Vetting procedures
To whom it may concern,
I would like to make the following request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 2000.
1) Could you please provide me with your force’s vetting policy, or any guidance on your vetting processes other than the APP on Vetting issued by the College of Policing?
2) Whether or not a specific vetting policy document exists, could you confirm what the minimum checks required are for Recruitment Vetting for police personnel?
3) Could you also confirm whether, as a matter of course, your RV procedures for police personnel currently include checks on social media content?
Yours faithfully,
Matthew Thompson
Dear Matthew Thompson,
Enquiry Ref: 2021/1034
I acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information request.
As set out by the Freedom of Information Act, it will be our aim to
respond to your request by 06/12/2021.
If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact me.
Yours sincerely,
P.P. Megan Rutledge
Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth |
Information Rights Officer
[1]cid:image001.png@01D6F4C1.B1ADEF40
Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio |
Information Standards & Compliance
Heddlu Gogledd Cymru | North Wales
Police
[2]cid:image002.png@01D736A2.4D106180
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb yn
gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally to
both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.
Please note: we will process your personal data (i.e. your name, address,
email address, your request etc.) to record and respond to your freedom of
information request/s and provide cross-government advice, support and
co-ordination in responding to freedom of information requests. This data
will be held for two years, plus the current year.
[3]https://www.northwales.police.uk/hyg/fpn...
References
Visible links
3. https://www.northwales.police.uk/hyg/fpn...
Dear Matthew Thompson,
In response to your recent request for information, please find attached
our reply.
I have also attached a copy of our review procedure should you not be
happy with our response.
Regards,
P.P. Megan Rutledge
Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth |
Information Rights Officer
[1]cid:image001.png@01D6F4C1.B1ADEF40
Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio |
Information Standards & Compliance
Heddlu Gogledd Cymru | North Wales
Police
[2]cid:image002.png@01D736A2.4D106180
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb yn
gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally to
both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.
Oeddech chi’n gwybod bod modd i chi gael mynediad i wybodaeth am Heddlu
Gogledd Cymru drwy Gynllun Cyhoeddi a Log Datgeliadau Heddlu Gogledd
Cymru? Mae’r ddau ar gael drwy’r dolenni cyswllt isod:
Did you know you can access information about North Wales Police via the
North Wales Police Publication Scheme and the North Wales Police
Disclosure Log? Both are available via the below links:
[3]https://www.northwales.police.uk/cy-GB/f...
[4]https://www.northwales.police.uk/foi-ai/...
References
Visible links
3. https://www.northwales.police.uk/cy-GB/f...
4. https://www.northwales.police.uk/foi-ai/...
Dear Freedom of Information Team,
Many thanks for your response. I just wanted to clarify an element of it however. You say in your response that your policy on vetting follows the guidance set out in the APP from the College of Policing. Meaning social media vetting is a part of your standard RV policy.
But could you please tell me whether, for the purposes of such social media vetting, the details of platforms used and profile names used are dependent on disclosure by the applicant?
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Thompson
Good Morning,
What Social Media checks are conducted do depend mainly on information provided by the applicant. However, other general searches using open source can be conducted which may produce a result not directly linked to the disclosures made by the applicant.
Kind Regards,
Megan Rutledge
Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth | Information Rights Officer
Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio | Information Standards & Compliance
Heddlu Gogledd Cymru | North Wales Police
Email/Ebost – [email address]
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb yn gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally to both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.
J Roberts left an annotation ()
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://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...
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J Roberts left an annotation ()
Police Integrity
Statement made on 18 September 2023 by Suella Braverman
Statement UIN HCWS1035
'The Government is committed to delivering these important reforms, the majority of which require changes to secondary legislation, and will work with stakeholders to deliver these as soon as practicable.
The review report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and published on Gov.UK.'
https://questions-statements.parliament....
Home Office Review: The process of police officer dismissals
19/9/23
'Sir Robert Peel famously said, “the police are the public, and the public are the police”. But this does not mean the police should be held to the same standards as the general public. The Government, the public and the policing sector should rightly expect more.'
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...
London Evening Standard - 31/8/23
'Police officers will face automatic dismissal if found guilty of gross misconduct under plans to overhaul the disciplinary process.
...
Independent lawyers will continue to sit on the panel to advise and maintain “rigour”, but now in a supporting role.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “Corrupt police officers and those who behave poorly or fail vetting must be kicked out of our forces. For too long our police chiefs have not had the powers they need to root out those who have no place wearing the uniform.
Now they can take swift and robust action to sack officers who should not be serving our communities.'
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/po...
Letter to chief constables on the police dismissals review
Published 1 September 2023
(from Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire Chris Philp)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
R (Victor) v Chief Constable of West Mercia Police [2023] EWHC 2119 (Admin)
This judicial review concerns a student probationer police constable who was sacked after her vetting clearance was removed.
Her Claim was dismissed.
The Judgment includes a lot of useful information.
https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...
Officers who cleared vetting but ended up on the College of Policing's Barred List:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/t...
Daily Mail 25/8/23:
'EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: More than half of all police officers reported for abusing their position for sex in the past five years are STILL serving'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
Vetting Code of Practice updated
Published on 20 July 2023
https://www.college.police.uk/article/ve...
The Guardian 5/7/23
'2,000 police in England and Wales may face sack in vetting revamp'
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023...
Chris Philp answered this parliamentary question from Jim Shannon:
UIN 187654, tabled on 5 June 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of vetting of police staff.
https://questions-statements.parliament....
State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2022
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary (9/6/23)
'Dismissing corrupt and incompetent officers
...
The police do have some tools to dismiss those people who are unsuitable to be police officers, but they don’t always use these tools effectively. The quality of misconduct investigations needs to improve.
In our inspection of vetting, misconduct and misogyny in the police service, we found shortcomings in almost 20 percent of the investigations we reviewed.' p36
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...
HMICFRS:
Vetting and Anti-corruption Part 1: How effective is the National Crime Agency at dealing with corruption?
20 June 2023
'Our only concern about the NCA’s vetting process is the willingness of its staff to report concerns about their colleagues. We cover this in our section on prejudicial and improper behaviour.'
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...
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/...
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)
'7.22.25 Forces should check content on publically available social media sites for the purposes of service reputational reassurance, and to ensure that the applicant’s online behaviour is compatible with the Code of Ethics or Standards of Professional Behaviour.
The applicant must use social media responsibly and safely.
...
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/
Police misconduct, England and Wales year ending 31 March 2022
Published 12 January 2023
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics...
Related:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/v...
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n...
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...