The government has declared that police officers who commit gross misconduct in England and Wales will face immediate dismissal.
The decision was made in response to high-profile instances of officers committing rape and murder.
The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, referred to the reforms as a “return to kangaroo courts.”
Chief constables or their deputies will preside over misconduct tribunals considering severe allegations against officers under the new system.
Until date, the committees have been presided over by an independent lawyer.
The Police Regulations, which regulate officers’ behavior, will also be amended to allow for the dismissal of officers who fail re-vetting checks.
Chris Philp, the Minister for Policing, stated that the revisions will target the “small minority of police officers who let down the police force, and thus let down the public.”
“They will make sure there is nowhere to hide for officers who don’t deserve to wear the uniform,” he said on BBC Breakfast.
Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has openly advocated for the shift, telling MPs in April that independent lawyers are “more forgiving” of bad behaviour than senior police officers.
Sir Mark expressed his gratitude to ministers for recognizing the need for “substantial change” in a government statement.
Sir Mark previously stated that he had “about 100” police officers who could not be trusted to talk to the public but who he could not dismiss due to the limited powers available to him.
According to Baroness Casey’s study of the Met, the number of officers removed for gross misconduct began to reduce once independent chairs were established to oversee the hearings.
According to Home Office data on police misconduct, 58 officers out of 284 found guilty of gross misconduct were not dismissed from the force in the year ending March 2022.Before they could be legally sanctioned, 133 of the 284 officers resigned or retired.
The Police Federation had pressed the government not to modify the present system, and the news had been seen as a “huge retrograde step.”
“A return to kangaroo courts, where an officer is already guilty in the eyes of the chief officer before any evidence is heard, and they already know what outcome they want to see,” said its national chair, Steve Hartshorn.
Tiffany Lynch, another federation member, criticized the revisions, saying it was critical to “see due process,” telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that police must be given the opportunity to defend themselves.
She also stated that adequate procedures had already been put in place to guarantee that police found guilty of gross misconduct might be sacked.
But the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Gavin Stephens, told BBC News the new system contained checks and balances to ensure independence.
“There’s nothing that upsets police officers more than to see their fellow officers transgress, commit crime, and commit awful misconduct offences,” he said.
“That really aggrieves us as it aggrieves our communities, and we want to act firmly and swiftly to ensure that those who don’t belong in policing are not serving.”
The measures, according to Andy Marsh of the College of Policing, are a “very significant step forward” in holding police chiefs “accountable for delivering the standards and culture in their force.”
Labour said the statement was insufficient, and it has also asked for officers under investigation for rape and domestic abuse to be suspended during any investigations.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “For too long our police chiefs have not had the powers they need to root out those who have no place wearing the uniform.
“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.”