Recommendation DM-15: Regular security clearance updates for police
From The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, published 15 June 2021.
Recommendation
Security clearance processes for police officers and police staff are fundamental to any anti-corruption strategy. Regular updating of the security status of each individual is essential to identify any concerns and to enable action to be taken in respect of such concerns. Notwithstanding the assurance received by the Panel from the Metropolitan Police in December 2020, the Metropolitan Police should remain vigilant at all times to ensure not only that it vets its employees in accordance with its new measures, but also that it has adequate and effective processes to establish whether its staff are currently engaged in crime.
In brief (written by this site)
The Panel called on the Metropolitan Police Service to regularly update staff security clearances. In June 2023, the Home Office reported that the Commissioner announced in April 2023 that all personnel had been checked against police databases, but vetting post holders to the correct standard remained ongoing, following a November 2022 inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) that found vetting fell short of standards and enabled the "wrong people" to enter policing (Home Office response, Jun 2023). Earlier, in March 2022, it stated that it had increased vetting staff, established a dedicated renewals team, and reduced its backlog (Metropolitan Police Service response, Mar 2022). The record holds nothing dated later than the response of June 2023 (Home Office response, Jun 2023).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
2.2.12. The HMICFRS inspection report which examined vetting, misconduct, misogyny, and counter-corruption procedures on a thematic basis across seven forces (including the MPS), was published in November 2022. It concluded that on too many occasions, vetting processes fell short of the expected standards, enabling what it called the ‘wrong people’ to enter the police workforce. Previous warnings from HMICFRS, as well as others, have raised concerns regarding vetting; it is not clear that policing had prioritised addressing those highlighted vulnerabilities. The report made 43 recommendations in total, and chief officers have now committed to addressing the relevant recommendations in full. The MPS must ensure robust vetting of its workforce. In April 2023, the MPS Commissioner announced that all c.50,000 officers and staff have been searched against the Police National Database, and all serving officers have been searched against the Police National Computer. Further analysis has also been undertaken by the MPS to ensure that individuals have appropriate vetting for designated posts. However, ensuring these post holders are vetted to the correct standard is still ongoing.
- Vetting capacity and demand reviewed resulting in staff increase in Vetting Unit and establishment of a dedicated vetting renewals team.
- Vetting backlog significantly reduced and within tolerance.
- Escalation process in place to remove IT and building access if evidence of non- compliance.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Metropolitan Police Service has been found in the sources searched (last checked 30 January 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response - Metropolitan Police Service
Response