Today, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) published a report following its latest PEEL assessment of the Metropolitan Police Service.
In response to the report’s findings, Chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“The report released this morning by HMICFRS points to some positive progress being made by the Met but raises concerns that must be addressed.
“Firstly, the report says the Met ‘is very good at dealing with serious and organised crime’. As this is one of the biggest challenges facing the force in recent years, it’s appropriate to see that officers are being acknowledged for their hard work. However, it is clear that the way common crime is being investigated needs to be improved.
“The report also found that 37% of Met police officers have not received the correct vetting required to work in the force. In 2018, the Met lost 40 officers in the recruitment process due to delays in vetting.
“The Government has pledged to put an additional 20,000 police officers on UK streets, of which the London Assembly has called for its fair share. If the Met’s vetting process is not up to scratch, the number of officers planned for London might not be achieved in good time. As there is a desperate need for more police officers in the capital, these checks must be done in a timely manner to ensure potential officers are not stuck in the recruitment process.
“The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee is pleased that the Met is receiving credit where its due, but the Committee will continue to closely monitor the issues highlighted in today’s report.”
Notes to editors
- Unmesh Desai AM, Chairman of the Police & Crime Committee is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Police & Crime Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Aoife Nolan on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.