Met Police vetting failures let rapists join force

Failures in Vetting at Metropolitan Police Force

Failures in vetting at Britain’s largest police force allowed over 130 officers and staff, including two serial rapists, to commit crimes or misconduct, a review has revealed.

Details of the Offenders

David Carrick, one of the UK’s worst sex offenders, and Cliff Mitchell, who carried out a ‘campaign of rape’ on two victims over nine years, were among Metropolitan Police officers who were not properly checked.

Carrick, who received 37 life sentences for his crimes, was not properly vetted in 2017, with checks failing to reveal an allegation of domestic abuse against him.

In 2020, Mitchell was allowed to join the force after a vetting panel overturned a decision to reject him, despite a previous accusation of raping a child.

Statements from Officials

Nahar Choudhury, Chief Executive of Solace, London’s largest domestic abuse and sexual violence charity, stated, “Adequate vetting of officers is the bare minimum that can be expected of the Met police and yet again this institution has failed, leaving women to pay the price.”

Choudhury added, “The fact that David Carrick and Cliff Mitchell were placed in positions of power that enabled them to rape women shows that while individuals choose to carry out sexual violence, the Met has systemically enabled them to do so.”

Choudhury also expressed concerns about survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse not approaching the police, stating, “We need greater reassurance and transparency about what, in fact, is going to change.”

Findings of the Review

The 131 cases were revealed as part of a vetting review that looked at the ten years up to the end of March 2023. Other serious crimes committed by the officers and staff include drug use, racism, violence, and affray.

During a recruitment drive from July 2019 to March 2023, thousands of police officers and staff were not properly checked, the review found.

Facing pressure to recruit 4,557 officers in three and a half years, senior Met officers chose not to follow national guidelines.

Consequences of Inadequate Vetting

The review stated that shortcuts in vetting led to the recruitment and retention of officers and staff who should not have been in the force, contributing to police-perpetrated harm and damaging public trust.

The Home Secretary ordered a watchdog to inspect the force’s vetting procedures in light of the report. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, “Abandoning vetting checks on officers was a dereliction of the Met’s duty to keep London safe.”

Inspection and Future Actions

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services will also examine whether other forces in England and Wales deviated from national standards.

A report on vetting in 2022 that examined eight forces raised concerns, including failure to check references and issues with vetting.

Statistics on Vetting Failures

Conclusion of the Review

The report concluded that deviations from policy and practice, overconfidence in recruitment, and lack of resources in vetting increased risk. It stated, “It is extremely difficult to establish a causation chain between system changes and the potential harm caused to the public.”

The Met has taken action to clean up the workforce and tighten vetting standards. Since current Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took over in September 2022, 1,500 officers have been sacked.

Reactions from Officials

Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams stated, “We are being open and transparent about past vetting and recruitment practices that led to unsuitable people joining the Met.”

Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, commented, “Today’s report illustrates a farcical situation in which hitting a numerical target of recruits has taken precedence over normal checks and balances.”