Met Police ‘still has hundreds of officers who should have been sacked’

London's Metropolitan Police force still has hundreds of serving officers who should have been sacked, the Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said.

The Commissioner, who is nearing a year in the job, said last October that the number of officers and staff being sacked was “massively under-engineered”. And on Monday he said he is “still convinced” that hundreds who should not be in the job remain on the force.

Sir Mark told attendees at the Policy Exchange think tank on Monday, “there is no explicit provision in place within police regulations that if a police officer fails their re-vetting, that there is a route to dismiss them, which is clearly completely perverse”.

The Government plans to change regulations in the new year to make it easier for force chiefs to sack rogue officers.

In April, the Met said sackings had risen by 70% in six months and suspensions had doubled as bosses moved to crack down on standards.

Force figures for the year to the end of June 2023, released after a freedom of information request by the PA news agency, show the number of officers charged with criminal offences has remained steady.

In the year to June 2021 56 were charged, while the following year that figure was 58 and in the year to June 2023 it was 52.

More figures will be given to the new London police board in the coming weeks, Sir Mark said.

They will show what progress has been made but also where there are blockages stopping force chiefs getting rid of officers and staff.

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