Effective policing depends upon inclusivity. If you are committed to policing by consent that stands or falls on the trust of all communities, you cannot do without it.

Last Monday, we launched a major recruitment campaign. We have no interest in the politics and ideologies of the culture wars. Inclusion is an operational necessity.

London is the world’s greatest and most diverse and globally connected city. Nine million people live here. Hundreds of languages are spoken. The scale and complexity of policing London today is unlike anything Sir Robert Peel imagined when founding the Metropolitan police. Yet, in 1829, he recognised that policing success in a democracy relies on public approval, respect and cooperation as much as on “impartial service to the law”.

We cannot be effective if large sections of society do not trust us, do not work with us, or do not see policing as a service that understands their experiences.

An inclusive workforce is not a public relations exercise. It makes us better at protecting victims, catching criminals and preventing crime.

We cannot provide an equally good response to all victims if our understanding of some Londoners is weaker than others. That is obvious when it comes to issues such as language barriers or supporting deaf people, but it is just as important when culture, experience or background may make a victim less willing to talk........

© The Guardian