Number of police officers who have failed vetting procedures

Louisa JAMES made this Freedom of Information request to Kent Police as part of a batch sent to 45 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Kent Police should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Kent Police,

Please provide me with the following information

1. The number of potential new recruits to the force who underwent the vetting process in 2019
2. The number who passed the vetting process
3. The number who failed the vetting process
4. Of those of officers who passed (Question 2), the number who have since faced any formal disciplinary action, including dismissal]

5. Please repeat the above 4 questions for 2020
6. Please repeat the above 4 questions for 2021
7. Please repeat the above 4 questions for 2022

Yours faithfully,

Louisa JAMES

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

2 Attachments

Dear Ms JAMES,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI/00108/23/HR

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 18 January 23, I
note you seek access, in summary, to information relating to: 

 

Number of police officers who have failed vetting procedures

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides that a public
authority respond to an FOI request within 20 working days. Although every
effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within statutory
deadlines, some delays may be unavoidable. We apologise for any
inconvenience and will endeavour to process your request as quickly as is
practicable. 

 

Your interest in Kent Police is appreciated and pending a specific
response to your request, I enclose a sheet, which summarises your rights.
Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please
contact us via reply to this email address.  

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Mrs Beth PANKHURST 46060054 

Public Disclosure Assistant 

Freedom of Information  

[1][Kent Police request email]  

Information Management 

Coldharbour, London Road,  

Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7SL  

 

Unless otherwise marked, this correspondence and any attachments should be
treated as OFFICIAL and handled appropriately.  

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/privacy/ or
https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/privacy/. Additionally for our Terms and
Conditions please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/terms-con...
or https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/terms-co...

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Kent Police request email]

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Angiolini Inquiry part 2: terms of reference

Published 11 May 2023

'1. The extent to which systems, policies and processes for the recruitment, vetting and transfer of police officers are fit for purpose and help to identify those who display misogynistic and/or predatory attitudes and behaviours, including...'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

IOPC 23/5/23:

"We have also been working closely with the Angiolini Inquiry, sharing evidence to inform its work looking at cultural issues within policing and addressing the broader concerns around women’s safety in public highlighted by Sarah Everard’s death."

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/news/io...

HMICFRS:
Vetting, misconduct and misogyny in the police service: review of progress – letter

Published on: 11 May 2023

'But some responses weren’t detailed enough, and a few forces appeared to have either downplayed or overstated their progress in some areas. In some of these cases, we made enquiries to verify or refute the information in their self‑assessments. This has helped us to establish a more accurate and informed picture of progress.'

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...

London Evening Standard 11/5/23:

'HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services said it had uncovered new “you cannot be serious, you are really letting that person in?” cases of unsuitable people being recruited during a inspection of forces including the Met.'

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/metro...

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/m...

HMICFRS report:

An inspection of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service
Published on: 2 November 2022

'Following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, the then Home Secretary commissioned HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) under section 54(2B) of the Police Act 1996 to assess current vetting and counter-corruption capacity and capability in policing across England and Wales. This was to include forces’ ability to detect and deal with misogynistic and predatory behaviour.

We were asked to consider current vetting (and re-vetting), arrangements for transferees, whistleblowing arrangements, the work of counter-corruption units and, where relevant, wider Professional Standards '

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...

BARONESS CASEY REVIEW

Final Report - March 2023

(Relates to the Met but some people might find it useful)

'3.3 Vetting

Very serious concerns have been raised about the vetting procedures being applied to Met recruits as well as the process for re-vetting serving officers.'

https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/...

London Evening Standard 23/5/23:

London Policing Board to oversee reform of Met Police after damning report

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/l...

Police complaints Statistics for England and Wales 2021/22 (Experimental statistics)

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/police-...

Update on actions to improve police standards and culture
Statement made on 1 March 2023 - UIN HLWS579

'As of this date, all force HR records have been prepared for the datawash which will conclude by the end of March, cross-checking over 326,000 officers and staff against relevant PND records. Forces will then interrogate this data and take action to investigate where necessary.
...
As well as driving up standards in police vetting and dealing with misconduct, the Home Secretary has been clear that policing needs to address the root causes of poor, and in some cases toxic, cultures.' Chris Philp

https://questions-statements.parliament....

Daily Mail 2/3/23

'Every police officer will be re-vetted if there is a change in their circumstances...'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

IOPC:

Statement in response to HMICFRS report into vetting, misconduct and misogyny in policing

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/news/st...

Officer David Carrick - 'one of the worst sexual offenders in modern criminal history'. The Guardian

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/o...

The Guardian - 25/2/23:

Revealed: one in 100 police officers in England and Wales faced a criminal charge last year

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023...

The Guardian:

Dozens of UK police officers disciplined over sexual contact with crime victims and witnesses

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023...

College of Policing:

APP on Vetting 2021
(Authorised Professional Practice)

'7.23.4 There is no legal requirement for biometric vetting to be conducted on police staff. However, police staff posts that are intrinsically frontline-fac ing and/or involve considerable time spent with the public should be subjected to biometric vetting.

Forces should conduct an audit of police staff posts and identify those for which biometric vetting is proportionate and justifiable.'

https://library.college.police.uk/docs/c...

Police Me Too (TRIGGER WARNING)

https://police-me-too.co.uk/

Related:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/v...

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/v...

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

1 Attachment

Dear Ms JAMES,

 

You made a Freedom of Information request to Kent Police on 18 January 23
regarding Number of police officers who have failed vetting procedures.

 

I apologise that you have not received a response to your request,
unfortunately a heavy workload has led to delays in some cases.

 

In order to manage our workload it would assist to know whether the
information you requested is still required. If the information is
required then please let us know and we will continue to progress your
request. If the information is not required then there is no need to reply
to this email, we will file your request after 20 working days.

 

Kind regards,

 

Mrs Beth PANKHURST 46060054

Public Disclosure Assistant

Freedom of Information

[1][Kent Police request email]

Information Management

Maidstone Police Station, Palace Avenue,

Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6NF

[2]DATASafe - Header

Unless otherwise marked, this correspondence and any attachments should be
treated as OFFICIAL and handled appropriately.

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/privacy/ or
https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/privacy/. Additionally for our Terms and
Conditions please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/terms-con...
or https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/terms-co...

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Kent Police request email]

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 Report
Last updated 29 February 2024

Report of part 1 of the Angiolini Inquiry into the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by an off-duty officer of the Metropolitan Police.

'4.21 It is important to note at the outset that there are two types of vetting regime in the police service:

[1] Force vetting is applied to all individuals who require unsupervised access to police assets and must be underpinned by the completion of the ‘authentication procedure’, which is used to confirm an individual’s identity, nationality, right to work and residency. The force vetting process consists of the following:

Recruitment Vetting...
Management Vetting...
Non-Police Personnel Vetting...

[2] National Security Vetting allows individuals access to government information, locations and equipment. The three common categories of vetting under the National Security Vetting framework are the Counter Terrorist Check, Security Check and Developed Vetting.'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Update on actions to improve police standards and culture

Statement made on 25 January 2024 by Chris Philp

Statement UIN HCWS212

'The Government has committed to provide further funding to the NPCC to develop an automated and continuous vetting system, enabling the identification of new information on officers and staff to be sent directly, at pace, to the force concerned. The NPCC will continue to work closely with the Home Office to achieve this.'

https://questions-statements.parliament....

Misconduct hearings:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...