Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Rowley said he had the backing of successive home secretaries to change the rules to allow police forces to sack officers accused of offences before those allegations have been tried in court.
On Tuesday a Home Office spokesperson said the government was “acting rapidly” to introduce new rules to help forces sack officers who could not pass vetting.
Rowley cited a letter in Wednesday’s Times by three retired senior officers, including one of his predecessors, Ian Blair, that said they had raised the issue with the Home Office 25 years ago.
Britain’s most senior police officer has blamed Home Office foot-dragging for a failure to change the rules to allow forces to sack officers who fail vetting procedures.
Rowley said: “It’s a ridiculous waste of taxpayers’ money, paying somebody to sit at home but they won’t be policing the streets.” Asked how much it would cost, he said: “It will go to millions of pounds.
