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| How many complaints are made against police officers, and how many are sacked? | How many complaints are made against police officers, and how many are sacked? |
| (14 days later) | |
| Hundreds of sexual and domestic violence allegations made against Metropolitan police officers require further investigation, the force has said. | |
| Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley announced the findings of Operation Onyx, which reassessed the outcomes of cases involving more than 1,000 officers over the previous decade. | |
| What happens when a complaint is made against a police officer in England and Wales? | What happens when a complaint is made against a police officer in England and Wales? |
| Each police force has a professional standards department which investigates complaints about its officers. | |
| Minor complaints - such as poor performance - can result in a "learning outcome": a discussion with the officer, followed up by a report. | Minor complaints - such as poor performance - can result in a "learning outcome": a discussion with the officer, followed up by a report. |
| More serious complaints about behaviour which breaches police standards - such as use of excessive force - can lead to a misconduct hearing. | More serious complaints about behaviour which breaches police standards - such as use of excessive force - can lead to a misconduct hearing. |
| A gross misconduct hearing results from more serious allegations that could justify an officer being sacked. | A gross misconduct hearing results from more serious allegations that could justify an officer being sacked. |
| For example, a Bedfordshire police officer was dismissed after shouting and swearing at a woman while off duty. | For example, a Bedfordshire police officer was dismissed after shouting and swearing at a woman while off duty. |
| Possible sanctions following a misconduct hearing include: | |
| a written warning | a written warning |
| a final written warning | a final written warning |
| demotion | demotion |
| dismissal | dismissal |
| Serious misconduct investigations, such as those involving a death in police custody, are overseen by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). | Serious misconduct investigations, such as those involving a death in police custody, are overseen by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). |
| How many complaints are made against police officers? | How many complaints are made against police officers? |
| In the year to March 2022, there were 87,786 complaints recorded against police officers in England and Wales. | In the year to March 2022, there were 87,786 complaints recorded against police officers in England and Wales. |
| This involved more than 115,000 allegations (a single complaint can contain multiple allegations against multiple officers). | This involved more than 115,000 allegations (a single complaint can contain multiple allegations against multiple officers). |
| No further action was taken in the vast majority (89%) of complaints which were investigated. | |
| Only 158 (0.2%) were referred for disciplinary proceedings: | Only 158 (0.2%) were referred for disciplinary proceedings: |
| 105 resulted in a misconduct meeting | |
| 46 resulted in a misconduct hearing | |
| 6 resulted in a gross misconduct hearing | |
| As a result, nine serving officers were sacked. A further 13 would have been dismissed if they were still serving. | |
| Protesters demonstrate outside the Met's headquarters following the murder of Sarah Everard, who was killed by a serving police officer | Protesters demonstrate outside the Met's headquarters following the murder of Sarah Everard, who was killed by a serving police officer |
| Do officers get paid while under investigation? | Do officers get paid while under investigation? |
| Suspended officers are removed from duty but continue to receive full pay during a misconduct investigation. | Suspended officers are removed from duty but continue to receive full pay during a misconduct investigation. |
| If an officer is convicted of a serious criminal offence - carried out in connection with their duties - forces can apply for some of their pension to be taken away. | |
| Officers cannot lose more than 65% of their whole pension. They have 14 days to appeal. | Officers cannot lose more than 65% of their whole pension. They have 14 days to appeal. |
| There were 42 approved pension removals in the five years to November 2022, according to a Freedom of Information request reported by the Guardian. The total number of applications is unknown. | There were 42 approved pension removals in the five years to November 2022, according to a Freedom of Information request reported by the Guardian. The total number of applications is unknown. |
| Retired officers - or those who have resigned - can still face disciplinary measures. If found guilty of gross misconduct, a former officer can be placed on a barred list, and prevented from serving in any future police role. | |
| What is police vetting? | What is police vetting? |
| Before new officers are recruited, they undergo vetting - to uncover possible risks to public safety or national security. | Before new officers are recruited, they undergo vetting - to uncover possible risks to public safety or national security. |
| The checks are carried out by individual forces and cover: | The checks are carried out by individual forces and cover: |
| criminal history | criminal history |
| employment history | employment history |
| credit history | credit history |
| social media use | social media use |
| College of Policing guidance says that all cases should be rejected where the applicant has committed an offence which resulted in a prison sentence, or where the applicant is a registered sex offender. | |
| So while a caution for cannabis possession is not necessarily a cause for rejection, more serious offences - such as sexual assault and domestic abuse - can be. | |
| Sir Mark Rowley has said that the current rules are open to interpretation and that the Met may step outside of national guidance to tighten its vetting procedures. | |
| New police officers should be vetted during recruitment | New police officers should be vetted during recruitment |
| Failure to disclose information could also lead to a rejection. | |
| All officers should be re-vetted every 10 years. While vetting guidance exists, forces are not legally required to follow it. | All officers should be re-vetted every 10 years. While vetting guidance exists, forces are not legally required to follow it. |
| What concerns have been raised about police vetting? | What concerns have been raised about police vetting? |
| Some officers have given false or incomplete information, according to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMIC), a police monitoring body. | Some officers have given false or incomplete information, according to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMIC), a police monitoring body. |
| Its report followed the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard, by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens. | Its report followed the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard, by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens. |
| Despite being accused of indecent exposure while working for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in Kent, Couzens was able to transfer to the Met. | Despite being accused of indecent exposure while working for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in Kent, Couzens was able to transfer to the Met. |
| In 131 of the 725 vetting cases it examined, HMIC questioned the decision to grant vetting clearance. | In 131 of the 725 vetting cases it examined, HMIC questioned the decision to grant vetting clearance. |
| Another officer, former Met officer David Carrick, was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years for a series of rape and sexual offences in February 2023. He had remained in post despite multiple misconduct allegations. | |
| What is changing? | What is changing? |
| After Carrick's trial, forces were asked to check officers against national police databases. | After Carrick's trial, forces were asked to check officers against national police databases. |
| The Met police reinvestigated 1,131 individuals of whom: | |
| 246 will face no formal action because correct action was taken at the time | |
| 689 will undergo a new assessment to pursue new or missed lines of inquiry, including possibly talking again to victims and witnesses | |
| 196 face formal risk management measures and potentially a review to determine if they should remain in the force | |
| Across its other misconduct operations, there has been a 70% increase in dismissals in the past six months, the Met says. It also said the force is building a new "re-vetting" system. | |
| In March 2023, a review of the Met by Baroness Casey found that racism, misogyny and homophobia are at the heart of serious failures within the UK's largest police force. | |
| The review made 16 recommendations, including an immediate overhaul of vetting in order to "guard against those who intend to abuse the power of a police officer". | |
| Some critics have called for more independent monitoring of police standards. | |
| "The police train their own, they monitor their own, they review their own", says Anna Birley, co-founder of social justice organisation Reclaim These Streets. | "The police train their own, they monitor their own, they review their own", says Anna Birley, co-founder of social justice organisation Reclaim These Streets. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Policing | Policing |
| Justice | Justice |
| Metropolitan Police Service | Metropolitan Police Service |
| The Casey Review | The Casey Review |