(11/10/06) LONG BEACH - The Long Beach Police Department made a couple of historic hires with the addition of two black police officers this week.

While 6 percent of residents in Long Beach are black, the police department had no officers of the same race. As former members of the NYPD, the two new cops are the first African-Americans hired in Long Beach since 1968. The Long Beach police commissioner says this is an important step in furthering trust between the community and its protectors. He says when the police department mirrors the diversity of the town, both are more likely to work together.

About two years ago the Long Beach Police Department hired the first Asian and first female Hispanic officers to its 75-member force.