WOMEN’S rights campaigners are demanding profound and urgent changes to the police after a report found vetting failures have allowed criminals and sexual predators to join the force. 

The Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report published today found that officers convicted of domestic abuse, sexual assault and indecent exposure were cleared to join the police service. 

Rape suspects and those accused of racially aggravated damage and serious violence were also cleared, the report found, with some forces justifying their decisions by describing the acts as a “one-off.”

The report, which looked at eight forces in England and Wales, also found widespread evidence of misogyny within police ranks, including cases of officers staging unwarranted stops of women they found attractive in an abuse of power known as “booty patrols.” 

The report was commissioned by former home secretary Priti Patel in the wake of the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens. 

Lead inspector Matt Parr said: “We concluded that a culture of misogyny, sexism, predatory behaviour towards female police officers and staff and members of the public was prevalent in all the forces we inspected, which is a depressing finding.”

Vetting practices were found to have failed when officers were transferred between police forces. Alarmingly, the report also showed that, during the pandemic, officers were recruited to the force without having a face-to-face interview. 

Noting that forces are now under enormous pressure to recruit more people following years of Tory cuts to the police —  the government promised 20,000 new officers by March, 15,000 posts have been filled —  Mr Parr stressed that there was simply no excuse for lowering standards. 

End Violence Against Women coalition director Andrea Simon said: “It is abundantly clear that there are widespread and serious issues with vetting, standards, professional conduct, and systemic misogyny in policing which demands urgent and profound change. 

“In this context, it is not only counterproductive but clearly dangerous to rush into recruiting tens of thousands of new officers when such longstanding and deeply rooted issues remain unaddressed.

“Public safety should never be compromised by the rush to recruit officers because of previous cuts to policing without basic checks or face-to-face interviews.”

Police chiefs have said they will adopt the recommendations in full.