Policing barred list extended to NCA to ‘close loophole’
Officers dismissed from the National Crime Agency (NCA) will be banned from policing under legislation introduced by the Home Office.
The new measures will see a dedicated NCA barred and advisory list created as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.
The move follows a 2023 inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, which found that some former NCA officers dismissed for gross misconduct had been able to join police forces due to gaps in current vetting procedures.
The new legislation will close this loophole, further aligning the NCA with the existing police barred and advisory list system, says the Home Office.
Additional barred lists will also be introduced for other specialist police forces, including British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and Ministry of Defence Police to enhance recruitment standards across all major law enforcement agencies.
Each force’s list will be maintained by its respective authority, and law enforcement employers across England and Wales will be required to check these lists before hiring.
Where an individual is on the barred list, law enforcement agencies will not be able to employ them, and where an individual is named on the advisory list, the employer will be obligated to take this into consideration as part of the recruitment process.
The Home Office says the new measures are part of wider reforms to boost integrity and public trust in the justice system.
“Expanding the number of agencies with these lists will tighten recruitment standards across law enforcement and prevent those who have been dismissed from re-entering the system in a different role,” the Home Office said.
Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said: “The public deserve to know that those tasked with protecting them meet the highest standards.
“This new measure ensures that officers who abuse their position in the NCA cannot resurface in other areas of policing – we will continue taking every possible step to protect the integrity of our law enforcement agencies.”
CNC Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith, lead for professionalism, said: “We welcome the Government’s move to close this legislative loop-hole. It will prevent those officers who fail to uphold our rigorous standards from being employed again within policing and law enforcement.
“We maintain robust vetting and professional standards, but in the rare instance of one of our officers being dismissed for gross misconduct, these measures will ensure that there is a process to ensure the public are protected and we can maintain trust and confidence in policing.”
The NCA barred and advisory list will be UK-wide and will be maintained by the NCA with support from the College of Policing. Police forces and other UK-wide law enforcement bodies will be required to consult the list before making recruitment decisions, ensuring that those dismissed for serious misconduct cannot re-enter the system through the back door.