The commitment follows a number of recent allegations and complaints of racist language and behaviour by serving Met officers.
Ahead of an appearance before the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee, the Mayor announced a “progress review” of recommendations made in the Race and Faith Inquiry conducted by the now disbanded Metropolitan Police Authority.
Recommendations included increasing the number of recruits from the capital’s minority communities and making it easier for staff and officers to apply for internal promotions.
Johnson chaired the MPA following his election as Mayor in 2008 but later stepped down and appointed Kit Malthouse to the role.
Malthouse later served as Deputy Mayor for Policing, heading up the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime which was created earlier this year to steer the Met’s policing priorities.
Speaking on THursday morning the Mayor said: “We are putting more police on the street and driving down crime but more needs to be done to build Londoners’ trust and confidence in their police force. A crucial part of this is making our force more representative, so it can build better relations with the communities it serves, and while I am encouraged that the number of officers from ethnic minority backgrounds continues to grow, we need to build momentum.
“The Commissioner and I are in absolute agreement that racism within the Met, whose officers and staff are in a special position of trust, will not be tolerated. We are committed to driving forward the changes needed to ensure the Met provides an excellent level of service to the entire community.”
Commissioner Hogan-Howe added: “We welcome this review and the Mayor’s support for lateral entry and the related Winsor recommendations. It is vital that the MPS represents Londoners at all levels. I have made it clear that I will not tolerate racism within the MPS and we will deal with it robustly wherever it occurs.”
The Labour group on the London Assembly have welcomed the Mayor’s announced review but says more progress could have been made had he remained as MPA Chair.
Policing spokesperson Joanne McCartney said: “We will work constructively with the Mayor and all concerned groups. Stamping out racism within the Metropolitan Police is important to allow people from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential as police officers, and equally important so the police can build trust with our many diverse communities in London.”
“We all rightly expect police officers to uphold the highest standards whilst carrying out their duties. The vast majority of police officers do maintain these standards and are thoroughly decent individuals who do a difficult job and keep us safe. However, there seems to be a minority of officers who think racist views are acceptable.”
