Latest news with #vetting
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Surrey Police vetting requires improvement
The vetting procedures at Surrey Police have been rated as "requires improvement" by force has been criticised over delays in vetting new applicants and serving findings are in a report into vetting, professional standards and counter corruption published by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on Police said it fully accepted the findings in the report and recognised there were "significant areas for improvement highlighted". At the time of the inspection, there were 1,178 applications waiting to be processed, meaning more than 160 people are in posts for which they have not undergone full vetting, the report force was also told to improve the monitoring of its computer equipment, with staffing levels in its anti-corruption unit not able to meet demand, and so not able to proactively look for force was judged as good on its ability to tackle potential Wilsher, a member of the inspection team, said his concerns were not "too great"."A number of the things Surrey need to do, extra training, some extra capacity, better paperwork in their decision making, are things they can put right very quickly, and I'm confident they will," he said. 'Working hard' Dep Ch Con Tanya Jones said the force welcomed the report."When police officers, police staff, or volunteers, are involved in misconduct or criminality, it has a direct impact on public trust and confidence and, in turn, our legitimacy to fight crime, protect people, and be there for everyone who needs us," she said."While it is positive that the HMICFRS identified good practice, particularly in our ability to tackle potential corruption, we fully accept the findings in the report and recognise there are significant areas for improvement highlighted."We are working hard on improving these areas, with advancements already being made since the inspection. We will prioritise these recommendations, make the necessary improvements and be transparent about our progress with our people, and the public."
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Hundreds of unvetted staff in Hampshire police, report says
A police force has 362 workers who have not been properly vetted, a report has and Isle of Wight Constabulary, which employs nearly 6,000 people, has been ordered to improve its vetting procedures by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).The cases involve existing staff whose vetting has expired or who have been promoted without higher level clearance, the report force said it had recruited a further 12 staff to make checks and had "robust processes" to identify unsuitable new applicants. At the time of the inspection, the force vetting unit did not have enough staff to meet demand, the report analysts and three senior staff were working on 223 applications, with a further 462 cases pending, it a review of vetting decisions on new joiners, inspectors agreed with 18 out of 25 outcomes but said some risks were not force was rated as "requires improvement" for vetting, but "adequate" for other integrity standards including challenging misconduct and tackling an HMICFRS review of 40 cases identified three where potential crimes were missed. These included an officer who tested positive for drugs and one who sent misogynistic, homophobic and racist later resigned, but the report gave no outcome for a third case involving an allegation of aggravated a statement, Acting Chief Constable Sam de Reya said she welcomed the added: "We had already recognised and responded to the challenges around our vetting arrangements, particularly around ensuring we had sufficient resources to meet demand. "Our ambitious recruitment programme to increase the number of police officers within the force required us to also bring in more staff to carry out vetting checks."The report recognised our efforts to increase capacity within the team, and we have recruited a further 12 staff since the inspection."Importantly, our robust processes ensure that only those who are suitable for policing are able to join the force."The senior officer added that the force's internal investigations had been found to be "good", with "proportionate, consistent and fair" outcomes. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Sussex Police needs to improve staff vetting
Sussex Police needs to improve its vetting of staff, professional standards and anti-corruption processes to ensure it is serving the public, a watchdog has Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report stated there was a "huge backlog of vetting" to be done for the force's staff and that some employees were working in a job "without the proper level of clearance".Inspectors found the force's anti-corruption unit to be "understaffed" and said it was "not acting fast enough" on complaints from the public. A Sussex Police spokesperson said: "We accept the findings and are fully committed to continuing the work that's already ongoing to optimise these improvements." The HMIC report stated the force's vetting unit "doesn't have enough staff to meet the demand it faces". It said Sussex Police "should understand the level of vetting" required for all posts and that "all staff should have been vetted to a high enough level for the posts they hold". At the time of the inspection, the force had a workload of 1,178 applications waiting to be processed. "It acknowledged that it isn't taking effective steps to prioritise higher-risk cases within this workload," the report said. 'A challenge for the force' The HMIC report highlighted the need to improve timeliness in recording and handling of complaint and conduct allegations, the standard of investigation and resolution of conduct allegations as well as the documentation of complaints and conduct stated many complaints were suitable for resolution by the public confidence team. Such complaints should be dealt with "in a timely manner", the report said. "At the time of our inspection, this is a challenge for the force."Inspectors found staffing levels in the force's anti-corruption unit "don't meet current demand".The report said: "The force lacks capacity to monitor its computer systems, including mobile data. "It needs such monitoring to protect its data and to identify misconduct, data breaches, and computer misuse."Deputy Chief Constable Dave McLaren, from Sussex Police, said: "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."We have also introduced new governance and new process and practice to improve culture and leadership throughout Sussex Police."
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
New policy on visas adds to mounting scrutiny of international students in the US
New State Department guidance on visa applications is adding to scrutiny of international students that has intensified under President Donald Trump, who has leveraged control of foreign enrollment to press his demands with American colleges. In a cable sent Tuesday to U.S. embassies and consulates Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students until the department releases guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Existing appointments may be kept and will proceed under current review guidelines, the cable said, but new guidance is expected in the coming days.
CNN
2 days ago
- General
- CNN
U.S. embassies instructed to pause student visa appointments
The State Department is ordering U.S. embassies to pause all new student visa appointments as it moves to expand social media screening and vetting to all applicants. CNN's Jennifer Hansler explains the uncertainty that will create for foreign students ahead of the fall semester.
