Employers and residents in London could be encouraged to get involved in training new police officers.
The Metropolitan Police is inviting businesses to help with practical role-plays and mock investigations as part of its 31-week induction course. The programme is currently being piloted in Orpington, Kent, and has also been trialled in five other London boroughs.
The scheme could be rolled out across London in 18 months time, sergeant Rob Smith of the Metropolitan Police said.
“The main aim is to make officers familiar with the practical side of policing and put them closer to the communities they serve. People in local boroughs can help us to do this,” he said.
New Metropolitan Police recruits currently spend five weeks at the main training base in Hendon before being relocated to a London borough for about 26 weeks.
