Metropolitan Police operation to root out unfit officers could see nearly 200 face dismissal

Nearly 200 serving Metropolitan Police staff previously accused of sex crimes or domestic abuse need urgent risk assessment or new vetting, the commissioner has admitted.

They could be fired as part of the beleaguered force's blitz on culture and standards within Scotland Yard.

Another 689 individuals, officers and civilian support staff, are also having old allegations against them re-examined to see if they pose a continuing risk.

The figures were revealed by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in an update to the Home Secretary Suella Braverman in which he hopes to demonstrate that he is turning his words into action.

Sir Mark took over the force in September, vowing to root out rogue officers and promising "more trust, less crime, high standards," a mantra he said should be tattooed on his forehead.

In the past two years the Met police has been rocked by a wave of scandals, including a sex murder by PC Wayne Couzens, multiple rapes by PC David Carrick and a recent review that branded the force institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

Sir Mark said he had taken 90 or so staff off serious crime and counter terror operations to help identify and investigate suspect officers, a sign of his determination to bring change.

Sir Mark said: "We commissioned this review because it was clear we had not been rigorous enough in holding to account those people in our own organisation whose actions should have posed clear questions about their suitability to continue serving.

"As expected it has revealed that on far too many occasions dating back ten years, opportunities may have been missed or decisions have been taken that have left those who corrupt our integrity free to remain in policing."

Since he took over the commissioner has launched a series of operations to re-examine old allegations and disciplinary hearings to see if suspected staff should have been fired.

A check of all serving officers against the Police National Computer had identified 161 with criminal convictions, the majority from before they joined the Met.

Around half were for serious traffic offences such as drink-driving or careless driving, the rest for violence, dishonesty, criminal damage or drugs.

Sir Mark said it was right that a criminal conviction shouldn't automatically block recruitment, especially for trivial or teenage offences, but the exclusion bar should be raised nationally.

The Met was also checking all 50,000 staff against the five billion records on the National Police Database of intelligence reports. It had identified 38 cases of potential misconduct and 55 individuals with possible links to criminals.

The most serious findings came in a review of all concluded cases involving allegations of sex crimes or domestic abuse in the past ten years.

Investigators found 196 individuals, allowed to keep their jobs, should be urgently re-assessed or subject to new vetting.

It's likely many could lose their jobs because of the continuing risk they pose.

Another 689 less serious cases will also be re-examined, which could include new interviews with victims and witnesses who may have felt let down by the original investigations.

Sir Mark has introduced new, tougher re-vetting procedures for serving staff. Anyone who fails will then face a disciplinary charge of 'gross incompetence', because they cannot do their job properly, and could face the sack within 12 weeks.

The system is likely to be controversial and challenged by lawyers, but the commissioner says he is confident he will win legal backing for the move.

Thirty officers are being considered for the re-vetting process, but Sir Mark expects more than 100 will eventually be put through the system.

He highlights a boost in the number of sacked officers - 51 since he arrived - and a doubling of suspended officers and completed gross misconduct investigations.

He writes in his letter to the home secretary and the mayor of London: "Much of this reinforces the need for a tougher regulatory framework and additional powers to remove officers. These processes are far more complex, bureaucratic and slow than normal employment law and that is hampering our efforts."

Ms Braverman said in a statement: "I have been clear that a relentless focus on improving standards and common sense policing is required.

"Sir Mark's update on the work to root out unfit officers demonstrates the scale of this challenge but I have confidence in his plan to turnaround the Met and ensure the force is delivering for the public.

"I am also driving forward work to review the police dismissals process to ensure the system is effective at removing officers who fall below the standards we expect."

The Met said that a new anonymous Crimestoppers hotline for the public to report officers' corrupt or abusive behaviour received more than 1,000 calls and triggered 325 investigations. More staff, too, were being encouraged to report their colleagues for bad behaviour.

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London's Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "Londoners, like me, will be appalled to hear that 161 serving police officers in the Met have a criminal conviction and it is right that every single one of those cases will be reviewed by the Met's Professional Standards team.

"It is right that action is now being taken to review and remove vetting from officers who cannot be trusted to police London - the first step to removing them from the Met altogether. This work is particularly urgent for the hundreds of officers against whom allegations of sexual offending or domestic abuse have been made. These investigations must be concluded without delay.

"As I have been saying for some time, Londoners deserve better from the Met and it is right that the bar is high for the conduct of those entrusted with keeping us safe. This is an important first step towards rebuilding public trust and confidence, which is so vital to policing by consent, but there is still a lot more to do."