The Metropolitan Police is facing a profound crisis of confidence after admitting to catastrophic failures in its vetting procedures, with a retired senior officer warning that sexual predators within the force are merely lying low and that the "whole barrel is rotten."
Systemic Failures in Police Vetting Exposed
A devastating internal review, covering recruitment up to April 2023, has laid bare how the Met compromised public safety. Under pressure to hit national recruitment targets, the force routinely reduced or skipped essential background checks on references and security clearances. The report confirmed that previous vetting refusals were overturned and clear warning signs were missed, allowing thousands of officers and staff to join or remain without proper scrutiny.
Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams stated the force was being transparent about these past shortcomings, asserting that stronger standards are now enforced. Since 2022, over 1,500 officers and staff have been removed. In response, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an independent inspection of vetting processes.
A Legacy of Missed Red Flags and Atrocities
The human cost of these systemic failures is horrifically illustrated by the cases of Wayne Couzens and David Carrick. An inquiry found that three police forces, including the Met, had multiple opportunities to stop Couzens before he murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021. The Angiolini Inquiry concluded that clear "red flags about his unsuitability" were ignored.
Even more disturbingly, Couzens was not an isolated case within his unit, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PADP) command. More than 20 PADP officers later faced misconduct or criminal proceedings for sexual offences. This pattern culminated in Carrick, described as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders, who received 37 life sentences. Reviews found complaints about him were assessed in isolation, allowing his continued service and offending.
A Rotten Culture and the Challenge of Reform
According to Leroy Logan, a retired Met superintendent who served for 30 years, these cases are symptoms of a far deeper malaise. He argues the flawed vetting system created a safe haven for sexual predators, attracting misogynists and entrenching a toxic culture. "I am not convinced that all sexual predators within the service have been identified, let alone removed," Logan states. "Those determined to abuse their position know how to keep their heads down until scrutiny fades."
Logan, a founding member of the Black Police Association, emphasises that this is not about "a few bad apples" but a fundamental rot. He stresses the critical need for a robust whistleblowing culture and relentless, rigorous vetting from the outset. The central challenge for the Met Commissioner, the Mayor of London, and the Home Secretary is now to address this rotten foundation if any public trust is to be rebuilt.
