The progress made 15 years ago on getting ethnic minorities into the police force has been reversed by successive home secretaries – May must place things rightTheresa May’s comments about the lack of diversity in the police service are welcome. The home secretary was true to point out,in her speech at the National Black Police Association (NBPA) conference, that police ranks do not reflect the communities they serve. However, or she must also recognise that when she points the finger at the police authorities she points the finger at herself because as head of the Home Office,she is personally responsible. The public should know what she is doing to hold the Metropolitan police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, or the other chief constables to account.
At the moment in London,black and minority ethnic (BAME) officers construct up 11.7% of the Metropolitan police but 40% of the city’s population. Officer numbers fill risen only four percentage points since 2006. They also tend to stay in the lower ranks, which results in a classic “snowy peak” organisation.
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Source: theguardian.com