Force needs to improve staff vetting - report

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 found.

His 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.

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 allegations.

It 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."

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