LONDON: London police chiefs are battling to boost stubbornly low numbers of Muslim officers, in a bid to bolster ties with local communities and help fight Islamist terrorists after the recent bombings.

In the famously multicultural British capital, Dal Babu is an exception: the 42-year-old ethnic Indian, a superintendent in the east end district of Bethnal Green, is the only Muslim of his rank in the Metropolitan Police force.

“I joined the Met in 1983. At that time, there was less than one percent officers from ethnic minority. We are at seven percent now, the change has been huge,” he said.

He points out that Muslim staff in the Bethnal Green district, which has substantial Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, have facilities for prayers, can eat halal food and do not have to work Fridays.

“It’s important for the Muslim community to have a Muslim senior officer, they see me go to the prayer on Friday, it gives them confidence,” he says.

But while welcoming the progress he also cautions that it must be seen in perspective, pointing out that Bethnal Green police station has only nine Muslim officers among its 1,200 staff. “There is still much to do,” he said.

The under-representation is widespread: out of the 31,000 employees of the Met, only 900 are Muslim.—AFP