A New Met for London?
“Met faces lowest staffing levels in decade”, says chief
Last week, Slenky unveiled the ‘Take Your Shot Zone’ in collaboration with the ‘Brent Works Wembley Job Fair’ at Wembley Stadium.
Our aim was to modernise the traditional careers event by transitioning it to a more accessible and sustainable digital format, allowing opportunity seekers to use their mobile devices to connect with employers and businesses offering opportunities.
We also unveiled the latest upgrades to the Slenky platform and app.
‘Met faces lowest staffing levels in decade’, says chief
This headline highlights ongoing problems within the Metropolitan Police, which have been a concern in London for a long time. Despite various changes in leadership and government, these issues persist and no longer surprise the public.
It's not widely known that the Met, one of London's largest employers, has a significant shortage of staff in many other areas. This shortage makes it even harder for the organisation to do the job it wants to do in London.
My experience, however, suggests that while the need for change is acknowledged within the organisation, there is a lack of willingness to actively pursue it. The organisation's approach is often hindered by rigid behaviours and a reluctance to adapt to changes coming from external sources. (Or maybe just from me lol).
Our paths had crossed
It's also not widely known that the origins of Slenky are rooted in a decision to step away from working with the Metropolitan Police.
Over a decade ago, our 'Bluetickle' brand was pioneering the use of Bluetooth technology to create award-winning mobile campaigns aimed at younger audiences.
We implemented 'Frank' campaigns, which discouraged drug use, provided information on support services, and used Bluetooth and touchscreen technology to guide young people to local activities across several London boroughs, including opportunties within the Police Cadets.
During this time, we won the 'O2 Good Communication Award for Mobile Technology' for a campaign focused on issues related to guns, gangs, and knives.
The gangs guy…
Despite the clear focus on technology to achieve objectives, my experience with the Metropolitan Police took an awkward turn. During a meeting at Scotland Yard, I was introduced as a 'Gangs Expert,' a label I quickly corrected. I privately clarified with the senior officer chairing the meeting that this was not my lane, nor had I ever claimed it to be.
A few months later, at another meeting, the same mischaracterisation occurred. Frustrated (read as ‘totally pissed’) by this and the lazy association it suggested, I decided not to continue our work with the Met. This marked the end of my direct involvement with the organisations at the time, but also inspired the concept of Slenky.
During our campaigns with the Met, we had a lot of face-to-face interactions with young people at risk. It became evident that many had passions or skills but faced barriers to developing them, lacking access to mentors, resources, or equipment. At its most extreme, some young people had taken to erm… alternative careers. This realisation led to the creation of Slenky, aiming to bridge that gap.
Interestingly, many young people told us they would never consider joining the police, citing reasons ranging from their social credibility to personal and family experiences. However, they were more open to the idea when we discussed how their skills or passions could be utilised in non-uniform roles within the police to build a successful career.
Fast forward to the post-pandemic era, I was invited in 2022 to discuss the Met's challenges in recruiting a more diverse workforce.
Sat around the table whilst watching the Chair take comments from the floor (I stayed awake), I pointed out that I felt focusing solely on recruiting officers was a missed opportunity to communicate with thousands of people in London and across the UK.
There are many interesting roles within the Met, particularly tech-related, that could appeal to young people.
Unfortunately, it seemed Einstein’s theory was in play, so once again I stepped away.
However, in June 2024, I had a really great exchange with innovative thinkers at the Met, Anna, Nicola, and Leon. They recognised the potential in promoting the Met as an employer with varied, appealing roles beyond policing, and saw the value of using mobile and social content to update their outreach. #Changemakers.
So we had the Met on screen and on mobile at Wembley Stadium, testing engagement with a few different but important roles.
Well done. It's always the brave first step that kick starts the process of change.
The Gangs Guy.