The Yonkers Police Department says it is working to add more diversity to its force.

Seven female officers were hired in 2017, according to Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner. That’s more than in the past three years combined.

"Female officers are a vital component of any law enforcement agency," he says.

Female officers make up 12 percent of Yonkers police. Studies show that hiring more female officers can potentially make communities safer because they are shown to rely less on physical force and more on communication, according to the National Center for Women and Policing.

Despite these studies, female officers have remained a minority in the force.

Yonkers police say they are in the process of selecting their next class of recruits to add to the department this year.