Failures in vetting at the Metropolitan Police allowed over 130 officers and staff, including serial rapists David Carrick and Cliff Mitchell, to engage in criminal activities. A review revealed that inadequate checks, especially during a recruitment drive from 2019 to 2023, resulted in many unqualified individuals joining the force. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticized these lapses, emphasizing the need for robust vetting to restore public trust. An independent inspection of the force’s vetting processes has been ordered to ensure compliance with national standards.
