Yoruba tops list of languages required by the Metropolitan Police
Scotland Yard has come under fire today after placing an advert demanding that anyone wanting to join as a police officer be able to speak a second language.
The Metropolitan Police wants to bolster the number of officers able to speak and understand 14 languages which are widely used across London.
As part of a month-long trial which started today, new recruits must speak English and one of Yoruba (Nigeria), Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Italian, German, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Sinhala (Sri Lanka) or Bengali to join as Met Police officers.
But the move has sparked criticism from a former officer and members of the public on Twitter.
Retired Met Police officer Chris Hobbs wrote: “I’ve kept reading and re-reading it. Can’t believe it. What about potential BME (black and minority ethnic) recruits who only speak English.”
He added: “Won’t this also adversely affect the recruitment of guys and girls from the black community whom we would like 2 [sic] see more of?”
After Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe set an ambitious target of having 40 per cent of all officers from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, only 18 per cent met that criteria when the latest intake passed out in March.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
According to a report published by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee in December 2014, before the most recent recruitment campaign, only 11 per cent of officers serving in the Met were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background, compared with approximately 40 per cent of the population of London. The current BME figure in the Met is now 12 per cent.
Members of the public also appeared less than enthusiastic about the new initiative.
Simon Holdaway tweeted: “The Met’s lack of understanding of the problems it faces is stunning’, …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
