Resources for tackling police corruption
The Metropolitan Police must ensure that the necessary resources are allocated to the task of tackling corrupt behaviour among its officers. Without proper resources there can be no effective fight against corruption. Since the Independent Office for Police Conduct has responsibility for investigating such matters, it must also be properly resourced to do so.
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedFor 2023/24, the MPS will receive up to £3.3bn via the police funding settlement, an increase of up to £102.3m when compared with 2022/23. In addition, the MPS faces increased demands on resources from policing the capital city and, as part of the 2023/24 police funding settlement, will continue to receive £185.3m through the National and International Capital City grant. The MPS has conducted a review of current resources within its Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), including the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, which resulted in a new specialist team to tackle corrupt officers who abuse their positions for sexual purposes. The MPS has also undertaken a transformation project focusing on making improvements in the DPS. The DPS has invested in an additional 150 officers, and the new Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command's purpose is to enhance proactive work to identify and root out corruption.
Progress Timeline
HMICFRS returned Metropolitan Police to default monitoring (January 2025) after closing causes of concern linked to Daniel Morgan Panel recommendations. Met Police completed associated recommendations including anti-corruption reforms; 200+ additional professional standards officers; vetting refusal rates doubled to 11%.
Published Evidence
Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
The MPS established a new Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, a Counter Corruption Board (November 2021), and invested an additional 150 officers in the Directorate of Professional Standards. All c.50,000 officers searched against PND and PNC. However, HMICFRS inspection (published March 2022) found MPS counter-corruption arrangements 'fundamentally flawed' and 'not fit for purpose' -- the Met had recruited people with criminal connections and over 2,000 unaccounted warrant cards. A further HMICFRS inspection (November 2022) found vetting processes across England and Wales fell short.
View detailed findings
The MPS restructured its anti-corruption machinery but HMICFRS found the arrangements 'fundamentally flawed' and 'not fit for purpose' as recently as March 2022. Structural changes are in place but effectiveness remains under scrutiny.