Sex pest officers ‘are biggest form of police corruption’
OFFICERS abusing their powers to pursue sexual relationships has become the “single largest form of police corruption”, says a watchdog.
The number facing disciplinary action over allegations of using their position in this way has “risen sharply” over the last three years.
Claire Bassett, deputy director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said their actions may appear “harmless at first”, like sending messages from a personal phone or putting kisses at the end of a text message, but this could be the “start of a pattern of escalating behaviour”.
She added: “It is in everyone’s interest to root out those who abuse their position, and it is vital that anyone who experiences or witnesses this kind of unacceptable behaviour feels empowered to speak up.”
Last year there were 70 IOPC probes over allegations of abuse of position for a sexual purpose (APSP). In 2016 there were 10.
Between April 2018 and March 2021, 66 faced misconduct proceedings after being investigated. Some 42 of these were in the last year alone and misconduct was proven in 63 of the cases. Of the 52 who faced gross misconduct proceedings involving the most severe allegations, 38 no longer serve and were barred from working in policing. Seven police officers or staff were also prosecuted for criminal offences leading to six convictions, with three resulting in an immediate custodial sentence, the IOPC said.
In 2017 its predecessor, the Independent Police
Complaints Commission, found some forces were not treating APSP cases as corruption. This led to a “significant and sustained rise in the number of referrals”, the watchdog said.
It is the “single largest form of police corruption” the IOPC deals with. Last year APSP accounted for almost a quarter of such referrals.
Ms Bassett said the behaviour “has a devastating impact on the people involved, who are often in a vulnerable situation. The police are there to help them, not exploit them.”
She added: “Recent events, including the horrific actions of Wayne Couzens, remind us that policing must act to root out this kind of behaviour.”