Met Police launches recruitment drive to hire more Black and Asian officers

The Metropolitan Police has launched a major recruitment drive for police constables. It is asking Londoners from all backgrounds to apply and wants in particular to raise the number of Black and Asian officers in the force.

The campaign started on Monday 12 October and features 24 serving officers. The Met says it aims to reach people across the capital's communities, including people who may never have thought about a career in policing.

The Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said recruiting a more representative workforce was an operational necessity, not a political choice. "We cannot police London effectively if we fail to recruit from all of London," he said. "Effective policing depends upon inclusivity."

The gap the Met wants to close

According to the figures behind the campaign, 46 per cent of Londoners are from an ethnic minority background, compared with 18 per cent of Met officers.

The gap is widest for Black officers. They make up 3.7 per cent of the force, while Black Londoners make up 13.5 per cent of the capital's population. The Met already has more Black and Asian officers than any other force in the UK.

Sir Mark said policing by consent depends on the trust of all communities. He said he would not be put off by criticism of diversity drives, and described the wider debate around diversity, equity and inclusion as toxic. Critics of the campaign argue that a police force does not win public trust just by changing its make-up.

The Met says last year's intake of recruits was the most inclusive in its history, with more women and more recruits from ethnic minority backgrounds in London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, backed the campaign. He said London needs a police service that represents all of its communities to keep public confidence and build trust.

Pay and routes into the job

New police constables in the Met start on a salary of more than £43,000. Training mixes classroom learning with practical experience, working alongside experienced officers in local policing teams.

There are two main routes in. The Police Constable Entry Programme is a two-year route that combines training at a Met training centre with learning on the job.

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship takes three years. It combines operational training with university study, and recruits work towards a fully funded degree in professional policing practice while serving as officers.

Recruits do not need to have all the answers when they apply, the Met said. It wants people who share a sense of purpose about keeping London safe. People who want to volunteer can also join as special constables, who have the same powers as regular officers. Details of how to apply are on the Met's website.

Why it matters locally

Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow make up the Met's West Area command, and Brent and Harrow are part of the North West command. These are among the most diverse boroughs in the capital, so neighbourhoods such as Southall, Hayes, Hounslow, Wembley and Harrow are the kind of communities the campaign is trying to reach.

The drive also comes as the force faces continued scrutiny over its officer numbers and its ability to keep up neighbourhood policing alongside other demands on frontline officers. In 2024, when the Met launched its previous constable campaign, Change Needs You, Sir Mark said the force had around 5,000 fewer officers than it had ten years earlier.

The Met's record on race has been examined many times. The Macpherson inquiry in 1999 and Baroness Casey's review in 2023 both found the force to be institutionally racist. Since then, rebuilding trust with Black and minority ethnic Londoners has been a central part of the Met's reform plans.