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Bernard Hogan-Howe keen to fast-track ‘lateral’ entry in bid to widen diversity of police The new commissioner of the Metropolitan police wants to increase diversity in the force by bringing in senior recruits from outside the service. Bernard Hogan-Howe, who officially took control of the Met this week, believes the police must be more representative of the population – and one way to fast-track that, particularly in more senior ranks, was to look outside the police for talent. “I wouldn’t take every superintendent from outside next year, but I might take 20% if they have got the right skills and we gave them the right training,” he said. “That training is not available yet, so it needs some planning for but I am open-minded.” The commissioner, who said he knew that he could “radically cut crime”, said that in other professions there were higher proportions of individuals from ethnic minorities in senior positions and the police service had to improve its diversity. Currently the only way to join the police service is as a constable, although talented individuals and those with degrees are often promoted quickly through the ranks. Allowing the service to bring people from outside policing into senior ranks – so-called “lateral” entry – is opposed by the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents Association. But the policy has been cited by police minister, Nick Herbert, as a way to increase diversity quickly within the service. Nationally about 220 senior officers make up the leaders of the 43 forces in England and Wales. Only 38 are women and three are from ethnic minorities. The proportion of black and ethnic minority officers across the Met stands at about 10%. Hogan-Howe said that among police staff and community support officers, the proportion of people from ethnic minorities was much greater – about one in three. “We need to be more representative of the people of London,” he said. “There is clearly a lot more to do. Lateral entry is something we need to move on to and encourage. “We either wait 20 years for something to grow from within the organisation or we take an opportunity to get a pool of talent who will encourage us to improve, to get new skills and new ideas that will benefit us in the long run.” He acknowledged that his strategy of “total policing” would focus in part on tapping into the intelligence held in local communities about those individuals who were, for example, carrying knives. That was made easier if communities saw in police officers people from the same background as themselves. The issue is one David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, has raised with the mayor of London and the home secretary as vital to tackle if the Met is to continue policing by consent in the capital. Police Bernard Hogan-Howe Sandra Laville guardian.co.uk