The police commissioner is reacting for the first time to an exclusive series on NY1 about the lack of black men joining the force. NY1's Dean Meminger filed this follow up report to his series.  

Speaking to an African American audience in Queens, Police Commissioner William Bratton says the NYPD has to do more to increase the number of black officers.

"We must work together, you and I, to find ways to convince young men and women in the African American population because this is a career where you can make a difference," Bratton said.

He was responding to a NY1 investigation that discovered a decline in the amount of black men becoming police officers.

They make up only 10 percent of the force and just seven percent of the new class at the police academy. 

"There's no denying...as a matter of fact, NY1, yourself did an excellent three part series on the issues we are facing," Bratton said. "We have seen in the last couple of academy classes some fallen off in the percentage of African Americans in the class. We are taking a top to bottom look at all aspects of our recruiting, application screening, as well as training to see where might we do a better job."

He says a new recruiting campaign is being finalized.

According to African American leaders, more black officers are needed to improve police-community relations.

"Now as you break down the numbers, I am absolutely astonished and I think we need to make sure we reach out very definitely and recruit," said Congressman Gregory Meeks.

"And let's just see if we can find some young, dynamic men who probably never saw law enforcement as career and get them in there," said former Governor David Paterson. 

Delivering the keynote speech at a Black History ceremony at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, Bratton acknowledged long running tensions between blacks and police officers. He vows to help improve the partnership. 

Also discussed here, a concern that a lot of the violence across the city is being caused by young African American and Latino men. 

The head of the state NAACP said corrupt officers and local criminals must go.   

"I'm going to work with NYPD to get them straight," said NAACP New York President Hazel Dukes. "But we got to do the same thing in our community for those who are giving us a bad name."

Police say 95 percent of shootings involve blacks and Latinos.