Do new police vetting regulations go far enough?
Following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021, vetting in the Met has undergone change and reform. The Casey Review concluded that “Recruitment and vetting systems [within the Met] are poor and fail to guard against those who seek power in order to abuse it”.1
In April 2025, the Government brought in new vetting regulations following the court’s ruling to quash the Met’s decision to withdraw Sergeant Lino Di Maria’s vetting, following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, including allegations of rape.
The Met Police Federation and Sergeant Di Maria brought a case against the Met, related to the withdrawal of vetting, to the High Court. His case argued that withdrawal of vetting was not a legal basis for dismissal, and that the vetting regime was a statutorily unregulated process that did not comply with human rights legislation.2
The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will meet tomorrow to question the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime on whether the new regulations go far enough, and what lessons have been learned from the case of Sergeant Di Maria.
The Committee will also question the Deputy Mayor on the Met’s work to tackle phone theft, shoplifting, assaults on shop workers and the possible impact of the Government’s upcoming national spending review.
The guests are:
- Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime
- Kenny Bowie, Director of Strategy and MPS Oversight, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 21 May 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- Baroness Casey Review: Final Report, March 2023, p. 11
- Approved Judgement, 11 February 2025
- Marina Ahmad AM, Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Police and Crime Committee.
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.