ABSTRACT
The University of Michigan, the California Community Colleges, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are nominally very different types of public sector organizations. Yet in many respects, their experiences with workforce diversity programs appear to have been similar to that of many private and other public sector organizations engaged in diversity initiatives. Legal disputes and public relations problems constituted a major factor behind Los Angeles Sheriffs Department (LASD) diversity initiatives. A well-planned cultural diversity program in the department would have considerable value in defusing public relations embarrassments, such as the 1991 press expose of an informal fraternity of mostly white sheriff's deputies known as the Vikings. With regard to diversity, "language barriers and insensitivity," the commissions researchers recommended increasing diversity in hiring better to reflect the changing demographics of Los Angeles County. Mobility up and throughout the LASD was considered an attractive organizational feature, but constant instructor and supervisor turnover hurt quality and consistency in cultural awareness training.
