Women made up the majority of trainees recruited into counter-terrorism policing via a new graduate scheme.
Sixty per cent of trainee detectives recruited into the counter-terrorism stream after completing Police Now’s National Detective Programme (NDP) are female, and 24% are from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.
Last month a cohort of 227 trainee detective constables graduated from Police Now’s NDP, an intensive programme which began in March. Seventy-four will join the Metropolitan Police Service and are the first to join Police Now’s pilot Counter Terrorism Policing stream within the programme.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, told The Times: “Police Now has provided an opportunity to reach a different demographic. Rather than our usual approach of recruiting those with ten to 15 years of frontline experience as a police officer, we’re drawing on another generation with a new set of skills.
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“The [terrorism] threat has completely transformed. We’re seeing much younger people involved now, with a perception of society and the online world that’s entirely different to my own. The only way to meet that threat is by thinking differently.”
In recent years police forces across Great Britain have come under fire for a lack of diversity and inclusion – particularly the Met Police which was last year described as a “boy’s club” in an independent review.
Referring to some of the challenges ethnic minority groups can face when entering the police force, one black female trainee told the paper: “Not everybody will understand why you picked this job. Your family may not understand, they might not be on board, though I’m lucky that mine are supportive.”
Of those who took part in the NDP, 67% identify as female, 15% are from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, and 71% had never considered a career in policing before hearing about Police Now. Twenty-seven languages were spoken across the cohort.
Millie Tanner, head of the National Detective Programme at Police Now, told graduates at their closing ceremony: “Completing this academy is an incredible achievement and you should be really proud of where you stand today, but you know that the real work starts here. My advice to you is this – show up, physically and mentally, put the work in, support your colleagues and allow them to support you. And go and play your part in transforming policing and communities.”
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