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Nov 2021
North Yorkshire Police vetting details set out following Sarah Everard murder
Vetting procedures for North Yorkshire Police officers have been set out in a new report that aims to reassure residents following the murder of Sarah Everard.
The report by the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner follows its chief executive Simon Dennis saying last month he was not certain about some legal rules regarding the issue.
Resident Susan Galloway had questioned whether the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel, which scrutinises the commissioner, believed there were sufficient background checks on new recruits and police staff transferring to the North Yorkshire force and if the processes were adequate.
The report highlights how North Yorkshire Police carries out checks on all new recruits, from officers to volunteers, and also enhanced the vetting of transferees a year ago “to ensure we know as much as can be disclosed about the transferee”.
Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, who murdered Ms Everard, had used his warrant card to falsely arrest her just two years after being transferred into the Met from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, despite having faced indecent exposure allegations.
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The concerns were raised hours before Philip Allott resigned as the county’s commissioner after saying Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest by Couzens.
Contractors and staff roles
The report outlines how the force follows the College of Policing vetting code so that anyone working on police and fire service property, including contractors, and also those working remotely with access to police systems have their backgrounds checked.
It details how the force also re-vets transferees, regardless of when they were last vetted by previous current force.
The report says:
The report says the force assigns a vetting researcher to undertake a series of checks and wherever there is “a trace”, more detailed research is completed, the conclusions of which are reported to the force vetting manager.
However, the report states while all applicants are required to declare spent convictions there is no requirement for an applicant who is applying to take on a police staff role such as a receptionist, rather than an officer, to declare a conviction or caution.
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