Officers sacked for corruption before and after the Casey report
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.25.042235
I note you seek access to the following information:
- How many Met police officers were sacked for corruption within the year after the Casey report was released.
- How many Met police officers were sacked for corruption a year before the Casey report was released.
- What has the Met doing to tackle corruption after the report was released.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full. Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Please note the following has been used to research the data:
Abuse of position/ corruption
‘Abuse of position’ is any attempt or intention by a person serving with the police, whether on or off duty, to inappropriately or illegitimately take advantage of:
- their position as a person serving with the police
- the authority their position as a person serving with the police affords them
- any powers conferred on them by virtue of their position as a person serving with the police.
When recording an allegation in this category, one of the following sub-categories are used:
- Organisational corruption
- Abuse of position for sexual purpose
- Abuse of position for the purpose of pursuing an inappropriate emotional relationship
- Abuse of position for financial purpose
- Obstruction of justice
- Abuse of position for other purpose
Q1- How many Met police officers were sacked for corruption within the year after the Casey report was released.
Q2- How many Met police officers were sacked for corruption a year before the Casey report was released.
Please find an excel spread sheet pursuant to questions 1 and 2 of your request above. Please note ‘Would have been dismissed if still serving’ is an outcome of a gross misconduct hearing that has taken place for a former officer after they have left the MPS, and the allegations are proven as gross misconduct. In these cases, the former officer is added to the College of Policing’s Barred register that prevents them working in a policing environment again in the future.
Q3 - What has the Met doing to tackle corruption after the report was released.
In recognition of the concerns highlighted, and as part of our continued commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability, a number of significant steps have been taken across the DPS command to strengthen our response to corruption risks. The information below has been compiled collaboratively with input from departmental leads and reflects a consolidated overview of the most substantial changes and interventions implemented to date. These efforts represent both immediate and longer-term strategies aimed at reinforcing ethical practice and organisational resilience.
As part of our New Met for London plan, we are reforming the way we vet officers and staff. We have changed our approach and are confident that, following our reforms, only those who meet the highest standards will be granted vetting clearance and able to join the Met. The Met has also lobbied for, and worked with the Home Office on, new vetting legislation to give police chiefs greater ability to dismiss officers who cannot hold vetting clearance after serious incidents or where intelligence points to a pattern of behaviour that deems an officer unsuitable to continue in their role.
The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences (DASO) unit have also launched a number of new processes to tackle corruption by encouraging reporting and better supporting victims who come forward including, but not necessarily limited to:
1) DASO attending CPD sessions Met wide and providing a bespoke DASO input – providing anonymised case studies highlighting common themes such as ‘Misconduct in Public Office’.
2) ‘Guardian’ sessions where women can speak to a nominated approachable person to discuss any concerns and escalate to DPS where necessary.
3) Op Pledge – Senior scrutiny officer overseeing, victim focus, so that victims feel like investigation are being treated as a priority.
4) Implementing DASO passport for victims – So not to re-traumatise victims by having to repeat their experience. Aimed to roll out in the summer 2025.
5) Police Federation reps for internal victims – Working with victim focus groups and The Federation to implement a term of reference.
6) Working with colleagues for Bluestone Soteria, to deliver enhanced cognitive interview courses to DASO investigators.
The DPS Intelligence Bureau (IB) are the first port-of-call in receiving counter-corruption intelligence relating to members of the Met. That includes receiving information from sources such as Crimestoppers, the Police Integrity Line and Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service. Additionally, the IB have developed a range of innovative measures, working processes and large-scale operations to screen for integrity and improve and maintain values and standards within the organisation. These can be categorised as steps taken to identify bad officers prior to criminal and misconduct proceedings and potential removal. The mechanisms for removal exist elsewhere.
The IB have formalised and embedded a process to conduct checks on individual’s suitability to perform certain roles and responsibilities within the Met. A range of intelligence systems are checked for diverse purposes such as recruitment into sensitive positions. This bridges the gap between vetting renewals, giving the MPS a stronger approach to aftercare as defined in Angiolini Recommendation 13. Over 5,000 checks have now been completed and the measures have resulted in officers being refused firearms posts and being removed and redeployed from safeguarding or sensitive positions. Further technology and systems have been developed that allow the IB to instantly bulk-check MPS personnel against a range of datasets. If unsuitable officers are identified, then referrals to the Integrity Assurance Unit and Police Vetting Unit follow.
In line with the National Police Chiefs Council Counter Corruption Advisory Group guidance, the Met has adopted the key corruption priorities facing the police forces. These priorities have been identified through detailed strategic analysis of force, regional and national threat assessments as the dominant areas of concern facing UK law enforcement from corruption. In the Met, a Senior Officer is responsible to drive and lead activity to improve intelligence collection, deliver prevention activity, steer enforcement opportunities and enhance communication avenues. These priority leads, working with an intelligence analyst, are accountable to the Commander of Professionalism to ensure their responsibilities are discharged.
Following a pilot in October 2022, the Met also approved the implementation of Lawful Business Monitoring (LBM) using specialised software. The investment and deployment of LBM provides the Met with the capability to proactively identify, and address criminality and misconduct committed by our workforce via Met issued digital devices. It also addresses a key counter-corruption gap as identified within the HMICFRS Counter Corruption Report 2022 and recent PEEL inspections.