String of scandals forces UK to step up vetting standards for police

The United Kingdom has unveiled new vetting standards for police officers after a string of scandals damaged confidence in British policing.

In a statement on Thursday, the British Home Office said that police chiefs were being given additional tools to "root out officers unfit to serve the public", as it released an update to the College of Policing's Vetting Code of Practice.

The new vetting standards were unveiled after a number of highly-damaging scandals rocked British forces, particularly London's Metropolitan Police Service, which is the UK's largest.

Back in March, government official Louise Casey described, in her 363-page report, the whole force as institutionally homophobic, mysogynistic, racist, and sexist.

She was commissioned to conduct the investigation after the abduction, torture, rape and murder two years ago of a London woman, Sarah Everard, by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

Couzens was given a life term. His conviction prompted another woman to come forward accusing another officer, David Carrick, convicted of raping 12 victims over 17 years.

Central to Casey's findings was the Metropolitan Police's failure in its duty to vet officers and protect women and children.

In January, Metropolitan Police also revealed that 1,071 of its own officers had been or were under investigation for domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

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Under the newly-unveiled standards, police officers may be fired if they cannot hold minimum vetting clearance. In case that the misconduct does not end in dismissal, the officer's vetting will be reviewed.

"The sickening cases of David Carrick and Wayne Couzens made clear the need for vetting practices that are effective and consistent in identifying those not fit to serve," said Home Secretary Suella Braverman in the statement.

The updated standards have now made vetting checks compulsory in a bid to ensure any officers who have previously been relieved of duty cannot rejoin the police.

"Improving the standards of our officers is key to the common sense policing the public expect, and that is why I asked the College of Policing to urgently strengthen police vetting," Braverman added.

Enforcing the new standards would trigger "top-down culture change that is crucial to rebuilding public confidence", she said.

In February the charity, Inquest, found that black people are seven times more likely than white people to die after being restrained by the police.

According to a preliminary report released in October, Casey revealed that the Metropolitan Police had allowed officers to remain on the job even after they were accused of domestic abuse or racial harassment.

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