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Ethnic recruits surveyed

01 January 1991

Ethnic recruits surveyed
artdoc May=1991

The Metropolitan police say they are now poised to have 500 ethnic
minority officers in the force for the first time in their history. So
far in 1990 there have been 70 black recruits, compared with a total of
42 in the whole of last year. The actual figure of ethnic minority
officers within the force is 463, which represents less than 2% of the
Met's 27,000 officers. The police claim that an advertising campaign
for ethnic minority officers has resulted in 1000 applications.
(Guardian 20.10.90)

Meanwhile the Greater Manchester police say that their efforts to
recruit more ethnic minority officers has had a poor response. Only
1.5% of the forces officers are black. West Midlands police have
announced that they are to revise their entrance exams to give black
people more chance of joining the force. The Home Office has brought in
occupational psychologists to compile a new exam. (Manchester Evening
News 18.10.90, Coventry Evening Post 18.10.90)

IRR Police-Media Bulletin, no 65. Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke
Street, London WC1X 9HS