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A recent review has uncovered that inadequate vetting processes within the Metropolitan Police led to 131 officers and staff committing crimes or misconduct while serving. Among them were two notorious serial rapists, David Carrick and Cliff Mitchell, who managed to join or continue in the force despite failing appropriate background checks. Carrick, known as one of the UK’s worst sex offenders, and Mitchell, who carried out a prolonged series of sexual assaults on two victims, highlight the serious failings in the vetting system.
The investigation covered a period of ten years, ending in March 2023, and revealed that many officers avoided proper scrutiny. Cases of drug use, violent assaults, and affray were also uncovered among the personnel who bypassed thorough evaluation. Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams expressed acute awareness of the public’s likely concern due to these lapses and emphasized that the report forms part of ongoing efforts to uphold the highest standards across the Metropolitan Police Service.
One particular lapse occurred in 2017 when Carrick was not thoroughly vetted, which failed to disclose an existing allegation of domestic abuse against him. Similarly, Mitchell was permitted to join the force in 2020 after a vetting panel overturned a rejection decision, partly motivated by diversity goals, despite a previous charge of child rape. The review stated that thousands of officers and staff were insufficiently vetted during a national recruitment campaign from July 2019 to March 2023, as senior leadership prioritized quantity over vetting quality to meet ambitious recruitment targets.
This widespread deviation from standard vetting guidelines resulted in thousands of incomplete reference checks and bypassed security clearances, allowing unsuitable individuals into the force. The unattributed rush to recruit—driven by the Police Uplift Programme’s aim to add 20,000 officers across England and Wales—compromised the integrity of the Metropolitan Police and eroded public trust. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the abandonment of vetting checks as a failure to protect Londoners and called on the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to conduct an inspection aimed at restoring faith in the police’s ability to serve effectively
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