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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent

Met chief says ‘toxicity’ around DEI will not stop him recruiting more black and Asian officers

Mark Rowley, in his police uniform, during a meeting with representatives from criminal justice agencies at No 10 Downing Street
Mark Rowley: ‘We cannot be effective if large sections of society do not trust us.’ Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA

Mark Rowley has said the Metropolitan police must recruit more black and Asian officers in order to gain the trust of minority ethnic communities in London, and vowed not to be “blown off course by the culture wars”.

The right has criticised drives for diversity, claiming they lead to lower standards. Rowley, who is commissioner of the Met and Britain’s top police officer, said that as a leader of a major organisation he was prepared to take a stand against the “toxicity” surrounding the diversity debate and criticised other leaders for “running away from the subject”.

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