In recent months, attention has returned to the diversity, or lack thereof, in London’s Metropolitan Police. The service continues to face accusations of institutional racism despite ongoing attempts at reform. Sadiq Khan hopes that a more diverse force, more reflective of the city it protects, will help build trust amongst historically underserved communities.
According to the Met’s own figures, black people make up around 13.3% of the population of Greater London but only 3.5% of officers of the Metropolitan Police. Only 5.9% of officers are Asian despite being 17% of the population. Overall, 85% of officers in the Metropolitan Police are white, a sharp contrast to the mere 59.8% of the population that they represent. This is combined with utilisation of police tactics, including stop and search and use of force, that are disproportionately used against Black residents.
Khan argues that a more diverse police force will be better placed to understand the concerns of Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners and why they continue to mistrust the police, 20 years after the major reforms triggered in the aftermath of Stephen Lawrence’s murder. If BAME Londoners, particularly Black Londoners, feel the Metropolitan Police reflects them and their communities, they are more likely to trust the service. This means increased cooperation between police and communities so that both groups can feel safe in their city.
There are several proposed initiatives to improve the diversity of the Metropolitan Police. These include reintroducing a residency requirement for new recruits. Those applying to join the police must have lived or studied in the capital for at least three of the preceding six years. If new police officers have to come from the Greater London area, then the chances of them reflecting local demographics is obviously increased.
The drive to improve diversity will be funded by a £300,000 investment from City Hall. This money will primarily target Black Londoners – those affected most by the sometimes discriminatory tactics used by the Metropolitan Police – and encourage them to pursue policing as their future profession.
It is hoped that these steps will allow the Metropolitan Police to increase their proportion of BAME officers to at least 40% of the force by 2022. That is at least two fifths of recruits. The measures will be enacted as part of an action plan that also includes better training for officers, enabling improved scrutiny of the police by communities and a general push towards increased transparency and accountability regarding police tactics and behaviour.
Discussing his plan in The Independent, Khan finished with the hope that ultimately, a more diverse police force “will lead to London becoming a fairer, safer and better place for everyone.”
