Two rapists among Met officers not properly vettedPA MediaTwo serial rapists were among 131 officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police who committed crimes or misconduct after they were not properly vetted, a review has found. David Carrick, one of the UK's worst sex offenders, and Cliff Mitchell, who carried out a "campaign of rape" on two victims, were among the police officers who were not properly checked. The cases were revealed in a vetting review of the 10 years up to the end of March 2023. Other serious crimes committed by officers and staff included drug use, violent attacks and affray. Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams acknowledged that the "public will be really concerned" by the lapse in vetting procedures. She added that the report was part of "ongoing work to demand the highest standards across the Met". Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Abandoning vetting checks on officers was a dereliction of the Met's duty to keep London safe."I have asked the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to carry out an inspection as I seek to restore trust in the force's ability to protect and serve the public."Met PoliceCliff Mitchell is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of nearly 18 years after committing more than 50 sex attacksCarrick, who was given 37 life sentences for his crimes, was not properly vetted in 2017, with checks failing to reveal an allegation of domestic abuse against him. Mitchell was allowed to join the force in 2020 after a vetting panel, which partly aimed to improve diversity, overturned a decision to reject him from the police despite a previous accusation of raping a child. The review published on Thursday found that thousands of police officers and staff were not properly checked amid pressure during a national recruitment drive from July 2019 to March 2023. Senior officers at the Met chose not to meet national guidelines amid a scramble to find more than 4,500 recruits. The deviations from standard practice meant thousands of references were not checked, and shortcuts in vetting led to there being some officers and staff who should not have been in the force. This contributed to "police-perpetrated harm" and damaged public trust, the review said. Under the Police Uplift Programme, forces in England and Wales were expected to recruit 20,000 officers within three and a half years to replace those cut during austerity, and funding was ringfenced and lost if targets were not met. Hertfordshire PoliceDavid Carrick was already serving multiple life sentences when he was convicted last year of further sex attacks"Senior leaders embarked on an assertive approach towards hiring and vetting practices in order to meet what would become unachievable recruitment targets and grow the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) workforce at pace," the report stated.
