One of the Met Police’s most important units is facing a recruitment crisis a report has revealed, leading to a risk that major crimes will not be investigated.
The Specialist Crime Command, which deals with cyber threats, child sex exploitation, homicide, firearms, drugs and armed robbery is facing a recruitment crisis with more than 300 vacancies in its ranks.
It is struggling to fill posts because the highly trained officers can get better pay and conditions in the private sector, according to a report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The resourcing crisis is particularly keenly felt in the area of financial crime, where specialist investigators and analysts are proving extremely difficult to recruit and retain.
The unit is currently operating with 300 staff and officer vacancies. Inspectors also found that almost a fifth of financial investigator posts were unfilled, with one unit operating with eight members of staff when it should have had 50.
The report said: “Some economic crime teams perceived that they were unable to dedicate enough time to serious and organised crime investigations.
Police and cyber news
Beard ban for police in Scotland
What has cyber security got to do with HR?
Police uplift targets: Government claims ‘do not stand up to scrutiny’
Casey review: Police Federation chief says ‘mindset shift’ needed
“They felt they were expected to support investigations into high-risk missing persons and targeting wanted fugitives; tasks that could be completed by other force personnel such as financial intelligence officers.”
Inspectors found that of the 228 highly skilled analyst posts in the Met, 40 were currently vacant, which was impacting the ability to gather evidence in complex cases.
The report stated: “Operational staff reported difficulties in securing analytical support to present complex evidence for court. In some cases, investigators attempted to complete this work themselves without requisite expertise.”
Matt Parr, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, said: “It is particularly difficult for London’s police forces to recruit and retain staff in specialist roles.
“Once staff are competently trained with specialist skill sets, they often realise they can earn better money in the private sector.
“Forces need to think innovatively to keep these skilled staff. They may wish to think about working in collaboration with the private sector to navigate this challenge and find a way to share resources.”
Commenting on the findings, cyber expert Suid Adeyanju, CEO, RiverSafe said: “Recruiting staff with high levels of security expertise is one of the biggest challenges facing organisations like the Met. The rising threat posed by cyber attacks like ransomware alongside the digital skills shortfall means the pressure is on to rapidly upskill existing employees in order to plug the gap.”
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
The report also criticised British Transport Police for paying to train and maintain undercover officers when they had not deployed them for two years, stating that current arrangements did not represent good value for money.
Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more human resources jobs
