Police officers found guilty of gross misconduct will face automatic dismissal under Home Office plans to overhaul the disciplinary process in the wake of the cases of Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.
The Home Office carried out a review of the police disciplinary system in the wake of both cases and says it wants to bring in changes quickly, possibly as early as the spring of 2024.
Chief constables—or in the case of London, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police—will have much greater powers to sack officers.
Sir Mark: ‘I’m Grateful to the Government’
On Thursday, Sir Mark said, “I’m grateful to the government for recognising the need for substantial change that will empower chief officers in our fight to uphold the highest standards and restore confidence in policing.”
“The flaws in the existing regulations have contributed to our inability to fully address the systemic issues of poor standards and misconduct,” he added.
The Home Office said police chiefs would have the right to challenge disciplinary decisions, and serving officers who fail vetting processes will be fired.
The move is a bid to rebuild public trust and confidence in the police after the Couzens and Carrick cases and a number of other scandals.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said, “Corrupt police officers and those who behave poorly or fail vetting must be kicked out of our forces.”
She said: “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.”
Police Federation Fear ‘Kangaroo Courts’
PFEW national chairman Steve Hartshorn said, “A return to the dark days, a return to kangaroo courts, whereby an officer is already guilty in the eyes of the chief officer before any evidence is heard, and they already know what outcome they want to see, is deeply concerning.”Mr. Whiting said LQCs were introduced, “to bring much-needed independence and more objectivity to the system.”
But Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said the Home Office plan was “sensible” and would put police chiefs “back in control.”
The Home Office said a finding of gross misconduct will automatically result in a police officer’s dismissal unless there are truly exceptional circumstances.
They said independent lawyers would still sit on the panels to advise and maintain “rigour” but police chiefs would have the final word.
Mr. Philp said, “These changes will ensure that police chiefs will have the ability to act fast to remove officers guilty of serious misconduct or who are poorly performing.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said, “Labour has been calling for over two years for the complete overhaul of the police misconduct and vetting systems and these reforms are long overdue.”
She said, “But as well as being too slow, the Conservatives are also not going far enough to raise standards, root out abuse and restore confidence in the vital work the police do to keep communities safe.”
