The latest intake of Metropolitan Police officers today passed out in front of Boris Johnson and Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe . But the mayor and police chief may have been less than impressed by the lack of Black and Minority Ethnic candidates on the parade ground . Having set an ambitious target of having 40 per cent of all officers from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds , only 18 per cent met that criteria . Some 219 new police officers joined the ranks of the Metropolitan Police after today 's Passing Out Parade . More than one-third of the recruits who graduated from the Police Training College in Hendon were women . Of the new officers , 18 per cent are from Black or Minority Ethnic backgrounds , according to new figures . Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe , left and Mayor Boris Johnson , right , both attended the ceremony . Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe both attended today 's ceremony and praised the growing number of non-white officers within the force , despite missing their own diversity target by more than 50 per cent . Only 39 of the 216 officers graduating from Hendon Police Training College were from BME backgrounds , despite the Metropolitan Police accepting that at least 40 per cent - or 86 officers should have been from non-white backgrounds . According to a report published by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee in December 2014 , before the most recent recruitment campaign , only 11 per cent of officers serving in the Met were from Black , Asian and Minority Ethnic background , compared with approximately 40 per cent of the population of London . The current BME figure in the Met is now 12 per cent . Only three per cent of female officers with the Met are from minority backgrounds . Mayor Johnson today said that the number of BME officers in the Met has increased to 12 per cent . In an effort to boost BME numbers in the force , the Metropolitan Police is only considering applications from candidates who live within the Greater London area . The Metropolitan Police has set an ambitious target of recruiting 40 per cent of officers from BME backrounds . Only 12 per cent of officers serving with the Met are currently from a BME background . Since this policy has been introduced , 35 per cent of people who have expressed an interest in joining the Met have been from a BME background . Mayor Johnson said : 'London is one of the most diverse cities in the world and we are now beginning to see the creation of a police force that truly reflects the city that it serves . 'By taking tough decisions on the budget , we 've been able to recruit additional officers and put more of them out on the streets , driving down crime and keeping Londoners safe . 'There 's more to be done but with more officers from every community in the capital , using the best technology we can provide , I believe we are well on the way to creating the force we need to tackle 21st century crime and protect London for years to come . ' Deputy Director of Training Superintendent Robyn Williams , left , inspected the new recruits . The new recruits have boosted the strength of the Met to almost 32,000 despite significant budget pressure . Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe said : 'Today we 're celebrating reacting the target we set of 32,000 officers , the most we 've had since the Olympics . 'Other forces have had to cut their numbers , but the Met has worked hard to find savings and protect the frontline . 'This will continue to be our approach . ' I 'm pleased to have more officers from minorities joining the Met and pleased by the rise in female officers too . We 'll keep working hard to reflect the London we serve . '
More than 200 officers joined the ranks of The Met Police today . Only 18 per cent were from Black of Minority Ethnic backgrounds . the Met Police has set a 40 per cent target of recruiting BME officers . Only 12 per cent of Met officers are currently from BME backgrounds .