A national development scheme for high-potential police officers will be launched this week by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to help speed up promotion opportunities for all staff.
Eighty-four police officers have been selected to go on the Warwick University course, which will last up to three years and teach the skills needed to be a top police officer.
Angela O’Connor, chief people officer at the NPIA, told Personnel Today the programme should help improve the numbers of black and minority ethnic (BME) staff being promoted.
She said: “The percentage of women and BME candidates [on the course] is higher than the average in policing. Although numbers are still relatively low given the overall picture, it is a solid step forward in building the diverse talent pools of the future that are required to deliver policing.”
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The NPIA is conducting its own review of recruitment and promotion processes to see if there are any barriers for minority groups, she added.
“There have been major improvements in representation in forces over the past few years,” said O’Connor, “However, we all accept that this is a work in progress and we must continue to improve in representation terms.”
