The Police and Fire and Rescue Service Inspectorate examined 11,277 police and staff across eight forces, examined 725 audit files, reviewed 264 complaints and misconduct investigations and interviewed 42 people. They found cases where criminal behavior was dismissed as a “one-off”. Applicants with “extensive crime” connections in their families hired as police; warnings that a prospective officer could present a danger to the public ignored; officers moving between forces despite a history of complaints or allegations of misconduct; and key blunders which led to wrong control decisions. The report found that some employees had criminal records, some had allegedly committed a serious crime, some had significant unpaid debt and some had relatives linked to organized crime. Some 131 cases were identified where inspectors said inspection decisions were “questionable at best” – and in 68 of those, inspectors disagreed with the decision to grant inspection permission. Matt Parr, Inspector General of Police, said: “It is very easy for the wrong people to join and stay in the police force. “If the police are to rebuild public trust and protect their female officers and staff, scrutinizing must be much stricter and sexual misconduct taken more seriously. “It seems reasonable to me to say that over the last three or four years, the number of recruits that we’re going to be asking significant questions about is certainly in the hundreds, if not the low thousands … it’s not in the tens, it’s at least in the hundreds ». Read more: How Sarah Everard’s killer was caught Met Police told to make ‘urgent improvements’ after warden raises ‘serious concerns’ Sir Mark Rowley replaces Dame Cressida Dick as new Met Police Commissioner Mr Parr said the pressure to meet the government’s target of recruiting 20,000 new officers by March next year “cannot be allowed to act as an excuse” for poor vetting. “The marked decline in public confidence in policing is undoubtedly linked to the prevalence of some of these horrific incidents that we have seen in recent years and you need to have a higher standard of who comes in and who stays if you want to look to reduce these types of incidents “, he added. The report was commissioned by Priti Patel when she was Home Secretary, following the murder of Sarah Everard. Ms Everard was murdered while serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, who used her police warrant card under the guise of an arrest to kidnap her in March 2021. Image: Sarah Everard Female officers subject to ‘disgusting behavior from male colleagues’ The review did not examine the details of Couzens’ employment, but its findings raise questions about whether enhanced security checks would have prevented him from getting a job with the Metropolitan Police. The researchers also found a “worrying number” of female officers who said they had experienced “abhorrent behavior from their male colleagues”. Among its 43 recommendations, the HMICFRS said improvements were needed in the standards used to assess and investigate allegations of wrongdoing, as well as in the quality and consistency of auditing. It also said better guidance was needed on workplace behavior and definitions of misogynistic and predatory behaviour. “Disappointed” the Minister of the Interior Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was “disappointing that HMICFRS has found that, even in a small number of cases, forces are taking unnecessary risks with screening”. “I have been clear that the culture and standards in policing must change and public confidence in policing must be restored. “Chief constables must learn these lessons and act urgently on the findings of this report.” National Council of Chief Police Officers chairman Martin Hewitt said: “Chief constables, with the support of national agencies, will act on these recommendations and tackle the problems, because we cannot risk predatory or biased people slipping through the net because faulty procedures and decision-making. “The trust of the public and our staff depends on us fixing these problems urgently, fully and long-term. Police chiefs are determined to do so.”
