HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in England and Wales (HMIC) was a government agency with responsibility for inspecting structural issues within policing, whether specific forces or units, or thematic issues on a national level. It was usually headed and run by police officers. Since 2017 it has been part of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.
It play a role in the updating of the Special Branch Guidelines in the early 1980s.
When the spycop scandal became an issue of public debate it was tasked with reviewing undercover units relating to protests.
Scotland has its own distinct body for the same function, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS).
In the wake of the spycops scandal, it was prompted to conduct its first reviews of undercover policing, producing three reports:
- A review of national police units which provide intelligence on criminality associated with protest, 2 February 2012.
- A review of progress made against the recommendations in HMIC’s 2012 report on the national police units which provide intelligence on criminality associated with protest, 27 June 2013.
- An inspection of undercover policing in England and Wales, 13 October 2014.
Focusing on the national domestic extremism units (National Public Order Intelligence Unit, National Domestic Extremism Unit), it found various failings and made a variety of recommendations. Most of these focused on the lack of consistency across forces and appropriate training for senior police officers overseeing undercover deployments when it came to authorisation and justification, especially in relation to domestic extremism. It also highlighted problems with the definition of ‘domestic extremism’ itself.
In the wake of the HMIC reports, the newly formed College of Policing undertook the creation of an Authorised Professional Practice for undercover policing.
HMIC Scotland, also did its own investigation into the presence of spycops in Scotland following public pressure, albeit it was considered to be little better than a whitewash by campaigners.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (external link)
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (external link)