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Based on the scraped content, the core claim that London's police force failed to conduct thorough background checks on new recruits, leading to later criminal convictions, can be confirmed. However, the details are more specific than the initial description. **What can be confirmed:** 1. **Official Confirmation:** A damning internal review by the Metropolitan Police, published around January 8, 2026, confirmed systemic vetting failures (BBC, The View Mag, Evening Standard). 2. **Multiple Independent Sources:** The story is widely reported by numerous credible sources (BBC, The Guardian, Evening Standard, Straits Times, Jamaica Observer, Macau Business, The Telegraph). 3. **Specific Verifiable Details:** * **Timeframe:** The failures occurred primarily during a major recruitment drive (Police Uplift Programme) between 2019 and 2023, though some issues date back to 2016 or earlier (BBC, The Guardian). * **Scale:** Thousands of officers and staff (estimates range from 5,000 to over 22,000) were not properly vetted or had references unchecked (The View Mag, Evening Standard, Telegraph). * **Consequences:** The review identified **131 officers and staff** who committed crimes or misconduct after slipping through flawed vetting (BBC, Evening Standard). * **High-Profile Cases:** This includes two convicted serial rapists: **David Carrick** (not properly re-vetted in 2017) and **Cliff Mitchell** (recruited in 2020 after a vetting panel overturned a rejection despite a prior rape allegation) (BBC, Straits Times). * **Cause:** Senior leaders cited pressure to meet government recruitment and diversity targets, leading to shortcuts and the creation of a now-disbanded vetting panel that overturned rejections (BBC, Telegraph). * **Official Response:** Home Secretary **Shabana Mahmood** condemned the failures as a "dereliction of duty" and ordered an independent inspection. Met Assistant Commissioner **Rachel Williams** acknowledged the report (BBC, Straits Times). **What is uncertain or conflicting:** * **Exact Numbers:** The total number of improperly vetted personnel varies between sources (e.g., "thousands," "more than 5,000," "as many as 22,000"). * **Role of Diversity Initiatives:** While multiple sources confirm a vetting panel was partly aimed at improving diversity, the degree to which this was the primary driver of vetting lapses is presented with differing emphasis across reports. * **Ongoing Scope:** An earlier investigation from September 2025 suggested about 300 recruits from 2016-2023 were being rechecked for possible vetting errors, indicating the full scale was still being uncovered (The Guardian). **Conclusion:** The news event is verified. The Metropolitan Police admitted to widespread vetting failures during a pressured recruitment drive, which allowed individuals with criminal allegations or poor integrity to join, with at least 131 later committing crimes or misconduct, including serious sexual offences. The core claim is correct, though the precise statistics vary slightly between reports.