Metropolitan Black Police Association says force is plagued by racial discrimination and calls on members to boycott recruitment
06 October 2008
The mayor of London is to launch an inquiry into racism at the Metropolitan police after black police chiefs urged ethnic minorities to stop applying for jobs in the force.
The Metropolitan Black Police Association said its force is plagued by racial discrimination and called on its members to boycott recruitment. The association said it would “actively discourage potential applicants from applying”, and is considering taking out a series of adverts in the national press.
The current leadership of the Met is creating “a hostile atmosphere where racism is allowed to spread” and those who challenge it are held back in their career development, according to the association.
Mayor Boris Johnson will launch an inquiry into the matter when he chairs his first meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority later today.
The Met has defended its record on racism, saying it has done much to improve itself since being labelled “institutionally racist” by an inquiry into the death of black teenager Stephen Lawrence 10 years ago.