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The Metropolitan Police must “significantly improve” its vetting procedures to “restore women’s trust” after another former police officer was convicted of rape, the Attorney General has said.
In an interview with IAlex Chalk criticized the “corrosive impact” of recent convictions on women’s trust in the force, saying Britain’s largest police force “needs to clean up internally”.
He also revealed that the UK is exploring new prisoner transfer deals with other countries, including Poland, to ease pressure on overcrowded prisons in England and Wales.
His comments on the Metropolitan Police come after a former police officer was found guilty on Wednesday of 13 counts of rape of women and children and a further count of kidnapping.
Cliff Mitchell, 24, was found guilty of 10 counts of rape, three counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of kidnapping and breaching a sexual abuse restraining order.
During his trial at Croydon Crown Court, it was revealed that he had been allowed to join the Metropolitan Police despite previously being accused of child rape.
Mr Chalk said the case showed that the police investigation “absolutely needs significant improvement to rebuild women’s trust, frankly”.
“Police must be able to effectively root out bad apples, because nothing undermines women’s trust in police more than stories like the following.” [Mitchell’s],” He said.
This is the latest in a series of high-profile rape convictions against Met staff, including Wayne Cousins, who was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021.
Metropolitan Police firearms officer David Carrick was jailed last year after pleading guilty to 85 serious crimes against women, including 48 rapes, during a 17-year investigation. This made him one of the worst sex offenders in British history.
Following Wednesday’s ruling, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy insisted the Metropolitan Police Department was “doing more than we have done in decades.” [force] and those who undermine our integrity,” including investing millions of dollars in its professional standards team.
talk to ISeparately, Mr Chalk wants to double the number of foreign criminals deported from the UK each year, but said that goal was “not entirely within our gift”. Stated.
Last year, around 3,500 foreign criminals charged in British courts were deported to their home countries. That’s an increase of about 500 people from the previous year, but still well below the pre-pandemic average of about 6,000 people.
Mr Chalk said: I His “ambition” is to increase that number to pre-pandemic levels by the time of the general election expected later this year.
But he said this would only be possible if countries such as Poland agreed to a prisoner transfer agreement that would allow prisoners serving more than four years in the UK to be deported for the remainder of their sentences.
I It is understood the government is seeking a new deal with Poland and Romania, similar to the one struck with Albania last year, and wants 200 of the country’s criminals to serve their sentences in Tirana rather than the UK. are doing.
Albanian offenders were the most numerous foreign nationals in UK prisons last year, with 1,393 offenders making up 13 per cent of the foreign offender population. Poland came in second place with 830 prisoners, or 9% of the UK’s foreign prison population, while Romanians accounted for 7% with 823.
Questioner I On whether the government would ensure that the number of expelled foreign criminals reaches 6,000 by the next general election, Mr Chalk said: [it] Please wake up as soon as possible. My goal is to exceed that number.
“[But] Because the truth is that not everything is entirely in our talents. For example, whether I can conclude a prisoner transfer agreement with Poland depends on whether they agree to it.
“So I wrote letters to new people.” [Polish] The government would like to ask whether it will be possible to bring the prisoner transfer agreement into effect. And it depends on whether they are ready to do it. Therefore, it is not a gift from the British government. ”
This comes as a record 88,225 people are currently behind bars in England and Wales, almost double the level 30 years ago. This comes amid growing calls from the government.
According to the government’s own estimates, the prison population is expected to rise to 94,400 by March 2025 and more than 106,300 by March 2027.
Foreign criminals make up around 12% of the nation’s prison population and cost taxpayers half a billion pounds each year to house the 10,500 people currently in prison.
Last year, the government announced new plans to speed up deportations and free up prison space. Under the early release system, some foreign prisoners will be released early and will be able to serve the remainder of their sentences abroad.
The UK also has separate prisoner transfer agreements with more than 100 countries, but these are understood to be too weak to significantly increase criminal deportations of foreign nationals.
A total of 935 foreign prisoners were repatriated under prisoner transfer agreements between 2010 and 2023, according to figures released by Prisons Minister Edward Argar last month, an average of 68 per year. be.
Some prisoner transfer agreements allow for forced return, but many are voluntary and require the consent of the prisoner.