London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has stated that “London is a tough environment” as he undertook a recruitment campaign to attempt and increase falling officer numbers.
From Thursday, the public will witness the force’s Change Needs You campaign sought to drive up the number of fresh constables in the UK’s largest police force on billboards, the London Underground and across social and digital outlets.
How Is the Met Police Addressing Diversity in Recruitment?
The campaign has been established amid falling officer numbers and Sir Mark stated that the force’s level of diversity is “evolving – it is not where we want it to be, but it is moving in the right direction”. The Met states the campaign is closely linked to the force’s agenda for reform. It states that courage, empathy and respect describe a police officer, and is calling out for people who share those values to be part of supporting drive change. The central message is: “Change is hard, it’s easier to do nothing. Change is not for everyone… but you’re not everyone.”
Why Does Sir Mark Rowley Describe Policing as a Challenging Career?
Sir Mark described the PA news agency: “I have got tens of thousands of great men and women going out, day in and day out, creating a difference in London and we require more people to join us because recruiting in London is a challenging environment.” He stated: “The thing that strikes me about this drive and what we are bringing to life is that this is a thrilling career and one where you can feel you are creating a difference.
How Is the Met Police Reforming Its Recruitment Strategy?
“There are a lot of people out there who desire to make some more purpose in their lives, who are maybe doing careers which pay the rent but aren’t that compelling, they don’t feel that valuable – this a career for them.” He stated the adverts talk about making a distinction within communities, potential for personal growth with the chance to discover and develop new skills also “help us change and enhance as an organisation”.
What Impact Have Recent Controversies Had on Met Police Recruitment?
An examination by Baroness Casey, published last year, discovered the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic after a string of scandals, including the killing of Sarah Everard by a serving officeholder and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist. Former Met constables Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis were imprisoned for two years and nine months in December 2021 for transmitting photographs of the bodies of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry on WhatsApp, before the force was positioned in special measures in June 2022.
Are Institutional Changes Improving Police Recruitment Diversity?
On whether there have been sufficient institutional changes to keep people from a range of backgrounds desiring to join up, Sir Mark stated: “I’m pleased that our recruiting has kept up in recent years. “It bounces about 25% of our recruits are black, Asian or ethnic minority origin. Our proportion of women draftees is around 40% now I think so our diversity is increasing. It is not where we want it to be but it is moving in the right direction.”
How Does Personal Growth Factor in Met Police Recruitment?
Concerning the force’s promotion methods, he stated: “We are seeing the triumph of women officers and black and Asian and other officials being proportionate to the numbers in the organisation, so they are coming around and you are seeing more of them in the teams.
“It is all going in the right path. An organisation takes a long time to adjust, but you can see that progress.