In recent years, the number of police officers transitioning to law firms after retirement has surged, with at least 144 ex-officers applying for employment reviews to join these firms over the past six years. According to the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, a total of 228 applications for employment reviews were submitted by retired police employees from 2020 to February this year, with 144 (63.2%) successfully passing the review process. While many of these cases were considered unrelated to their previous positions, a small number received exemptions despite their direct involvement, highlighting potential loopholes in the current employment review system.

The current Public Service Ethics Act mandates pre-employment reviews for retired high-ranking public officials seeking jobs in the private sector, aiming to prevent issues such as favoritism or conflicts of interest. However, the Citizens' Coalition warns that the employment of retired police officers in law firms poses significant risks to the impartiality and integrity of police investigations. Disturbingly, retired officials who are lawyers tend to have a higher rejection rate during the review process compared to non-lawyers, raising questions about the scrutiny in such cases.

Furthermore, the Coalition suspects that the actual number of retired police officers entering law firms who hold legal qualifications could be even higher. Due to a specific clause in the Public Service Ethics Act that allows lawyers, tax accountants, and auditors to bypass employment reviews, some retired police officials might be evading necessary scrutiny. A recent case involved a police official handling a high-profile investigation who immediately took a position at a law firm representing the very individual under investigation, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms to ensure transparency and prevent potential conflicts of interest in such transitions.