Met Police commissioner seeks new recruits to 'change the force'

The recruitment drive is aimed at "people who want to make a difference"

The head of the Met Police is to call on potential new officers to join up and "be the change" he has said is needed to reform the force.

The recruitment drive follows a series of scandals within the force in recent years.

"Change Needs You" is the strapline for the campaign, which is aimed at addressing staff shortages and restoring public trust in the Met.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the force needed "more people who share our values to come and join us" to help drive reform within the force.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (centre) said the force needs new recruits who share its values

Sir Mark recently warned the Met was 1,000 officers short and that it faced its lowest staffing levels in a decade, something he blamed largely on public sector pay.

Launching the campaign, Sir Mark said he would "keep fighting" for improved pay, but he hoped to appeal to young people "in their first or second job, thinking, 'this is paying the rent, but it isn't really exciting me'.

"Policing is a job where you can really feel you're making a difference."

'A long way to go'

The force said the qualities of "courage, empathy and respect" were at the heart of its call for new recruits.

The drive follows a review by Baroness Casey, published last year, which found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. It was commissioned following a series of scandals, such as the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by police officer Wayne Couzens.

In April last year, Sir Mark said previous recruitment targets may have been missed due to the force's "reputation" following these scandals.

An advertising campaign will be seen on billboards, the London Underground, TV and social media.

The notion that change is needed in the Met is central to the recruitment drive

PC Akeem Griffiths, who features in the campaign, said the biggest challenge he faced as an officer was convincing the public he was "on their side".

"Slowly and gradually we are moving in the right direction, but there's still a long way to go," PC Griffiths said.

Also featuring in the adverts will be PC Kiara Baker, 23, who said she wanted more women to join the force - but added they had to be the right people for the job.

"Getting the right people in for the right reasons is how the Met will really change - change it from being that toxic culture to a more positive, warmer place to work."

She added that "obviously pay is on everybody's minds," but said there were good opportunities to "climb the ranks".

The Casey Review also found the Met's workforce "continued to fall far short" of representing London's black, Asian and minority communities.

In Febuary, the National Black Police Association (NPBA) called for ethnic minorities to boycott joining the Met - president Andy George said this still stands.

“We don’t think the Met is a safe place for Black and Asian and minority ethnic officers.”

He said if the Met really wants to change and to improve diversity it needs to “engage meaningfully” with the NBPA and communities across London.

“They’re just not listening,” he said and he believes some of the engagement so far has been “performative”.

Sir Mark said diversity in the Met was improving, although it remained short of his target.