Northamptonshire Police act after watchdog claims 'it’s too easy for the wrong people to get in'

Northamptonshire Police says it is “taking very seriously” a watchdog report that revealed hundreds of serving officers in England and Wales should have failed vetting checks.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it had found "too many cases where people should not have been allowed to join the police," including officers with criminal records or links to organised crime. It also discovered cases where evidence that a prospective officer may present a risk to the public was ignored and examples of officers transferring between forces despite a history of concerning intelligence, complaints or misconduct allegations.

Northamptonshire’s Assistant Chief Constable, Ivan Balhatchet, said the force has a “vigorous vetting process,” but added: “Like other forces across the UK, we take the findings of this report very seriously. A team has been set up to review its recommendations to ensure we have the right safeguarding measures in place and the very highest professional standards are upheld by our officers and staff.

“Our Chief Constable, Nick Adderley, has made no secret of his desire to root out those whose conduct falls short of what is expected and our Professional Standards Department remains focused on investigating complaints as and when they arise. This is right and proper.

“Work also continues to tackle errant behaviour and educate officers and staff around the high standards of integrity we expect. Where officers or staff are found guilty of gross misconduct, we will strive relentlessly to remove them at the earliest opportunity.”

HMICFRS’ report identified 131 cases nationally where inspectors said vetting decisions were "questionable at best" including 68 where they disagreed with decisions to grant clearance.

In March this year, a Northamptonshire Police disciplinary panel heard how an officer had beaten the vetting process by lying about his employment history.

Former PC Richard Wilson was sacked from a previous job for gross misconduct in January 2017 but failed to disclose the fact on his application in March 2020 even when quizzed during his job interview. He was rumbled a few months later and resigned before he could be sacked.

Matt Parr Inspector of Constabulary said: “It is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police.

“If the police are to rebuild public trust and protect their own female officers and staff, vetting must be much more rigorous and sexual misconduct taken more seriously.

“It seems reasonable to say that over the last three or four years, the number of people recruited over whom we would raise significant questions is certainly in the hundreds, if not low thousands.

“The marked decline in public trust for policing is undoubtedly linked to the prevalence of some of these dreadful incidents we've seen in recent years. You should have a higher standard of who gets in and who stays in.”

The report — commissioned by former home secretary Priti Patel following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens — also found an "alarming number" of female officers who said they had been subject to "appalling behaviour by male colleagues".

It made 43 recommendations for assessing and investigating misconduct allegations, as well as in the quality and consistency of vetting.