Regular security clearance updates for police
Daniel Morgan Panel · The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel · Issued 15 June 2021 · Addressed to: Metropolitan Police Service
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, Volume 1
Security clearance processes for police officers and police staff are fundamental to any anti-corruption strategy. Regular updating of the security status of each individual is essential to identify any concerns and to enable action to be taken in respect of such concerns. Notwithstanding the assurance received by the Panel from the Metropolitan Police in December 2020, the Metropolitan Police should remain vigilant at all times to ensure not only that it vets its employees in accordance with its new measures, but also that it has adequate and effective processes to establish whether its staff are currently engaged in crime.
Daniel Morgan Panel, The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel · 15 Jun 2021 Source PDF →
Response — verbatim from government
●Metropolitan Police Service
Police forces carry out their vetting in line with the College of Policing's statutory code of practice on vetting and its APP on vetting. The College is currently in the process of updating its statutory code and it regularly reviews its Vetting APP, which reflects best practice for police vetting. In April 2023, the MPS Commissioner announced that all c.50,000 officers and staff have been searched against the Police National Database, and all serving officers have been searched against the Police National Computer. Further analysis has also been undertaken by the MPS to ensure that individuals have appropriate vetting for designated posts. However, ensuring these post holders are vetted to the correct standard is still ongoing.
Metropolitan Police Service · 22 Jun 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 30 Jan 2025 · HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services HMICFRS returned Metropolitan Police to default monitoring (January 2025) after closing causes of concern linked to Daniel Morgan Panel recommendations. Met Police completed associated recommendations including anti-corruption reforms; 200+ additional professional standards officers; vetting refusal rates doubled to 11%. Source →
- 30 Apr 2023 · Metropolitan Police Service / College of Policing The College of Policing updated its statutory code of practice and APP on vetting. The MPS searched all c.50,000 officers against PND and PNC (announced April 2023). However, ensuring post holders have appropriate vetting for designated posts was described as 'still ongoing' in the government's June 2023 response. HMICFRS found in March 2022 that the Met had recruited people with criminal connections and did not know whether all officers in sensitive posts had required clearance. View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
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Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
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