Diversity Recruitment Taskforce

Report: 12
Date: 25 July 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This paper reports progress so far on setting up a taskforce to examine ways of increasing visible minority ethnic recruitment to the Metropolitan Police Service. It seeks approval for chairmanship and membership and outlines a proposed approach to the remit.

A. Recommendations

That members:

1. appoint a chair and up to three members of the taskforce
2. consider which 'outsider' might be invited to join the taskforce
3. discuss the proposed remit, timescale and working arrangements
4. agree that the taskforce should report progress to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board and Human Resources Committee, with a final report to the Full Authority

B. Supporting information

1. The growth in numbers of officers gives an unprecedented, and possibly

• not to be repeated, opportunity to increase significantly the proportion of
• officers from minority ethnic communities in the MPS. The current target
• of 7.9% is not presently being achieved. Even if it were to be reached the rate with which the force would reflect the proportionality of the population it polices would still be very slow.

Remit

2. In this context the proposal for a targeted and pragmatic taskforce,

drawing on practical experience of recruiting from a diverse pool of potential applicants in both public and private sector employers, has been mooted from several sources. Although retention is also crucial in terms of achieving an appropriately representative workforce, the issues relating to retention are more complex and it is proposed that the new taskforce should, in the first instance, be restricted to recruitment.

Membership

3. The Mayor's advisor on policing, Lee Jasper, has also promulgated the idea of a taskforce and has indicated that he would be happy to be a member. It is proposed that the group be chaired by an Authority member, with up to three other members on board, and that Lee Jasper and senior members from the MPS Diversity Directorate and Human Resources Directorate also join.

4. All the received wisdom points to complementing the extensive work of the MPS's recruitment team with an emphasis on imaginative local initiatives through Basic Operational Command Unit (BOCUs) and partnerships. Membership of the taskforce might with benefit extend to a borough commander and a borough executive as well as a representative of the CRE and one or two organisations which have had success in this field.

Work plan and timetable

5. The chair and members of the taskforce will want to set their own work plan. But from preliminary meetings at officer level it is recommended that the remit be brisk and practical, that good practice ideas be shared locally as soon as they are evident and that the group aims to conclude its work within six months. The emphasis on recruitment should extend to a consideration of the Hendon experience, but not beyond. 

Reporting lines

6. The importance of ensuring that everything possible is done to increase the numbers and proportion of visible ethnic minority officers is such that the Full Authority needs to be involved in the decision to set up the taskforce. It follows that the final report on its achievements and recommendations should come to an Authority meeting. However its remit clearly straddles the responsibilities of the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board and the Human Resource Committee and it is recommended that both these bodies should receive update progress reports as appropriate.

C. Financial implications

7. Servicing the work of the taskforce can be resourced from existing MPA and MPS budgets. Any recommendations involving new spend will be reported to the Authority.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

Report author: Catherine Crawford, MPA.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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