Public trust in the police is at breaking point. There can be no more excuses

The past week has shocked policing to its core. It is inconceivable that almost two years after the horrific murder of Sarah Everard by a serving policeman, another officer in the same unit has pleaded guilty to a raft of sickening crimes against many victims, over many years.

Once more, a dark shadow has been cast over the Metropolitan Police and over the reputation of British policing as a whole.

I pay tribute to the brave women who came forward to report David Carrick. They suffered greatly at the hands of this twisted predator and were failed by the very institution whose guiding purpose was to protect them.

Their courage to come forward and report Carrick’s crimes has put a stop to his monstrous campaign of abuse and the British public is safer as a result.

But he should have never been given a badge in the first place. And he certainly shouldn’t have been able to keep one for so long.

Public trust in the police is at breaking point. And I completely understand why.

This case and, quite frankly, too many others, has rightly raised questions about the state of policing, recruitment and vetting practices, as well as the safety of women more broadly.

I know that the majority of police officers in this country share the public’s disgust that an individual among their ranks could be responsible for such a despicable betrayal of trust.

I have seen first-hand the professionalism and dedication of countless officers since becoming Home Secretary. They run head-first into danger to protect us and feel deeply for the victims they encounter along the way.

But we cannot deny that poisonous roots have been allowed to spread in our police. Vile behaviour, from individuals who clearly had very little fear for the consequences, has been brought to light, including sexual abuse, corruption, racism and homophobia.

No more excuses. I want to empower chief constables to take immediate action to get rid of anyone in their ranks who is not fit to wear the uniform – and utmost priority must be placed on the vetting of new and existing recruits.

All police forces across the country have agreed to urgently check their officers and staff against the police intelligence database. This will help to root out anyone unfit to serve who might have slipped through the net.

And if an officer is identified as having fallen far short of the high standards that are expected of them, they should be able to be sacked more easily.

That’s why I’m reviewing the current police dismissals process, to ensure bureaucracy and unnecessary procedure does not prevail over ethics and common sense.

I’m also making sure that the police vetting guidance is strengthened, so that staff are crystal clear on the steps they need to take when conducting checks on new recruits – and that they understand that it is their legal duty to follow them by the book.

After the murder of Sarah Everard, the Government commissioned a two-part independent inquiry led by Lady Elish Angiolini, to uncover how a serving police officer was able to commit such a horrendous crime.

While the first part is currently prevented from reporting because of ongoing court proceedings related to the case, we are escalating the second part of this inquiry so that it can begin imminently and look more widely into these urgent policing issues on vetting processes and toxic culture.

I’m grateful to Lady Elish, who has also agreed to examine the Carrick case as part of this work.

Public trust is precious. Our model of policing by consent cannot work effectively without it.

If there is a perception that there is a culture problem in the police, then that is the reality.

Change starts at the top. It was a grave week for the Met but I want to reassure the public that I have discussed with Sir Mark Rowley his plan to reform the force, and I am encouraged that since he became Commissioner of the Met last September he has been moving to root out officers who are unfit to wear the uniform.

We should also not underestimate the impact of our front-line officers. We are nearing the end of our drive to recruit 20,000 additional police officers, which presents a unique opportunity to change the face of the police and rebuild trust in our communities.

It’s about back to basics.

No more nicknames such as “Bastard Dave” and “the rapist”, only to be met with the shrugging of shoulders. Every single police officer must stand up to any sign of disrespectful or abusive behaviour at every level.

It’s time for a new generation of police officers, with a return to common-sense policing.

That’s cracking down on illegal drugs in our communities, catching burglars and putting away rapists and murderers.

David Carrick should never have been given a badge in the first place

Every officer must stand up to any sign of disrespectful or abusive behaviour at every level