Australia: Police officers have rejected a new 50-50 gender recruitment quota

Article here. Jump the paywall by Googling the first paragraph and clicking on the first result entry. Excerpt:

'POLICE officers have rejected “rigid” gender recruitment quotas amid claims they will compromise public safety by lowering standards.

The Police Association has criticised the imposition of a 50-50 recruitment policy it says dictates gender is more important than ability when selecting new officers.

Opposition to the quota — introduced on January 1 this year — comes as new figures reveal 22 per cent fewer men would be recruited as police officers because of their gender.

Police have denied excluding men or lowering standards, saying the 50-50 recruitment policy is a “win-win situation” for the community and people wishing to become officers.

It says recruiting equal numbers of men and women is part of a plan to promote a modern, professional workforce.

But Police Association president Mark Carroll told The Advertiser: “The goal is to be an employer of choice.”'