Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 August 2023.

Government announces changes to rules governing police officers’ disciplinary, vetting and performance processes.

Police chiefs will chair independent public hearings responsible for removing corrupt officers from their force under new plans to strengthen the police dismissals process announced today (Thursday 31 August).

In a move to ensure the public are getting the high level of professionalism and service they deserve from our police, speed up the process of removing rogue officers, and to restore confidence in forces, the government has unveiled a raft of changes to the rules governing officers’ disciplinary, vetting and performance processes.

The law will be changed to ensure all officers must be appropriately vetted during their service and to enable officers who fail a re-vetting test whilst in post to be sacked.

Under the new system, a finding of gross misconduct will automatically result in a police officer’s dismissal, unless exceptional circumstances apply, speeding up the removal of officers not fit to serve.

Chief constables (or other senior officers) will also be given greater responsibilities to decide whether officers should be sacked, increasing their accountability for their forces, and will now chair independent misconduct panels. An independent lawyer will continue to sit on the panel, providing independent advice and helping to maintain rigour, but in a supporting legally qualified person (LQP) position. The outcome will be determined by a majority panel decision, as it is now, and hearings will continue to be held in public to maintain transparency.

Police chiefs will also be given a right to challenge decisions and there will be a presumption for former officers and special constables’ cases to be heard under fast-track procedures chaired by senior officers, cutting bureaucracy and saving taxpayers’ money, while making sure those failing to uphold standards are removed more swiftly.

The reforms follow a comprehensive review of the police disciplinary system launched following the conviction of David Carrick, who is spending 30 years behind bars for numerous serious sexual offences committed whilst he was a serving police officer.

We will also explore with police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and other stakeholders extending rights of challenge to PCCs, to allow democratically elected commissioners to hold those making dismissals decisions to account.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Corrupt police officers and those who behave poorly or fail vetting must be kicked out of our forces. For too long our police chiefs have not had the powers they need to root out those who have no place wearing the uniform.

Now they can take swift and robust action to sack officers who should not be serving our communities.

The public must have confidence that their officers are the best of the best, like the vast majority of brave men and women wearing the badge, and that’s why those who disgrace the uniform must have no place to hide.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

Public trust must be restored – this is an important step to ensure we are ridding forces of rogue officers, for the sake of communities and for those officers who are dedicated, hardworking and brave.

Confidence in our police forces has been rocked recently.

These changes will ensure that police chiefs will have the ability to act fast to remove officers guilty of serious misconduct or who are poorly performing.

Other measures announced today include:

• working with the sector to create a list of criminal offences which would automatically amount to gross misconduct upon conviction
• streamlining of the performance system to ensure it’s effective at removing officers who demonstrate a serious inability or failure to perform their duties
• issuing new guidance to all forces to support the effective discharge of under-performing probationary officers using Regulation 13 powers
• improving data collection on performance and dismissals across all forces, including data on protected characteristics; and
• speeding up the system by allowing chief constables to delegate their responsibilities to other senior officers

These reforms build on wider work underway to transform the culture within policing and raise standards across the board. Last month, the College of Policing strengthened vetting standards, introducing a requirement for officers to be re-vetted following the conclusion of misconduct proceedings that do not end in a dismissal and making clear that checks must be carried out to identify any officers who have been barred from serving to ensure they cannot re-join the police.

The government also established the Angiolini Inquiry following the murder of Sarah Everard to understand how a serving police officer was able to carry out such a horrendous crime and to uncover any systemic issues in policing, such as vetting, recruitment and culture, as well as the safety of women in public spaces. It is also looking at David Carrick’s criminal behaviour and the decision making around his police vetting.

Furthermore, police forces have now completed the data washing exercise to check all officers and staff against national police databases, and are now manually analysing the information to identify leads for follow up.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said:

We welcome the change that will ensure any officer guilty of gross misconduct is automatically dismissed, and that any officer who fails vetting can be sacked.

It is also right that chief constables take the lead on the misconduct process. We are resolute in our commitment to rid policing of those not fit to serve the public and the changes in the dismissals process announced today significantly strengthens our ability to do so.

Chief constables are the employers and so it is right they should lead the process with support from independent legally qualified panel member/s. Not only will this streamline the process, but it will ensure the swift and effective removal of anyone who does not meet the high standards our communities deserve.

Misconduct proceedings are rightly open, fair and balanced, operating under detailed guidance which protects both our officers and the public we serve. Today’s announcement further supports this and our determination to root out the abusers and corrupt individuals who blight our service.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:

I’m grateful to the government for recognising the need for substantial change that will empower chief officers in our fight to uphold the highest standards and restore confidence in policing.

The flaws in the existing regulations have contributed to our inability to fully address the systemic issues of poor standards and misconduct.

Chief officers are held to account for the service we deliver and for the standards we uphold which is why I have been persistent in calling for us to have the powers to act decisively and without bureaucratic delays when we identify those who have no place in policing.

In addition to these measures to tackle corrupt police officers, the Home Office is also launching a consultation on a new national framework for how police powers – including stop and search and use of force – are scrutinised at a local level. This delivers on a commitment made by government in its response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.

The Community Scrutiny Framework aims to assist PCCs and police forces to establish and maintain effective community scrutiny panels in their local area and ensure a consistent approach nationally.

Community scrutiny panels allow members of the community to review individual police interactions with the public and provide observations and feedback via local police and crime commissioners and the police. This can support police officers to use their powers more confidently with the backing of their communities and aid public understanding of how and why police powers are used.

Today’s announcement is also supported by publication of a review examining public perceptions of policing. The review establishes police visibility, availability, and attendance at incidents as critical to public perceptions of policing, and efforts to improve trust and confidence.

Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Donna Jones, said:

Police and crime commissioners are committed to ensuring police officers who commit criminal acts or are proved to have acted in a corrupt way, are not only removed from operational duties as a matter of urgency, but that they are dismissed from police forces as quickly as possible. For this to happen the process to remove police officers must be one that is expedited with minimal barriers that cause delay.

Therefore I welcome the minsters announcement today to speed up the process enabling Chief Constables to sack corrupt police officers quicker.

The Home Secretary has also made clear that strong leadership at all ranks is essential to drive a positive culture and improve standards in policing.

The College of Policing has launched its new professional framework, which sets new consistent national standards for leadership, which will be delivered to all ranks through training by the College’s National Centre for Police Leadership. A new two-year development programme will also enable the most talented serving police inspectors to advance to superintendent more quickly.

Police entry routes will also be streamlined, including a new non-degree entry route which will be rolled out in the Autumn, with successful candidates beginning their training in Spring 2024.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO at the College of Policing, said:

There is no place in policing for anyone who behaves in a way that damages the public’s trust in us to keep them safe. I welcome today’s announcement which means chiefs officers can swiftly root out those who are damaging policing and falling far short of our commitment to public service.

I was a chief constable in two police forces and I know first-hand the frustration of having to keep officers that I would have otherwise sacked. Last year I began asking for this to change to take place and it means chief officers will be in control of who walks the streets in their uniform.

I know from more than 30 years in policing that the vast majority of officers are dedicated public servants who work hard every day to keep people safe. They do not wish to work alongside officers who commit crimes or impact the trust people have in us. The process will be fair but those who commit serious misconduct can expect to be sacked.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 August 2023.

The government has introduced a new ban on zombie-style knives and machetes that have no practical use and will give police more powers to seize knives.

Machetes and zombie-style knives with no practical use will be banned and police will have more powers to seize them in a bid to crack down on their use in devastating street violence.

Under the measures, machetes and knives that are designed to look intimidating and threatening, known as zombie-style knives, will be made illegal.

The maximum penalty for the importation, manufacturing, possession and sale of these newly proscribed weapons will also be increased from six months to two years, as will the maximum penalty for sales to under-18s.

Police will also be given new powers to seize and destroy knives found on private premises if there are reasonable grounds to believe the blade will be used in a serious crime. Previously, police could not seize knives found during a search on a property, even if they had suspicions of criminal use.

In addition, the Home Office will introduce a new offence for possession of bladed articles with the intention to endanger life or cause fear of violence, and will ask the Sentencing Council to consider amending sentencing guidelines for the possession of bladed articles and offensive weapons so these are treated more seriously than possession of a non-prohibited weapons.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

One life lost to knife crime is one too many, and we must do all we can to stop the vile thugs who carry dangerous weapons from their campaign of intimidation and violence.

Zombie-style knives and machetes serve no other purpose but to inflate criminal egos and endanger lives. There is no reason to own these types of weapons.

That is why we are banning these knives and making sentencing more severe, so our communities can be reassured that this violent criminality will face the punishments they deserve, and lives will be saved.

Today’s announcement builds on the government’s action taken to take dangerous weapons off our streets, banning zombie knives in 2016 and cyclone knives in 2019.

On the back of the 2016 ban of zombie knives, some retailers continued to sell these kinds of weapons but evaded breaking the law by removing the threatening wording on the blade or handle that incites violence. Today’s announcement closes this loophole, banning these ‘zombie style’ knives and machetes that do not have this threatening writing, but are just as dangerous.

Steel Warriors Head of Operations Christian d’Ippolito said:

Steel Warriors approve of the new measures regarding the ban of machetes and certain types of knives; weapons like these should not be available to young people, they have no place in modern society and should not be glorified.

At Steel Warriors we believe that lives should be built by steel, not destroyed by it. We melt down confiscated knives and recycle them into outdoor gyms, we then provide free community classes to transform the lives of young people affected by crime, violence and social exclusion, giving them the confidence they need to create positive futures.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Knife Crime Lead, Commander Stephen Clayman, said:

Every day as police officers we see first-hand the devastating effects of these deadly weapons on the lives of individuals, particularly young people, and we must always look at what action can be taken to prevent access to knives that are used for violence, intimidation and harm.

The proposals in the consultation followed extensive collaboration between the Home Office and the NPCC National Knife Crime working group. Together, we worked to develop practical, sustainable solutions to remove these lethal weapons from our streets.

These five proposals will all offer additional robust measures to deal with those who seek to use knives for violence. Ultimately, when used appropriately, they provide a greater means to protect the public and safeguard our communities.

We look forward to working with government on the next steps for making these proposals a reality, strengthening our fight against knife crime.

Under a new definition included in these measures, a zombie-style knife is any bladed weapon over eight inches in length with a plain cutting edge and sharp pointed end that also has either a serrated cutting edge, more than one hole in the blade, or multiple sharp points like spikes.

The measures come as the government responds to a public consultation launched in April this year, which carefully considered responses from individuals, manufacturers, retailers and trade organisations that rely on bladed items. Specific exemptions will be made for legitimate articles such as objects of historical importance and those that are hand-made, in order to avoid negative impacts on the antiques market and British-made industries that rely on top-end, high-value blades that are highly unlikely to end up in the hands of criminals.

The new measures are part of the government’s drive to rid communities of serious violence, and follows the removal of 100,000 knives and offensive weapons from our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action since 2019.

The government’s Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) are bringing together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area by delivering early intervention and prevention programmes to divert young people away from a life of crime in the 20 areas worst affected by serious violence. They have reached over 215,000 vulnerable young people in their third year of funding alone, with the government investing £170 million into their development.

The measures will be legislated when Parliament allows.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 August 2023.

Tom Tugendhat visits Iraq and Kurdistan region for talks on serious and organised crime, narcotics and terrorism.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 17 August 2023.

The Government is encouraging councils in England to get pubs open earlier on Sunday ahead of the Lionesses historic World Cup final.

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up has written to leaders of all councils in England asking them to continue doing everything they can to help every pub that wants to host this historic occasion and support the Lionesses.

While many venues will be able to show the game within their usual opening hours, there may be a few who require additional permission where they would like to be able to serve alcohol as well.

In cases where an application is being rapidly considered to allow a short extension to licensing hours, the government is encouraging local authorities to continue to do everything they can to complete the process in time, working closely with local police forces.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

The whole nation is ready to get behind the Lionesses this Sunday in what is England’s biggest game since 1966.

I’ve asked councils to do everything they can to help pubs get open earlier on Sunday, so people can come together and enjoy a drink before kick-off for this special occasion.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, said:

The nation will be cheering on the Lionesses on Sunday and the next best thing to being in Australia is enjoying the match in the pub or hospitality venue. Many are taking advantage of the fact that they can open to encourage people to come out for breakfast or brunch to get ready for this historic match. Demand from fans has been exceptional, with bookings filling rapidly, and there’s no doubt the day will be a huge boost for the sector, potentially delivering an additional £41 million in sales.

It’s been really positive to work with the Government to ensure everyone can get a chance to join in the celebrations. I’d echo the Government’s support for local authorities taking a pragmatic view to venues opening early to allow people to make the most of this momentous occasion.

Writing to council leaders, the Levelling up Secretary thanked local authorities for everything they have already done this tournament to support the national team, including flying flags, lighting up buildings and supporting communities to hold screenings.

The Home Office is also writing to police chiefs to encourage forces to work together with local councils to ensure as many venues as possible can participate.

This is part of the government’s commitment to backing British pubs, and follows this week’s announcement of an extension to licensing rules that enabling pubs to continue selling takeaway alcohol without red tape holding them back.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 17 August 2023.

The football authorities in England have been invited by the government to meet on an annual basis to agree on appropriate access to the best global players.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 16 August 2023.

Over 1,000 vulnerable refugees, fleeing conflict and instability, have so far been supported by local communities through the community sponsorship scheme.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 August 2023.

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that the maximum Plan 2, Plan 5 and the Postgraduate loan interest rate will be 7.3% between 1 September 2023 and 30 November 2023.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 August 2023.

Tom Tugendhat is in New Delhi discussing the UK and India’s joint work to fight extremism and will travel to Kolkata for G20 anti-corruption talks on Saturday.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 August 2023.

Decorated police officer will join the Home Office later this year.

One of the UK’s most senior police officers will be joining the Home Office to lead the efforts to tackle illegal migration.

Bas Javid, currently Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Service, will become Director General of Immigration Enforcement in November.

Mr Javid will come to the Home Office following a 30 year career in policing, previously serving at Avon and Somerset Police, West Midlands Police and the Met.

As Director General of Immigration Enforcement, he will spearhead the operational response to immigration offending in the UK and build on the efforts already being made to tackle this problem.

Immigration enforcement visits are at their highest since 2019 and are up by almost 50% on last year.

His team will work in conjunction with other law enforcement, including police and Border Force.

Bas Javid said:

Protecting the integrity of the UK’s immigration system is vital, so it is an honour to be appointed to this important role.

I am excited to begin leading a group of dedicated, hardworking and talented public servants to ensure we uphold our rules and laws.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Immigration abuse is a scourge on our society and I will leave no stone unturned in clamping down on this illegality.

Bas brings a wealth of law enforcement experience and will further ramp up our efforts to tackle immigration offending, as the British people would expect.

His appointment was overseen by the Civil Service Commission which regulates senior civil service recruitment and followed a rigorous, fair and open competition.

Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft said:

I look forward to welcoming Bas to the Home Office and working alongside him to tackle illegal migration, which is the top priority for the department.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 August 2023.

The UK and Türkiye have agreed a new partnership to enhance cooperation on tackling the illegal movement of migrants, and keep both countries safer.

UK and Turkish law enforcement officers will step up joint operations to tackle organised immigration crime and disrupt the supply chain of boat parts and other materials used as part of illegal migration journeys.

The move follows Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick’s visit to Türkiye last month, the latest in a number of strategically important international visits to strengthen cooperation on the challenge of tackling illegal migration and disrupting the routes used by smugglers.

This has included visits to Belgium, Tunisia, Italy and Türkiye, where he visited the Turkish-Bulgarian Border Check Point at Kapikule – the largest and busiest border crossing point in Europe – and saw first-hand the joint operational work to target organised crime, and the importance of close collaboration between the UK and its international partners on this issue.

This enhanced partnership also follows recent agreements with countries including Bulgaria and Georgia, as well as strengthened partnerships with France and Albania which have resulted in a 90% drop in Albanian small boat arrivals in the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same period last year, and a 40% increase in the number of illegal crossing attempts prevented by the French last year, compared to the year before.

The deepened partnership between the UK and Türkiye includes support by the UK for a new centre based in Türkiye to be established by the Turkish National Police, which will act as a new operational “Centre of Excellence” to tackle organised immigration crime. The centre will build on existing collaboration between our law enforcement agencies and increase alignment of UK and Turkish intelligence, allowing operational staff to act more quickly on information.

A new memorandum of understanding will also cover the increase and quicker exchange of customs data, information and intelligence feeds between the UK and Turkish authorities, to further support our joint efforts to disrupt the small boats supply chain.

The 2 countries are also bolstering their resources to pursue these common goals. The centre will strengthen collaboration between NCA and Home Office Intelligence staff based in Türkiye and their Turkish counterparts; and the UK will deploy more officers in Türkiye to enable collaboration on joint operations to disrupt the criminal gangs who are facilitating illegal journeys.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

As I’ve made clear, we must do everything we can to smash the people smuggling gangs and stop the boats.

Our partnership with Türkiye , a close friend and ally, will enable our law enforcement agencies to work together on this international problem and tackle the small boat supply chain.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Illegal migration is a global challenge, and this new partnership with Türkiye cements our 2 countries as foremost strategic partners, working together in the fight against organised immigration crime.

We will be intensively sharing intelligence, people and technology to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling gangs and the manufacture and supply of materials which enable small boat crossings.

Having met our partners in Europe, North Africa and indeed Türkiye recently, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits our increased cooperation has on stopping the boats. I am determined that the UK is a leading force in tackling illegal migration and a partner to all those allies who share our determination to defeat it.

The export of small boats and boat parts across the continent of Europe in order to facilitate illegal crossings to the UK is a vital element of people smugglers’ tactics. It is estimated that hundreds of small boats and boat parts are transported through Europe each year for this purpose.

This will be supported through strengthened UK-Turkish engagement at a working level including through the next UK-Türkiye Migration Dialogue meeting taking place this autumn in London. Both countries also committed to raise the issue of illegal migration in international platforms.

This partnership marks the next step in the UK’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with international partners on the global challenge of illegal migration. This joint work with allies is a key strand of the Prime Minister’s plan to stop the boats, driving efforts upstream to clamp down on the criminality that enables illegal crossings to the UK.