Police personnel in England and Wales who do not pass background checks will be immediately dismissed under new regulations aimed at restoring public confidence in law enforcement.
Parliament will introduce these measures on Wednesday, making it mandatory for currently serving officers to successfully complete vetting procedures. This change will empower police leaders to remove unsuitable officers as early as next month. The initiative follows comments from Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who criticized officials for delaying the provision of enhanced dismissal powers for problematic officers.
Rowley described it as “absurd” in February that officers deemed unfit for their roles could not be lawfully terminated. According to the Home Office, these changes are a response to recent legal challenges that highlighted the difficulties in removing officers unfit to safeguard the public.
In a notable case, Sergeant Lino Di Maria, a Metropolitan officer facing sexual offense accusations, successfully challenged the removal of his vetting due to the allegations, which he disputes. Although he was cleared of misconduct claims, he argued that losing his vetting status without proven allegations violated his right to a fair trial.
Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, stated, “Recent serious incidents have severely undermined public trust in the officers meant to protect them, putting a stain on the many dedicated officers striving to maintain public safety. It’s simply unacceptable that officers who are obviously unfit for duty or pose a risk cannot be dismissed. This is why the new rules are critical, and this government is collaborating closely with police forces to tackle these obstacles and restore faith in law enforcement.”
The revised system for dismissing police officers will be implemented starting May 14. Alex Franklin-Smith, the chief constable and lead for vetting at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, endorsed the changes, which create clear pathways to remove individuals who do not meet the high standards demanded by the public and the police workforce.
The Home Office also intends to implement additional measures later this year to enhance national vetting standards, including stricter requirements for suspending officers under investigation for violence against women and girls. Furthermore, officers convicted of specific crimes will automatically be deemed guilty of gross misconduct.
While existing procedures exist for addressing misconduct allegations, merely failing a vetting procedure has not been sufficient grounds for dismissal. Officers might fail vetting for various reasons, including instances of domestic and sexual abuse. In some cases, individuals who do not meet suitability standards but cannot be dismissed remain in the police force while receiving full pay.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, expressed her support for the changes. “Mandating that officers must pass their background checks and empowering police chiefs to remove those unfit for service are encouraging initial steps toward rebuilding public trust in the police,” she remarked.
She also emphasized the need for government support in implementing statutory requirements for officers to maintain adequate vetting, particularly during transfers between forces, as soon as possible.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, praised the newly introduced measures, asserting that the additional powers would enable Metropolitan leadership to “automatically dismiss those who fail checks” and “ensure that anyone who does not pass vetting is barred from serving in the police.”
