Thousands of North police ‘not vetted’ – probe
NINE out of 10 Northumbria Police officers have not had up-to-date background checks to ensure they are suitable to serve, a probe has found.
It was revealed almost 3,000 – or 90% – of officers at the force had not been subjected to up-to-date checks.
It came as figures showed around 14,000 officers from 17 forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have not been vetted in line with the current policy.
The process of vetting looks at an officer’s background, family and friends to check they are not associated in criminal activity.
Commenting on the figures, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Mike Cunningham, said the forces “need to address this matter urgently”.
He said the “unacceptable” backlog needed to be given higher priority within forces, and called for “appropriate levels of resources” to be allocated.
Mr Cunningham added: “I think it is simply a question of volume outstripping the supply of people to do the tasks.
“There is no doubt that forces who have not vetted or re-vetted large numbers of their staff are subject to a vulnerability.” But Northumbria Police said it is fully compliant with the national policy on vetting.
A force spokesman said: “The policy on vetting changed in 2012. This meant Northumbria, like all forces, had a number of officers and staff already in post who had been vetted to previous standards.
“When an individuals’ vetting expires or their role changes their vetting is renewed to the required standard.
“There is a planned programme of retrospective vetting for all officers and staff who are not vetted at the 2012 standards due to start.”
Vetting, which can take several months, looks at an individual’s finances, employment history and family associations, as well as a detailed search for any convictions.
Chief Constable Martin Jelley, from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said forces were “working hard to reduce any backlog”.
The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said it was disappointed to see such huge backlogs in vetting.
Its chairman, Steve White, told the BBC: “Police officers are privy to an enormous amount of confidential data and information.
“What we can’t risk is the prospect of dishonest people abusing that position and being able to access this information or exploit situations for their own ends.”
INSPECTORATE CALLS FOR AN URGENT END TO ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ SITUATION