Nine in 10 misconduct allegations against Cambridgeshire officers resulted in no action, figures show

Nine in 10 formal allegations against Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers resulted in no misconduct action last year, new figures show.

Police behaviour and misconduct processes have fallen under the spotlight once again after it emerged that ex-Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick was dismissed at a misconduct hearing on Tuesday morning.

Carrick, 48, admitted dozens of rape and sexual offences against 12 women across two decades.

More than 1,100 misconduct allegations made against Cambridgeshire officers

Home Office figures show 1,122 misconduct allegations were made against Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers and handled under the formal complaints process in the year to April 2022.

Of these, 1,001 (89%) resulted in no action being required against the police officers involved.

A further 26 were referred to the reflective practice review process – when an officer’s behaviour falls short of expectations but does not amount to misconduct

The figures cover the total number of allegations rather than the number of complaints – one complaint could contain several allegations of misconduct. They do not cover any complaints handled outside the formal process, where it was felt a detailed enquiry was not needed.

Across England and Wales, 87,786 allegations were made against police officers and handled under the formal complaints process in 2021-22. The majority (88%) found no action was required.

Nearly 100 allegations of ‘conduct matter’ in Cambridgeshire

The Home Office figures show there were 91 allegations of "conduct matter" offences against Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers in 2021-22 – those which are not the subject of a complaint and indicate that an officer may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a way that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Of them, four were referred to official misconduct proceedings and 62 were referred to the reflective practice review process.

No action was required in 18 cases.

A further 23 "recordable conduct matter" allegations were made, where it is alleged that an officer's conduct resulted in the death or serious injury of any person.

A decision that no action was required was determined in 10 cases, while five were referred to misconduct proceedings and eight were referred to the reflective practice review process.

Nationally, 68 officers were found guilty in criminal proceedings including sexual offences (10), violence against the person (10), and traffic offences (23).

‘The conduct of our officers in Cambridgeshire Constabulary is of utmost importance’

Deputy Chief Constable Jane Gyford said: “David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences following an intensive and thorough investigation led by detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

“Cases such as David Carrick’s no doubt undermine trust and confidence, which is why the conduct of our officers in Cambridgeshire Constabulary is of utmost importance. We continue to be relentless in identifying and rooting out anyone who breaches those expectations.

“We have and continue to invest heavily in developing our culture and expect our workforce to call out concerns about colleagues at an early stage, particularly in relation to any form of violence against women and girls, which remains a priority for us.”