Thousands Of Police On The Beat Without Current Background Checks
Responding to a request from the BBC under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, Northumbria Police admitted almost 3,000 or nine out of ten of its officers still had not been vetted in line with the most recent policy.
The latest vetting guidelines introduced by the Association of Chief Police Officers require all new police officers and staff to be vetted, while serving officers are expected to undergo retrospective checks.
Out of 48 police forces, 17 responded in full to the FOI request. About 14,000 police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had not undergone up-to-date checks. Officials said: "it is simply a question of volume outstripping the supply of people to do the tasks”.