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New Metropolitan Police officers 'must live in city'

Anyone wanting to become a police officer in London will have to have been living in the capital for at least three of the last six years as the force aims to become "more reflective of the city it serves".

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Your views: Mixed reaction to police local recruitiment

With the Metropolitan Police planning to recruit exclusively from the capital, ITV London asks our Twitter users whether it is a good idea:

Get involved in the debate by tweeting us @itvlondon or go to our Facebook page.

Your views: Should Met Police only recruit locals?

Get involved in the debate by tweeting us @itvlondon or go to our Facebook page:

No one can afford to live in the city so recruitment will suffer (again).

– Siobhan Eliot

We can't stop Europeans coming into this country to knick all of our jobs. But we can stop people living outside of London joining the Met! Seems a bit exclusive to me. Surely this has to infringe some European law somewhere along the line. And as you know, we must not disobey Europe, must we.

– Chris Hall

Have agree too disagree. Living in London you have to know your knowledge, If your a outsider and quick to pick up then no each person is different the Met is changing all the time.

– Sarah Hancock

Local police recruitment 'about competence not colour'

A Metropolitan Police move to recruit constables exclusively from London is about "competence rather than colour", the deputy mayor for Policing and Crime has said. Stephen Greenhalgh added:

We need a Metropolitan Police Service that is made up of many more Londoners so the force has the diversity of talent needed to police a great global city.

As London grows and changes in the decades ahead, the police must change too so that they can police effectively and maintain public consent. That means having officers who understand the dynamics of this city and who have the skills to connect with and serve all Londoners

Diverse workforce 'important for effective policing'

The police need a workforce with a good understanding of the diverse communities they serve, Policing minister Damian Green has said, after it was announced that new police constables would be hired exclusively from around the city.

Officers must be able to gain the trust and support of those communities to report crime and work with them. A workforce which is drawn from and reflects the communities it serves is an important element of fair and effective policing.

I support the Met Commissioner and Mayor of London's determination to ensure that their workforce can understand and relate to communities in a modern, diverse and dynamic city like London.

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Met Commissioner: Local recruitment will ensure trust

Hiring local officers will ensure a good local knowledge and maintain the trust and confidence of residents, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe Credit: PA

Sir Hogan-Howe added: "Recruiting constables with a knowledge and understanding of this reality through living in the capital makes sense to help us achieve this aim.

"They will have a better understanding of local issues, knowledge of local communities and an inbuilt insight into London's varied cultures. We need great talent to help us fight crime."

London Mayor: Police force must reflect city it serves

The Metropolitan Police's local recruitment move will see 5,000 new police officers in the next two years, London Mayor Boris Johnson has said.

London Mayor Boris Johnson pictured in 2013 during a police conference at City Hall Credit: PA

Mr Johnson added: "It is vital that London's police force reflects the city it serves [...] Recent recruitment rounds have attracted a more diverse pool of applicants, but by focusing exclusively on Londoners from now on, we can achieve our goals more quickly."

The new policy, which comes into effect on August 1, will not affect serving officers or police staff, the Met said.

Read: Met Police to recruit exclusively from London residents

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