Home secretary to order special investigation amid concern inadequate checks during hiring spree may pose criminal risk
The home secretary is to order an independent special inquiry into whether the Metropolitan police allowed hundreds of recruits to join without proper vetting amid fears they may pose a criminal risk.
The Guardian has learned that the inquiry will be carried out by the policing inspectorate, with concerns centred on 300 new officers hired between 2016 and 2023.
The recruits may have had substandard or no vetting before joining the Met and gaining police powers. Vetting is supposed to weed out applicants with criminal convictions, cautions or criminal associations or where their integrity is at risk because of debt.
Sources say an initial inquiry by the Met itself, called Operation Jorica began several months ago, and found potential issues with some officers hired between 2016 and 2023.
