates.
"It's a problem not just in Newark, but elsewhere," Pennington said. "You need to have female and minority representation of people that make up your community. That's standard."
Despite the lack of African-Americans in the police department, the chief said the department maintains a good relationship with the African-American community.
"I'm not aware of any area of town or group of people that we don't have a good working relationship with," Pennington said. "I think we're very fortunate in Newark to have the relationships we do."
Fire Chief Jack Stickradt said he can't remember any African-Americans working in the department during his 25 years, but remembers an American Indian about 15 years ago. He encouraged members of any minority group to apply for the civil service test to be given in the spring.
"We realize a certain percentage of the population in Newark is minority, and the fire department is a reflection of the community, and we encourage diversity," Stickradt said. "It helps the fire department to relate to the community and the community relate to the fire department."
Newark Mayor Bruce Bain said one key to improving the percentages is making qualified minority candidates aware when opportunities become available.
"I don't hire minorities for minorities sake," Bain said. "I hire the best people, but there are many qualified minority people that just don't think of city government as a place for a job."
"We need to make available opportunities for minorities. The more you hire, the more will come."
One of the 10 minorities working for the city is Human Resource Director Bill Spain, whom Bain hired when he took office this year.
Spain said he will work with members of local minority groups and individuals who might be looking for jobs, as well as colleges and universities with large minority populations, the Urban League and the NAACP.
"I'm certainly committed to making every effort we can," Spain said. "Our job is to try and attract people and show them there's equal and ample opportunity."
Sometimes, all it takes is a little encouragement to motivate someone to pursue a job with the city. That's what happened to First Ward City Councilman Jeff Harris, who was appointed to his position.
"I ran into (Councilman Bob) Diebold when I was president of the Lincoln (Middle School) boosters and he saw my willingness to work and that I had people skills and he recommended me to the Republican Party and they accepted," Harris said.
Sometimes, Harris said, minorities believe there is no hope in pursuing positions which have no minorities.
"The city also has to open the window of opportunity and let them know they want minorities and that they're willing to offer a job if qualified," Harris said. "We have to get involved, too. We just can't sit back and wait. We have to do a better job communicating."
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