Sussex Police needs to improve vetting of officers, says HMICFRS
Sussex Police needs to improve its vetting of police officers and staff, professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements, the police inspectorate says.
The report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) follows an inspection in October 2024 and found that each of the three inspected areas required improvement.
In particular, it found the joint force vetting unit did not have enough staff to meet the demand it faces.
“At the time of our inspection, the force had a workload of 1,178 applications waiting to be processed,” said HMICFRS.
However, the report also highlighted several areas of good practice, and Deputy Chief Constable Dave McLaren said: “We are grateful to HMICFRS for their recommendations and findings. We absolutely recognise the importance of police legitimacy and how crucial it is that the public have confidence in us as a force to uphold the expected standards of professional behaviour.
“The force has worked hard to improve internal culture and standards following the findings of Baroness Casey’s Review and The Angiolini Inquiry. This has included a significant uplift in resources to improve how we deal with violence perpetrated against women and girls.
“We have also introduced new governance and new process and practice to improve culture and leadership throughout Sussex Police. The timing of this HMICFRS inspection did not allow for this hugely important work to be considered.
“We strive for the highest standards across our force, and I’m pleased the inspection team recognised areas where improvements have already been made, accepting that there is still work to be done.
“For the most part, the issues identified by HMICFRS relate to capacity within our Professional Standards Department. This is directly connected to funding, and we continue to be one of the lowest funded forces in the country. We are currently considering options to move officers and staff into our Professional Standards Department to support the required improvements.
“We accept the findings of the report and are fully committed to continuing the work that’s already ongoing to optimise these improvements and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the service we deliver.”