Khan: By 2022 40% of new Met recruits should come from BAME background
London mayor Sadiq Khan is launching an action plan to address the low level of trust and confidence that many Black Londoners feel towards the Metropolitan Police Service.
Writing in today’s Independent, Khan said as part of his action plan he would like to see as many as two in five new recruits to the metropolitan police from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds by 2022.
He also said that from today, the Met will re-introduce the London residency criteria for most new recruits, meaning potential candidates must have lived or studied in London for a minimum of three out of the last six years at the point of application.
Khan said he and his team have been listening to the experiences and concerns of Black Londoners and have testimony on the changes they would like to see in their police service.
Khan said his plan’s focus is on preventing the disproportionate impact of police tactics affecting Black Londoners, such as stop and search and the use of force, and improving transparency and accountability around the way these powers are being deployed.
Writing in the Independent he said: “There is no doubt that the Met Police has made significant and positive steps forward since the 1999 Stephen Lawrence report, which was a landmark moment in the history of race relations in our country. It had a transformative effect on policing and the Met is a very different police service to the one it was 20 years ago.
“But more needs to be done to ensure we have a truly representative police service that looks like the diverse city it serves, and to recognise and address the impact of some police tactics, such as stop and search, that are disproportionately affecting Black Londoners.”
The London mayor said he wanted to make clear the action plan was not about being anti-police, but rather that all communities in London have trust in the police both to keep them safe and to treat them fairly, and that the police have the confidence to be able to use their powers to tackle violent crime.
Khan added: “In working together to deliver this plan, we can build stronger bonds between communities and the police, which will help us to confront and resolve the often difficult and emotive issues that the police tackle on our behalf every day.”