54 Resource book on the use of force and firearms in law enforcement within an area inhabited by members of the underrepresented community or where their interests are at stake. Also, as discussed in chapter 2, arbitrary or excessive use of force is often found to target communities that are underrepresented within the law enforcement agencies. Efforts should be made to determine the cause of the lack of equitable representation, where applicable, so that corrective action can be taken. Measures of affirmative action may be helpful, while maintaining high standards of professionalism of the force. In line with the key principle of non-discrimination, whenever certain recruitment channels or selection criteria turn out to have a direct or indirect discriminatory effect,130 they should be carefully reviewed and revamped to address shortcomings. This could lead to measures such as widening the channels through which recruitment processes are announced, for example, through including media outlets that target the underrepresented group or actively reaching out to those communities that are under­ represented. It is considered good practice for law enforcement agencies to examine options to provide applicants with good potential, but not meeting a particular standard, with additional training to enhance their chances. 4.2. Training General principles for training Whenever recruits enter the world of law enforcement, they must first undergo training. The duration of training varies and is usually in the range of 6 to 18 months. In most countries training in police education facilities is followed by a period of “on-the-job” training, usually under the guidance of an experienced officer, the so-called mentor. To be effective, training must be built on appropriate organizational policies, procedures and SOPs, which should be reinforced in practice to ensure they are effectively applied.131 For training to bear relevance for law enforcement practice, it should be grounded on “real world” experiences, making use of real life scenarios. This is particularly important for human rights training, which should be integrated and streamlined throughout all training modules and material, rather than treated as a separate module. Such integration and streamlining help to ensure that human rights are embedded in the reality of law enforcement practice. Sometimes, human rights are treated as a stand-alone subject, that everyone has to go through but nobody really knows why. This approach falls short of adequately demonstrating how human rights relate to the everyday work of law enforcement officials. For example, a trainer can discuss the protection of the right to life under different international instruments, but it is far more effective to link this issue to training on the use of force and how such use of force can be minimized in order to prevent loss of life. New recruits need to be trained in policing functions, the role and responsibilities of law enforcement in society, and how to carry out their respective tasks, in accordance with relevant laws and policies. They must learn when and how to use their police powers, including the power to use force, how to exercise powers that provide for some degree of discretion, and the responsibilities 130  Direct discrimination occurs when someone has been treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic like religion or sexual orientation, including when that characteristic is perceived, regardless of its actuality. Indirect discrimination occurs when an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice puts a person with a particular characteristic at a higher disadvantage than others cannot be objectively justified. 131   See Osse, A. (2006); Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), 2012, p. 35: “Participants also stressed the importance of ensuring that policy and training are in sync with each other.”