Sir Mark says policing has been plunged into a (Image: Getty Images)
Rapists, sexual offenders, stalkers and thieves have all been working as police officers, shocking figures show.
More than 2,000 frontline cops have been thrown out of the job for a string of criminal offences. But the running total is the tip of the iceberg.
Data from the College of Policing shows 2,098 regular officers and counting now sit on a barred list for misdemeanours that have caused irrevocable repetitional damage.
Former Met Police detective Peter Bleksley, 66, said: “These ghastly monsters have gone on to murder, rape, lie, cheat, steal, sexually abuse children, batter their partners, deal drugs, and much, much more.
“Fortunately, a huge effort to rid policing of these vile people has seen thousands of them jailed or otherwise banished from policing in recent times, and the purge continues. But the damage to the reputation of policing and those who carry warrant cards is huge.”
The college admits the roll of shame, and the number of officers on it, will be “concerning”.
It features those who have been dismissed, resigned, or retired during an investigation, and is used by forces and public bodies to prevent them from ever working in public protection jobs again.
The numbers of proscribed officers relate from when the list was first introduced on December 15, 2017 until March 31, the last time it was updated, and roughly equals one sacked every day. In the last year for which figures are available 593 were dismissed, a rate of almost two a day.
But the total number of rogue cops does not include those currently being probed, suspended or going through the criminal justice system, meaning the true number will be significantly higher.
Evil Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped, and killed Sarah Everard (Image: SWNS)
It comes as the desperate scramble to clean up policing and restore public trust was dealt a devastating blow after Britain’s biggest force was told it could not sack officers who no longer pass vetting.
In a test case that could have huge implications for the sacking of errant officers and those accused of misconduct, the High Court ruled the Met was wrong to remove the vetting of Sgt Lino Di Maria, who faced rape allegations – which he denied – and brought a legal challenge against what it claimed was an unlawful process.
Earlier this month the court ruled the vetting clearance decision be “quashed and reconsidered”, effectively meaning the UK’s 45 police forces cannot now dismiss officers by removing their clearance. The decision sparked a venomous attack by commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who said policing had been plunged into a “hopeless” situation. The force is poised to appeal.
It was forced to launch a review of officers alleged to have committed crimes under a probe called Operation Assure set up in response to a series of highly-damaging scandals including the rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard who was handcuffed and kidnapped by off-duty constable Wayne Couzens on March 3, 2001, almost exactly four years ago.
Twisted Couzens was sentenced to a whole-life term with the Met subsequently saying: “The full details of his crimes are deeply concerning and raise entirely legitimate questions. This is the most horrific of crimes, but we recognise this is part of a much bigger and troubling picture.”
However, the High Court ruling has dealt a hammer blow to efforts to clean up policing from within.
In the past 18-months under Operation Assure 96 officers have been sacked or resigned and more than 100 more are in the early stages of vetting reviews. A further 29 officers have had their vetting removed and remain on paid leave.
Sir Mark said: “Being able to sack officers who fail vetting is critical. Those we have removed vetting from, had a pattern of behaviour that meant if they applied to work in policing today, we’d never let them in.
“But the ruling on the law has left policing in a hopeless position.
“We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who are not fit to hold vetting – those who cannot be trusted to work with women, or enter the homes of vulnerable people.
“It is absurd that we cannot lawfully sack them – this would not be the case in other sectors where staff have nothing comparable to the powers a police officer holds.”
“This judgement was focussed on the human rights of Sgt Di Maria. But there are wider human rights at play here, those of the public, and those of colleagues who have to work alongside officers like this.”
A High Court ruling effectively means the force can no longer sack rogue officers (Image: PA)
There are now 170,000 police officers in the UK.
Data unearthed shows that in the past year 1,339 breaches of the standards of professional behaviour were recorded relating to the 593 officers dismissed between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. The number of reasons recorded was greater than the number of officers dismissed because several breaches can relate to a single dismissal.
According to the College of Policing, reasons included discreditable conduct [518], honesty and integrity [230], authority, respect and courtesy [200], and fitness for work [22].
Separately, some 912 reasons for sackings were recorded. The number was greater than the total officers dismissed as some categories overlap.
They included sexual offences or misconduct [74], assault, including domestic violence, [57], abuse of position for a sexual purpose [33], alcohol-related behaviour [21],incidence images of children [18], child sexual offence [11] and voyeurism [1].
Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, Director of Operational Standards at the College of Policing, told the Express: “We, and the public, expect the highest standards of those working in policing, and we are clear there is no place for those who cannot deliver this. Officers and staff have been dismissed and added to the national barred list for a wide range of reasons, from dishonesty and poor performance through to some of the most serious crimes.
“It goes without saying members of the public will be concerned by the number of officers placed on the barred list. However, this demonstrates that we have effective systems and procedures in place to root out anyone who is not meeting our high standards, and the list is made public as part of our commitment to transparency on this issue.
“Crucially, these figures also reflect a wider ongoing change in the culture of policing. We’re seeing more officers and staff feeling empowered and able to call out inappropriate behaviour whenever they see it and policing is acting on this information.
“We are also continuing to drive an increase in standards in policing – including setting the highest of vetting standards – to ensure the public receive the best possible service and can have confidence in their police forces.”