Police officers who fail background checks will be automatically sacked from next month for the first time.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it is “not acceptable” that officers who are not fit for the job cannot be removed under current rules. The beefed-up powers come after legal challenges showed the difficulty police chiefs have dismissing police who have not passed vetting processes.
In a statement the Home Office said some officers remain on full pay despite being removed from public facing roles, adding: “The government will not stand for this injustice, which erodes confidence in policing.”
Ms Cooper said serious cases had damaged public trust and undermined the work of good officers. She said: “It is simply not acceptable that officers who are clearly unfit to serve or pose a risk to their colleagues cannot be removed.”
Enhanced police vetting rules have been promised since the horrifying cases of Wayne Couzens and and David Carrick. Met Police officer Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, while Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 charges, including 24 of rape, relating to 12 women in 2022.
Both had been accused of numerous sexual offences before their harrowing crimes came to light, but were allowed to remain as police officers. In February Met Police boss Sir Mark Rowley said it was “absurd” that he could not sack officers who failed background checks.
It followed a successful High Court legal challenge by Sergeant Lino Di Maria, who had his vetting removed over sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
New measures laid in Parliament will make passing background checks a legal requirement for all serving officers. This will come into effect on May 12. The Government has promised further measures later this year to strengthen national vetting standards.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vetting, Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, welcomed the measure, saying it will “provide clear routes” to remove bad officers.
Nour Norris, whose sister Khaola and niece Raneem were murdered after police failed to act on repeated warnings about Raneem’s former partner, said the system had “for too long protected the wrong people”.
Nour said: “They were brave, they asked for help, and they were failed by a system that allowed officers who ignored their cries to remain in uniform. That failure was fatal.”
She added: “The public deserves to trust the police, victims deserve to be protected, and officers must be held to the highest standard. Because a strong country needs a stronger force, one built on integrity, accountability, and the courage to change.
“This is for Raneem and Khaola. Two souls who should still be here. Their voices were silenced, but through these reforms, their legacy will speak for generations to come.”
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