In your news story ‘Skills shortages in police and taxi services will affect London Olympics’ (Personnel Today, 23 January), you stated that I had the view that “the Metropolitan Police had failed to attract black and ethnic minority applicants in the necessary volumes”. This is not true.
We are working with the Met Police to help recruit sufficient numbers of police community support officers (PCSOs) from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. We help applicants demonstrate that they have the skills for the PCSO role. Our course is working its way across the London boroughs and the councils see it as a way to help the local community and local unemployed residents achieve sustainable careers.
The Metropolitan Police Force should be praised for creating a programme that not only helps BME groups into employment but also promotes the role of a PCSO as a crucial support system for the rest of the police force.
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Teresa Scott, chief executive, Kennedy Scott