Asian-Americans Are Under-represented in Sheriff's Dept.

Monterey Park (CNS)  -- Martial arts actor and stunt man Jackie Chan is trying to pull off his biggest stunt yet -- convincing Asians to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff Lee Baca is betting the Chinese star -- whose mixture of slapstick, swift-footed martial arts and death-defying stunts helped him gain popularity with American audiences -- will also win over Asians in his latest flick, a public service ad aimed at recruiting minorities to the force.

``As far as an icon, he's well-known and looked up to in all communities, not just the Asian community,'' said sheriff's Deputy Luis Castro at Headquarters Bureau in Monterey Park, where the actor appeared with Baca to announce the department's latest recruitment effort.

``He is very law enforcement based as well humanitarian based and wants to help bring the bonds closer together, just like the sheriff, so he and the sheriff have the same ideology,'' Castro said.

The PSA, lasting about as long as a TV commercial, will feature Chan getting out of a squad car and donning a sheriff's deputy uniform, urging potential recruits to join the force and ``doing his own stunts as usual,'' Castro said. It will be shown during recruitment fairs and other events, Castro said.

Chan, who left the news conference to begin filming the segment at the Sybil Brand Institute for Women, is doing the PSA for free, Castro said.

Of the 10 million people in Los Angeles County, about 20 percent are Asian, while most sheriff's deputies are white, followed by Hispanics and blacks, Castro said.

The number of Asian deputies ``are on the lower end,'' and Native Americans rank last, Castro said.

Castro is hoping Chan can help make the department more diverse.

``I think that the community is not necessarily going to be drawn by the mere fact that it's Jackie Chan during the commercial as much as they're going to get to see an opportunity that they, too, can have with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department because ... it's different to see one of your own race,'' Castro said.

``It brings a more personable commitment to yourself when you see that, and you can picture yourself better in that uniform as well,'' Castro said. ``So as far as the actor, I think he's just a catalyst. But I think the true fruits from this segment they're going to do is more of an `I can see myself doing this,''' he said.

``It's all geared up to pique the interest of individuals that may have thought `maybe law enforcement is really not for me' and `maybe I'd be overlooked.' Any walk of life, any religious background, cultural background, it's no matter, once you put on the uniform, you're tan and green,'' he said, referring to the colors of the sheriff's uniform.