Police officers who fail background checks will be automatically dismissed from their posts under new legislation set to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday. The measures are part of a wider government effort to restore public trust in policing by making vetting a legal requirement for serving officers.
Under the new rules, any police officer who does not pass vetting procedures will no longer be allowed to remain in post, with police chiefs given the power to swiftly dismiss those deemed unfit to serve. The Home Office has confirmed the changes will take effect from 14 May.
The move follows intense pressure from senior police leaders, including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who has repeatedly criticised what he called “absurd” legal limitations that previously allowed officers to remain employed despite losing their vetting status.
Sir Mark said: “The ability to hold a vetting clearance is the most basic indication of whether someone can be trusted to hold the extensive and often intrusive powers that police officers are given. It was never right that an officer could lose their vetting, but not lose their job.
“These reforms close that glaring gap in the law and will allow us to move swiftly to remove those who have no place in policing.”
Concerns about officers failing vetting yet remaining in the force were highlighted earlier this year when Metropolitan Police sergeant Lino Di Maria successfully challenged the removal of his vetting status in court. Di Maria, who was accused of sexual offences he denies, had no misconduct case to answer but argued that the vetting removal breached his right to a fair trial. The Met has since been granted leave to appeal the decision, as the case raised serious questions about existing powers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the new rules as “essential”, stating: “In recent years, serious cases which have badly failed all proper policing standards have damaged public trust in the officers who are supposed to protect them, and undermined the majority of brave, committed officers who work tirelessly to keep us safe.
“It is simply not acceptable that officers who are clearly unfit to serve or pose a risk to their colleagues cannot be removed. That’s why these new rules are essential, and it is why this Government has been working closely with forces to overcome these barriers to restore confidence in policing.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has also welcomed the reforms. Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, NPCC lead for vetting, said the changes “provide clear routes for action to remove individuals who fall below the high standards the public and our workforce rightly expect and deserve”.
More Read
The Home Office has indicated that further reforms are on the way. Later this year, new measures will be introduced to tighten national vetting standards. These include mandatory suspension of officers under investigation for violence against women and girls, and automatic gross misconduct rulings for officers convicted of specific criminal offences.
At present, while there are disciplinary procedures in place for allegations of misconduct, failing vetting checks alone has not been enough to dismiss an officer. In some cases, officers who do not pass vetting and cannot be sacked have remained on full pay, sometimes for months.
Sir Mark previously described this situation as “a ridiculous waste of money”, revealing that 29 officers and staff in the Met Police remained on paid leave despite having had their vetting revoked.
The government hopes that these reforms will not only help clean up the ranks but also send a strong message to the public: only those fit to wear the badge will be allowed to do so.
