National Policing Lead on Local Policing Chief Constable Simon Cole said:

"The relationship between the public and the police is critical to our policing model and builds safe, cohesive neighbourhoods. For this reason, police work hard to build relationships with all members of our communities. Every area in England and Wales has a neighbourhood policing team that is out in the community, talking to people, understanding their priorities and acting to address their problems.

"Making the service more representative of the people that we serve is important; forces have encouraged more black, Asian and ethnic minority people to join the police as officers, members of the Special Constabulary or as volunteers. We've also involved community representatives in advisory groups and panels so their voices are heard.

"Citizens being engaged and contributing to making where they live a better place is a positive thing that we wouldn't want to change; working with the police to do that helps to make local people safer."