Black Police Officers will be fast-tracked into top jobs says Priti Patel
Priti Patel has announced that Black police officers are to be fast-tracked into senior roles.
Priti Patel said forces “should be diverse” and although there have been “substantial gains” in Greater Manchester Police, Surrey and Nottinghamshire, warned: “Progress on the recruitment of black officers has been stubbornly slow and we know we have so much more to do.”
The Home Secretary said there was “still far too much for all of us to do” to address “active hostility to someone who looks like you being in the police. Both on and off the beat”, adding “we still need to improve representation in the police, very much including in the top jobs”.
The proportion of officers in England and Wales who identify as black and Asian stands at 7.6% – the highest percentage since records began.
In the year to June, more than 11% of officers recruited were from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Nationally, around a third of officers are female – also the highest proportion on record – Ms Patel told delegates, adding: “A larger proportion of female officers from ethnic minority backgrounds are in lower ranking roles compared to white officers.”
Police bosses “vary in how seriously they take this issue”, she said, adding that this needs to change “immediately”, adding: “I want you to know that you are pushing at an open door with me.
“There needs to be major and enduring change.”
Patel described recruiting people from diverse backgrounds to the police as a “critical and personal priority for me”.
CLAIM YOUR FREE 'I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK' LAPEL BADGE
All you pay is postage + packaging
| Stay connected! If you want to be notified of our latest videos, livestreams and more, why not consider subscribing to our Purged.tv channel! |  |
