POLICE forces and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have commissioned the independent charity Crimestoppers to run a service for the public to anonymously or confidentially report corruption and serious abuse by police officers, staff and volunteers.

The new service will bolster forces’ capability to take action against those who are not fit to serve, a commitment made by all police chiefs and PCCs to strengthen police standards and culture. The launch follows a year of joint working between forces, PCCs and Crimestoppers to ensure that the service is available to all communities across the UK.

The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service covers reports relating to officers, staff and volunteers who:

• Provide information or influence in return for money or favours.
• Use their policing position for personal advantage – whether financial or otherwise.
• Cross professional boundaries or abuse their position for sexual purposes.
• Abuse or control their partner, or those they have a relationship with.
• Engage in racist, homophobic, misogynistic or disablist conduct, on or off duty, in person or online.

Crimestoppers will take calls from the public about individuals employed by any police force in the UK, regardless of whether the information relates to them whilst they are on or off duty, online or in person. Reports can be submitted online and telephone calls are free.

When people contact the service, they can choose to remain 100% anonymous, or can opt to leave their details if they are willing for the force investigation team to contact them directly.   

Information received by Crimestoppers will be passed to the relevant force’s specialist unit, such as Professional Standards or Anti-Corruption, for assessment. It may be passed to specialist detectives to begin an investigation, take steps to safeguard someone at risk or in danger, or record the information to inform future investigations.

The service sits alongside each force’s existing complaints procedure and has been set up solely to take reports of serious corruption and abuse committed by serving police officers and staff made by the public.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn said: “This new anonymous reporting method provided by Crimestoppers is an additional tool that supports our aim to safeguard the integrity of police forces.

“With almost 3,000 reports already received since its inception by the Met Police in November 2022, it is evident that the public are ready to engage with it.

“In the wake of recent scandals, including deeply concerning incidents, such as the tragic murders of Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, and Nicole Smallman, it is imperative that we take decisive action to address any breaches of trust or abuse of power within our ranks.

“We are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, and we want our communities to trust that we are actively confronting any instances of misconduct and that our officers can rely on robust systems for addressing wrongdoing.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “This reporting service will enable us to take action by giving the public a new, anonymous and confidential route to report corruption, criminality, or abusive behaviour within policing.

“We do not underestimate the impact recent events have had on trust and confidence in policing, including the appalling findings of the Angiolini report.

“We have made progress in strengthening procedures around misconduct and vetting, and forces are taking a proactive approach to finding and rooting out wrongdoing. However, we know there is always more to do to ensure that we meet the high standards rightly expected and deserved by the public.

“The vast majority of police officers and staff act professionally and with integrity in the fulfilment of their duties to protect the public. We must take tough action to purge policing of those responsible for wrongdoing, for now and for the future.

“This year, we checked our entire work force for unknown allegations or concerns and will begin long-term screening to ensure that there is no place for corrupt or abusive officers and staff to hide in our forces.”

Mark Hallas, Chief Executive of the independent charity Crimestoppers, said: “We all share the same aim of wanting to see dangerous and abusive police officers and staff rooted out. The public deserves a safe and transparent policing environment that they can trust.

“Crucially, the launch of this service gives people an option to make that initial report via our independent charity and not directly to the police. Those with serious allegations who have previously stayed silent will have greater confidence to come forward.”

Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “Public confidence in our police has been severely damaged. There can be no stone left unturned in our efforts to clean up the workforce and culture, and rebuild trust. 

“This anonymous helpline will give people the confidence to challenge the behaviour of officers who fall below the high standards the public deserve.

“This is alongside a broad range of continuous action being taken to root out officers unfit to serve and tighten vetting processes to ensure the right people are in policing.”