By James Simons-
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has launched a new vetting initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to remove officers or staff who “corrupt the organisation’s integrity”.
Commander James Harman of the MPS’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) said they were determined to show the public “our seriousness about rooting out corruption and abuse”.
The initiative, known as Operation Assure, will involve a review of an individual’s vetting status where an officer or staff behaviour is identified as “being of concern”.
The MPS said it is focused on cases where an “individual’s conduct represents a breach of public trust”.
“The trigger for this process could come from various circumstances, including the conclusion of a criminal investigation, following a misconduct hearing where a written warning, final written warning or a reduction in rank has been issued, or when adverse information about an individual comes to the notice of the DPS,” said the force.
“While there are tens of thousands of men and women at the Met, the majority of whom are hard-working, honest and dedicated public servants upholding the highest levels of integrity, the new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has spoken about the fact that there are hundreds who need to be rooted out for corrupting the organisation’s integrity.”
Re-vetting procedures where concerns have been raised are being introduced across the police service following recommendations from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and the College of Policing.
Commander Harman said: “The Commissioner has been clear that there are many officers who should not be part of this organisation. They have lost his confidence and the public would rightly expect there to be a process which would allow us to review their continued employment.
“When a member of the public asks a police officer for help, they should be confident that the Met has vetted that person to an appropriate level, and kept that vetting under review. We should all recognise that vetting is not an administrative exercise – it is an expression of public trust, and the Met’s Referencing and Vetting Unit works hard on a daily basis to perform this critical function for London.
“We are determined to show the public our seriousness about rooting out corruption and abuse. We will take decisive action where new information leads us to conclude that clearance may no longer be appropriate – and we are pleased to be in the forefront of implementing these important recommendations.”
Once a review is triggered, it will be carried out by a senior vetting officer, and could lead to a maintaining of vetting status, or a decision to revoke the individual’s minimum vetting status.
“If revoked, the individual will be unable to access police premises and systems, which can then trigger a process under the performance regulations which could lead to dismissal,” said the MPS.
“Any subsequent appeals on vetting reviews will be carried out by a commander and the MPS’s force vetting manager.”
The new initiative has been developed by the DPS in close cooperation with units across the MPS, including Referencing and Vetting, Legal Services and Human Resources, and with external legal advice. Unions and staff support associations have also been consulted during its development.
Police forces nationally will also be adopting the same or similar processes.
The move is a positive, but would be better occurring at the recruitment stage than after corrupt officers have already joined the force.