4:00. BILL: HALF A DOZEN YEARS AGO, THE POLICE CHIEF HERE IN BURLINGTON SAYS MORE THAN 90% OF THE NEW OFFICERS WERE WHITE MEN. TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST GRADUATING CLASS. WILL FERGUSON, MIGUEL GOMEZ AND GRACE GUNTER ARE THE CITIES NEWEST POLICE OFFICERS. -- CITY’S NEWEST POLICE OFFICERS. QUITE A CHANGE FROM JUST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE GRADUATING CLAS FEATURED SIX WHITE OFFICERS AND ONE BLACK OFFICER, ALL MEN. >> IN OUR DEPARTMENT, I KNOW WE HAVE THE MOST FEMALES NOW THAN WE HAVE EVER HAD. BILL THE LATEST NUMBER SHOW 17% : OF BURLINGTON’S POLICE OFFICERS ARE WOMEN. OFFICER GRACE GUNTER COMES FROM A POLICE FAMILY AND HAS A DEGREE IN LINGUISTICS. >> I THINK SO. I THINK PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SOMETIMES DON’T TO TALK TO A MALE. YOU HAVE VICTIMS THAT SOMETIMES FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING TO A FEMALE. BILL HISPANIC OFFICERS MAKE UP : 6% OF THE BURLINGTON PD, TWICE THE NUMBER FROM TWO YRS AGO. OFFICER MIGUEL GOMEZ, WHO SERVES IN THE MARINE RESERVES IS BILINGUAL AND SAYS HE THINKS ITS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO HAVE HISPNIC OFFICERS. >> A LOT OF TIMES, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IS SCARED TO REPORT CRIMES. THAT TRUST BETWEEN THEM AND THE OFFICERS CAN SOMETIMES BE STRAINED BECAUSE OF THAT LANGUAGE BARRIER. YOU HAVE A SPLIT SECOND TO MAKE A DECISION, AND YOU BETTER PRAY TO GOD IT’S THE RIGHT DECISION. BILL OFFICER WILL FERGUSON, WHO : HAS A MASTERS DEGREE IN ADULT EDUCATION, SAYS HE CHOSE BURLINGTON IN PART BECAUSE OF HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE POLIC CHIEF. >> I DON’T THINK I HAVE EVER WALKED AWAY FROM A MORE ENCOURAGING INTERVIEW. BILL HE JOINS A DEPARTMENT WHERE : 14% OF THE OFFICERS ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, A 40% INCREASE FROM TWO YEARS AGO. >> I DO THINK THERE IS A DEGREE BY WHICH WE CAN DO A BETTER J OF TRAINING AND PREPARING OFFICERS. BILL ALL 3 OFFICERS SAY THEY : WANT TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. ALL 3 SAY BELIEVE THEY HAVE -- THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER. >> DO YOU HAVE FEAR FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY? >> I DO, BUT I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT AND NOT MANY PEOPLE WANT TO DO IT NOWADAYS. I WOULD BE SELFISH IF I DIDN’T. BILL: STARTING SALARIES FOR BURLINGTON OFFICERS RANG BETWEEN AND $41,000 A YEAR, $39,000 DEPENDING ON EDUCATION. TWO YEARS AGO THE CITY BEGAN PAYING CADETS FOR THEIR TRAINING. OFFICERS SAY IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. >> WHEN YOU ARE OFFERING THAT INCENTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL PAY YOU TO GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY, I THINK IT MAKES IT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY. BILL THE GUILFORD COUNTY : SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT JUST ANNOUNCED IT WILL BEGIN PAYING TO TRAIN NEW OFFICERS IN