Police chiefs will be able to automatically sack officers who fail background checks, under new government measures to boost confidence in policing.
The reforms, which come into effect next month, will make passing background checks a legal requirement for all serving officers.
Calls for a change to police vetting procedures began after an independent report into the murder of Sarah Everard by police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called the reforms “essential” to the government’s plans to “restore confidence in policing”.
In some circumstances, those who do not pass vetting – a background check used to identify unsuitable individuals – can currently stay in their force on full pay, but are not allowed to undertake a public-facing role.
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Police said 29 officers and staff were on special vetting leave and receiving full pay and pension.
“It is simply not acceptable that officers who are clearly unfit to serve or pose a risk to their colleagues cannot be removed,” Cooper said, adding that only “officers of the highest standards” would be allowed to wear the uniform.
Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vetting, supported the proposed changes, saying they provided “clear routes for action” to remove officers.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the reforms close a “glaring gap in the law” and “will allow us to move swiftly to remove those who have no place in policing”.
“This matters not just for the public we serve but for the vast majority of hardworking officers who should be able to feel safe, have full trust in those they work alongside and have the confidence of the public,” he added.
Sir Mark said in February that policing had been left in a “hopeless position” after the High Court ruled that Sgt Lino Di Maria, an officer accused of rape, could not be dismissed because the process was fundamentally unfair.
Sgt Di Maria had mounted a legal challenge after having his vetting removed following sexual assault allegations, which he denied and was not charged over.
Mrs Justice Lang said the dismissal process which had been used by the Met was unlawful as those suspected of wrongdoing were denied an opportunity to defend themselves.
She said the Met’s powers did not “extend to the dismissal of a police officer by reason of withdrawal of vetting clearance”.
Background checks of all police officers and staff in 2024 found more than 400 links to previously undisclosed misconduct, including theft, fraud and drugs.
Police chiefs began checking records after the conviction in January 2023 of PC David Carrick for 49 offences.
The Met Police’s current vetting model for new and present officers includes background checks on criminal records, behavioural assessments, finances and the individual’s close associates.
Cooper set out the government’s plans for further policing reforms in the House of Commons in November last year.
She said the plans would involve strengthening requirements relating to the suspension of officers under investigation for violence against women and girls, and ensuring that officers convicted of certain criminal offences are automatically dismissed.
Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid said it welcomed the reforms but urged further action to make policing “a safe institution for all,” including barring people with “misogynistic attitudes and beliefs that underpin violence against women and girls” from entering policing.
“Until we see full reform, with proper monitoring from the Home Office to ensure accountability, survivors cannot be confident in reporting abuse to the police, and justice will continue to go unserved,” a spokesperson said.
