Sussex Police told to improve vetting, standards and anti-corruption measures

A new report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) says Sussex Police must step up its vetting procedures, staff standards, and anti-corruption efforts to properly serve the public.

Inspectors found a “huge backlog” of vetting applications, with over 1,100 cases still waiting to be processed. Some staff were found to be working in roles without the correct security clearance.

The report also raised concerns about the force’s professional standards, highlighting delays in how complaints and misconduct allegations are handled. Many of these complaints, according to inspectors, could be resolved quickly by the public confidence team—but often aren’t.

Sussex Police’s anti-corruption unit was described as understaffed and unable to keep up with demand. The force was also found to be lacking in its ability to monitor staff use of computer systems, which could make it harder to spot misconduct or data breaches.

In response, Deputy Chief Constable Dave McLaren said:

“We are grateful to HMICFRS for their recommendations and findings. 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.

We strive for the highest standards across our force, and I’m pleased the inspection team recognised areas where improvements have already been made, accepting that there is still work to be done".

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