Sexual misconduct and racism claims against officers are proportionally higher in some English forces than at the Metropolitan police, a Guardian investigation has found, as new figures also revealed starkly different approaches to recording.
Three forces – Essex, Suffolk and Staffordshire – had, by proportion, more officers under investigation due to allegations of racism than the Met, according to the snapshot of investigations covering the period of late January and early February.
While 30 officers were under investigation in Suffolk – a force of 1,298 – over allegations of racism and 37 at Staffordshire, the figure was as high as 157 at Essex police, according to data released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.
Essex police said this was because the force comprehensively followed Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) guidance that all public complaints around racial discrimination are recorded as an investigation at the point they are lodged. This differs to processes followed by other forces, some of which do not formally record discrimination allegations.
A spokesperson for the force, which has more than 3,400 officers, said: “Our approach ensures a better service to the complainant, as they receive a comprehensive report in response to their concerns and any issues arising about officer behaviour are identified. This does also mean that we would expect our figures to be higher than those of some other forces.”
Of the 157 Essex police officers under investigation as of 13 January, 70 have been told they have no case to answer. Eighty-six investigations are continuing.
Meanwhile, two forces – Staffordshire and Bedfordshire – had by proportion more officers officially under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct than the Met.
Nineteen officers were being investigated at Staffordshire and 14 at Bedfordshire, according to the snapshot of investigations.
Another force with a relatively high proportion of investigations into allegations of racism against its officers was the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, whose ranks had included Sarah Everard’s killer, Wayne Couzens. Twelve officers were under investigation over alleged racism, including seven suspended ones.
The figures were obtained by the Guardian through multiple FoI requests, although some forces refused to provide any figures, claiming that doing so could lead to the identification of individuals. This included the British Transport Police.
However, the challenges of trying to understand the scale of the problem and comparing the approaches of different police forces was also illustrated by marked variations in the way different forces record complaints.
Staffordshire’s figures included some cases where an investigation was no longer active, due to limitations in the force’s recording system, which it is working to resolve.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson for the force said there had been an increase in officers under investigation and it believed this was “due to an increase in confidence in reporting and our robust stance”.
Reclaim These Streets, a movement that has campaigned to increase women’s safety, said the figures were still a stark reminder of how policing was in need of reform.
“These numbers demonstrate exactly why it is not appropriate for an all-white leadership team led by Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley to only focus on sexual misconduct,” it said.
“There cannot and should not be a hierarchy of evils so that the squeakiest and loudest wheel gets attention but the others go unchecked. And this is not just a London problem.”
Andy George, the president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), said the data was the type that was needed in order to understand the scale of the problem of racism in police ranks.
“Some of the lower figures are, in part, an indication of the lack of trust and confidence some people have about coming forward to make complaints. If you are really isolated in a workforce then it’s particularly hard to come forward,” he added.
But the figures alone did not explain why there was such variation among forces, said George, who added that there was a pressing need for a more consistent approach to best practice and recording.
“When there are more than 40 different models of policing across England and Wales there is no consistency, which is a major challenge in itself,” he said.
While the figures showed that just three investigations were under way during the period concerned into allegations of racism in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), George said his own experience of that force was that one-third of all minority ethnic officers had reported experiencing or witnessing racism. The PSNI listed 62 investigations under way for alleged sexual misconduct.
Among other larger forces, 33 officers were under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct at West Yorkshire, which has about 5,500 officers. Sixteen were under investigation over alleged racism, eight of which were part of the same case.
Police Scotland, which has about 16,644 officers, had 29 investigations under way over allegations of racism and 54 for alleged sexual misconduct.
Bedfordshire police’s chief constable, Trevor Rodenhurst, said the force was working relentlessly to identify and root out anyone who did not uphold standards. He added that its efforts would no doubt result in an increase in reports and investigations in the short term “as those who betray our values are removed from the force”.
Suffolk constabulary said it was committed to tackling hate crime and racism and this included within the force, adding that employees and volunteers should feel confident that any allegations would be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “The public rightly expect the highest standards from police officers, and we are working hard to rid policing of abusers and corrupt individuals.
“When allegations are made and where criminal thresholds are met, we will take robust action against those involved, and we will continue to root out those whose actions do not meet that threshold but who betray our professional standards.”
