SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The growth of diversity on the Sioux Falls Police Department is slowly inching up.

The city reported this week that 89% of its 288 officers identify as Caucasian. That leaves 11% who self-identify by a specific race or two or more races.

A March 2022 story by KELOLAND News said 12% of the newly hired officers in 2021 self-reported as non-white. And as of March 22, 2022, department wide, 10% identified as non-white.

Officials said this week that women make up 15% of the police force. That is 41 officers compared to 241 male officers. That’s an increase from March of 2022 when women made up 12.5% of the police officers.

The police department has said for several years it was working to increase the diversity in the department.

In June of 2020, then police chief Matt Burns said the department had hired 81 officers since Jan. 1, 2017. Of those 81 officers, 17 self-identified as a minority. As of June 23, 2020, 56 of those 81 officers still worked for Sioux Falls. Nine of them identified as minority.

The city hired 35 officers in 2022 and 28.6% or 10, self-identified as non white or two or more races, according to the city.