WMP Pledge To Employ More BME Officers
9 April 2015, 12:43 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Capital's been told that representing different cultures across the region is a top priority for West Midlands Police.
It's after it was revealed just one black officer was employed in their last recruitment drive.
Applications are currently open for another 200 PCs and signs so far, we're told, are encouraging. Compared to last year, the force has received 50 per cent more applications from black afro Caribbean candidates.
22 out of the 162 officers employed last time round were from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
Inspector Farooq Sheikh from the positive action team's been speaking just days before the force's latest recruitment drive comes to an end - and says they're working harder than ever to improve things.
He said: "It's quite difficult to go and provide the best possible service to different diverse groups unless you understand them, unless you speak the language.
"When we get people from different diverse groups, different languages, it breaks down those barriers.
"We start to gain the trust and confidence within our diverse communities because we're now representing them."
The force also told Capital that since the last intake, it's changed the positive action approach to be more targeted towards under-represented groups, including pre-recruitment workshops, discovery days, myth busting presentations and personal mentoring support.
Interested in applying for a job with West Midlands Police? http://jobs.west-midlands.police.uk/pc-recruitment/
