Convicted Police Officers Continue Serving Despite Vetting Reforms
Police officers with criminal convictions for violence, harassment and assault are still serving in UK forces, despite repeated government pledges to crack down on rogue officers and implement stricter vetting procedures. Exclusive figures obtained by The Independent reveal this troubling reality that continues to undermine public confidence in law enforcement.
Shocking Statistics Revealed
Freedom of Information requests to 27 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales show that at least 49 serving police officers have retained their positions despite being convicted of crimes since 2018. These convictions include serious offences that would typically disqualify individuals from positions of public trust, yet disciplinary actions have fallen short of dismissal in numerous cases.
The data reveals officers convicted of harassment, assault by beating, dangerous driving and domestic common assault have received only final written warnings rather than facing dismissal. One particularly concerning case involves a Cumbria Police officer who received a final written warning after committing domestic common assault in 2018, though this officer has since resigned from the force.
High-Profile Cases Highlight Systemic Failures
These revelations come in the aftermath of the Angiolini Inquiry into Sarah Everard's murder by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, which found that previous vetting recommendations had not been fully implemented. The inquiry highlighted systemic failures that allowed dangerous individuals to remain in positions of authority.
Among the serving officers who escaped dismissal are:
- A male Met Police officer convicted of violence against a person in 2018
- A male Greater Manchester Police officer convicted of common assault in 2019
- A male Greater Manchester Police officer convicted of harassment in 2019
- A male Merseyside Police officer convicted of dangerous driving in 2020
- A male Surrey Police officer convicted of assault during a night out in 2018
Political and Expert Reactions
Shadow policing minister Tom Vickers told The Independent that "trust was damaged" when officers with criminal convictions remained in post without proper scrutiny. He emphasised that "serious offences, including violence and domestic abuse, go directly to an officer's suitability to hold the powers and authority of the state."
Former Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird expressed particular concern about the domestic assault case, stating it was "shocking" that police chiefs "think it's OK to send an abuser out" to respond to victims of crime. She highlighted the particular danger this poses to vulnerable women seeking protection from domestic violence.
Regulatory Changes and Ongoing Challenges
New regulations implemented since May have made holding vetting clearance a legal requirement for all serving officers, with those who fail vetting automatically dismissed. The College of Policing's guidance now states there should be a "rebuttable presumption" that individuals with convictions for violence or targeting vulnerable people should not be cleared to work in policing.
However, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned last February that police chiefs faced legal challenges when attempting to dismiss officers, citing a case where a sergeant successfully challenged his vetting revocation despite unproven complaints about conduct including rape and sexual assault.
Police Leadership Responses
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, the National Police Chiefs' Council's national lead for misconduct, stated that each case "will be considered on its own merit" but emphasised that "public safety and public trust and confidence should always be at the forefront of that decision-making."
Greater Manchester Police noted that their case involving an officer convicted of common assault occurred before Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson took charge in 2021. Since his arrival, GMP has overseen 156 dismissals, demonstrating what he described as a commitment to "rooting out wrongdoing, wherever it exists."
Broader Pattern of Offences
Beyond the serious violent offences highlighted, the data shows officers avoided dismissal for various other crimes including putting a person in fear of violence, breaching health protection regulations, criminal damage, and traffic offences such as speeding, using mobile phones while driving, and driving without insurance.
Of the 49 officers identified with convictions, 44 are men, highlighting a gender disparity in these disciplinary cases. The Home Office has announced "significant reforms" to strengthen the police misconduct system, including making serious offences automatically amount to gross misconduct and enabling forces to sack officers who fail vetting.
Further reforms planned for next year will strengthen requirements to suspend officers investigated for violence against women and girls offences and seek to exclude individuals who have committed such offences from joining police forces initially. These measures represent ongoing efforts to restore public confidence in British policing following multiple high-profile scandals involving officer misconduct.
