Met Police: more than 300 officers are awaiting gross misconduct hearings, force admits

There are 335 Metropolitan Police officers currently waiting to face gross misconduct hearings, the force has admitted.

The Met vowed to rid itself of rogue police officers after a series of scandals - including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving PC Wayne Couzens and the unmasking of serial sex offender David Carrick - shattered public trust in the force.

One way Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley promised to rebuild confidence was by cracking down on misconduct, but the huge backlog of yet-to-be scheduled gross misconduct cases has called the Met’s ability to carry out its reforms into question.

A gross misconduct hearing is a disciplinary proceeding for officers accused of a serious breach of professional standards, which, if proven, could result in them being sacked. The vast majority of police officers awaiting their hearings are on full pay, while only on suspended or restricted duties.

The Met has said that it will push for up to 30 officers to face hearings - and possibly be fired - each month in order to cut the backlog. However, The Times pointed out that this may not be possible as the force only has access to a maximum of four hearing rooms, and most cases take several days - with some expected to take weeks.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said in a statement on Saturday (7 October): “The Met currently has 335 officers awaiting a gross misconduct hearing. [This is] a significant increase compared to this time last year.

“We are planning for 30 misconduct hearings and 30 gross incompetence hearings to take place per month. Managing this many hearings requires an ambitious plan, which is vitally important if we are to rebuild the public’s trust and confidence.”

He added that the force is looking for additional funding, case managers, lawyers, and suites to maximise the number of cases carried out. “This work is part of the strongest reform of culture and standards in decades and is a crucial element of our mission for More Trust, Less Crime, High Standards,” Mr Cundy added.

Meanwhile, the Met is also carrying out a recruitment drive in an attempt to bring in more legally qualified chairs (LQCs), to oversee police disciplinary panels.

This may prove difficult, however, given that Rowley blamed lawyers for being “fundamentally soft” in their approach to gross misconduct hearings.

Sir Mark has long been rallying for greater reforms within the Met - arguing that he does not have enough power to sack officers “unfit to be serving the public”.

The Home Office carried out a review of the police disciplinary system following the high-profile cases of the likes of Couzens and Carrick - and proposed new plans that would see any officer in England and Wales found guilty of gross misconduct automatically dismissed from the force, unless “exceptional circumstances apply”.

Officials were unable to explain what would be classed as “an exceptional circumstance”, saying instead that it would be down to the disciplinary panel in the case to decide whether this would an officer would be immediately fired or not.

It was also suggested that police chief constables or other senior police officers could be given greater powers to root out rogue colleagues - with them potentially presiding over gross misconduct hearings. There would also be law changes, the Home Office said, which would ensure officers who fail vetting can be sacked.

Of the 335 Met Police officers awaiting hearings, more than 180 have been suspended from the force, while others have been placed on restricted duties or have resigned from their roles. 60 officers have been charged with gross misconduct in just the past three weeks, indicating the speed at which the force is looking to carry out reforms.