Diversifying Police Recruitment?: The Deployment of Police Community Support Officers in London

• NCJ Number: 215657
• Journal: Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 388-402
• Author(s): Les Johnston
• Date Published: September 2006
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Resulting from the Police Reform Act of 2002, this article examines the diversification of London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recruits, thereby creating an organization more representative of the community it polices.

Abstract

It is shown that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of London is well on course to meet its quantitative targets in respect of diversity within police community support officers (PCSOs) introduced under the Police Reform Act of 2002. However, it must be understood that while enhanced representativeness is a desirable end, it is important to recognize that the relationship between greater minority ethnic representation in the police service and more sensitive policing of ethnic minorities by the police service remains complex. As part of its drive to extend the police family, the Police Reform Act of 2002 introduced PCSO into the service. PCSOs are uniformed staff employed by the police authority. They work under the direction and control of the chief officer, and they possess certain limited powers. Their main function is to enhance public reassurance. However, their recruitment is also linked to an ethnic composition proportional to that of the local population they serve. In summary, the PCSOs in the MPS were driven by two agendas: to enhance public reassurance through the provision of visible, uniformed patrol and to help diversity MPS recruitment, thus making the organization more representative of the community it polices. This article focuses on the second agenda and the diversity of MPS recruitment with a brief reference to gender and age aspects of PCSO recruitment. The article begins by analyzing PCS application and recruitment data and considers the extent to which quantitative goals regarding diversity are being realized. It then examines a number of organizational issues relating to diversification. Table, notes, references