Met Police: Dismissal rules must be changed - Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan said the current system was "not fit for purpose"

Sadiq Khan has written to the home secretary calling for "radical reform" to the police dismissal process.

London's mayor said the crimes of the jailed ex-Met Police officers David Carrick and Wayne Couzens showed the system was "not fit for purpose".

Officers who commit a "serious offence" or who fail police vetting should be automatically fired, he has suggested.

The Home Office said the proposals shared by Mr Khan were an attempt "to cover up for years of failure".

It launched a review into the processes regarding the dismissal of police officers in January.

The Metropolitan Police is currently in a form of special measures, following a series of damning reviews and scandals.

As mayor, Mr Khan is responsible for setting the strategic direction of policing in London. Last year, Dame Cressida Dick resigned as Met Police commissioner after he made it clear he had lost confidence in her leadership.

In his letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Friday, Mr Khan said it was "incomprehensible to the public that under current regulations the Met can be required to reinstate serving officers convicted of a criminal offence".

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He described the crimes of Carrick, Couzens and other cases as "truly abhorrent". Both men were sacked by the Met after their guilt was established - in Couzens' case, a week after he admitted the murder of Sarah Everard. Serial rapist Carrick was dismissed the day after pleading guilty.

The mayor said the processes regarding the dismissal of officers were "key" to rebuilding trust and confidence in the Met Police.

"It is clear that the current procedures do not command public confidence and trust, and this is having a corrosive impact on police and community relations, not just in London but across the UK," he wrote.

"Profound changes to police vetting, conduct and misconduct processes are urgently needed to restore that bond which is so vital to policing by consent and supporting victims - particularly women and girls," Mr Khan said.

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The mayor proposed that any officer who committed a serious offence or who failed vetting while part of the police service should be automatically dismissed - although Mr Khan did not define what would constitute a serious offence.

He said officers facing allegations of serious crimes, including all sexual offences, should be automatically suspended and that chief constables should have more powers to take action following a misconduct hearing and to reopen misconduct investigations.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman commissioned a review of the police dismissals process in January

Mr Khan also proposed the introduction of a "duty of candour, which would require an officer to proactively report any wrongdoing".

In response, the Home Office said the letter was "an attempt by the mayor to cover up for years of failure in which as commissioner responsible for the Met Police he has done very little and effectively stood by as the force fell into special measures".

A spokesman said: "The mayor knows the home secretary has already ordered forces to root out rogue officers who are unfit to serve, and she has commissioned a review of police dismissals which will look to empower chief constables to make it easier to sack rogue officers."

Responding to the Home Office's remarks, a spokesman for the mayor said Mr Khan made "no apology for demanding better for London".

"Instead of attacking the mayor and prevaricating, the government should focus on getting on with the task at hand and changing the law as they've been promising to do," the spokesman added.

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