West Mercia Police is using the opportunity of October’s Black History Month to encourage more people from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities to join them as police officers.
Black History Month was first celebrated in October 1987 in the UK, and provides the opportunity for everyone to celebrate the immense contribution people of Black African, Black Caribbean, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in shaping British history, society and culture, helping to make Britain a better place to be.
The active promotion of equality of opportunity, inclusion and diversity is a fundamental to West Mercia Police’s vision, values and priorities, intrinsic to their organisational culture and helping shape the way in which services are designed and delivered.
As an organisation, West Mercia Police champions equality and diversity, and the force has a number of initiatives in place to promote greater inclusion. For instance, the force’s Positive Action team engages with communities across Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire, and works to identify and address any barriers to entry or progression affecting groups which are under-represented in the service.
Officers and staff within West Mercia Police also operate a number of support networks to enable members of the workforce to come together and share experiences, concerns and solutions, including the B-ME Network for Black African, Black Caribbean, Asian and other minority ethnic employees. The staff networks are highly valued by the force as a source of support to individuals, but also as a ‘critical friend’, working together to address and solve problems for under-represented groups, to make our workplace more inclusive.
Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “The nature of policing means that we interact with people from different backgrounds every day. It is important that we understand and are sensitive to individuals’ differences, so we can provide an appropriately tailored policing service. To do this, we need to employ a workforce that is reflective of our communities.
“We’re committed to improving the way we work in the future. Our initiatives, such as Positive Action, are already having a positive effect on our representation, which will enable us to build an inclusive workforce providing a better service to the public. Importantly, we also want to continue to engage and consult on policing with people from diverse communities and would welcome volunteers to join our Independent Advisory Groups.”
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “As West Mercia Police continues to grow, so too should the proportion of our officers and staff who are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. In my role as Commissioner, I have promised to ensure that our police force better reflects the community it serves, and a more representative workforce does this.
“I will continue to support the force in ensuring fairness and equality are at the heart of the recruitment process. Initiatives such as the Step Programme are already making a difference by ensuring officers and staff have a fair and equal opportunity to join and progress a career within the force.”
For more information on West Mercia Police’s career opportunities and the various programmes of support for applicants and employees, go to www.westmercia.police.ukand click on Careers.
