Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, criticized the situation where police officers who cannot be dismissed are being paid to stay at home, calling it a wasteful use of taxpayers’ money. The High Court recently ruled that the police force does not have the authority to terminate officers who fail their vetting process, which is used to identify individuals unsuitable for the job. As a result, these officers will be placed on special leave and continue to receive full pay, potentially costing millions of pounds until the issue is resolved. Sir Mark emphasized that these officers will not be performing their regular duties or responding to calls from the public.
According to Sir Mark, there are currently twenty-nine Metropolitan Police officers and staff on special vetting leave, primarily men, due to concerns related to inappropriate behavior towards women and girls. The recent legal challenge by Sgt Lino Di Maria, whose vetting was revoked following allegations of sexual assault that he denied and was not charged for, led to the High Court’s ruling. The court found that the dismissal process used by the force was unlawful as it did not allow those accused of misconduct to defend themselves properly. Despite the ruling, Sir Mark stated that officers deemed unfit will be placed on special leave as there is currently no mechanism to dismiss them.
Sir Mark criticized the lack of a proper mechanism for dismissing officers who are unfit to retain their vetting status, declaring the Metropolitan Police to be in a “hopeless position.” The vetting process for new applicants and current officers involves checks on criminal records, finances, and associations to determine their suitability for the job. Following the ruling, a Home Office spokesperson assured that steps were being taken swiftly to allow police forces to dismiss officers who fail to maintain their vetting clearance. Sir Mark also highlighted the need for a clear timeline to resolve this issue, as it has been a longstanding problem for the force due to delays in updating regulations by Home Office officials
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