Met chief: we’ve been ‘too permissive’ about police with criminal records

Rowley revealed the force had found that four out of five past allegations of violence against women by officers and staff did not result in the correct action. Photograph: James Manning/PA Media

The commissioner of the Metropolitan police says his force has “been too permissive” in allowing officers to serve with serious criminal records and that legislation is needed to make it easier to dismiss them.

Commenting in the wake of a review that found 161 officers in his force have criminal convictions, including for sex offences, Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think we’ve been too permissive. That’s very, very clear.”