The Yonkers Police Department welcomed a diverse set of new recruits Friday.

More than one-third of the 21 men and women sworn at a ceremony at the Riverfront Library are minorities. They are joining a force that in recent times has been rocked with allegations of police brutality against minority citizens in the city and is currently under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.

Police Commissioner Edmund Hartnett says his department is committed to increasing the number of minority officers and he sees this class as an example. However, Hartnett says more must be done to attract minorities to the job.

?One of the main components is going to be outreach to the community, where I've already mentioned it to the clergy, community leaders and activists that we need their help,? said Harnett.

?There are a lot of different cultures [in Yonkers] and I think it will really benefit the police department,? said new recruit Robert Macias about the effort to hire minorities.

Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone, who swore in the new class, said the effort to recruit minority members is a priority. Whether or not the minority hirings will impact the federal investigation into alleged brutality remains to be seen.