Misconduct investigations

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Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004302/P

Version Date: 04/03/2026

The Professional Standards Department has provided the following information:

Please provide the information for each of the last five completed financial years (or the closest equivalent period for which data is held). Where possible, please provide the information in tabular format (e.g. spreadsheet or CSV).

Requested Information

1. Volume of PSD investigations
For each financial year, please provide:
The total number of Professional Standards Department (PSD) investigations opened The total number of PSD investigations closed

Please note: Figures are based upon the number of Cases recorded and finalised in each financial year

Financial Year	Cases Recorded	Cased Finalised
01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	849	767
01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	1002	971
01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	1286	1211
01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	1582	1489
01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	1419	1271

Source of investigations
For each financial year, please provide the number of PSD investigations arising from:
Public complaints
Internally generated conduct matters

Please note: Figures are based upon the number of Cases recorded and finalised in each financial year

Financial Year	Complaint Cases	Conduct Cases
01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	806	43
01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	958	44
01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	1235	51
01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	1513	69
01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	1332	87

Nature of allegation / complaint
For each financial year, please provide a breakdown of PSD investigations by the nature of the allegation or complaint, using the closest available allegation categories recorded by your force.
This may include (where applicable), but is not limited to:
Discreditable conduct
Honesty and integrity
Use of force
Abuse of authority
Discrimination, harassment, or equality-related matters Sexual misconduct Corruption-related matters Other categories used by your force - Please provide category labels as recorded by your force.

Please note: Figures in the table below will be higher than in questions 1 and 2, as the below details allegations - and there may be more than one allegation recorded within a case. One table for Conduct. One table for Complaints
Standards of Professional Behaviour (where recorded) Where recorded, for each financial year please provide a breakdown of PSD investigations by the primary alleged breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour (or equivalent professional standards framework used by your force). If your force does not record alleged breaches of specific standards in a structured format, please confirm this.

There is no difference between investagations into allegations and investigations into alleged brfeach of standards. Please see table below for question 3 and 4.

CONDUCT - Breach Type	01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	Grand Total
01 Honesty and Integrity	8	12	12	29	26	87
02 Authority, Respect and Courtesy	17	18	30	38	39	142
03 Equality and Diversity	1	2	16	5	10	34
04 Use of Force	1	2		5	5	13
05 Orders and Instructions	4	9	13	8	8	42
06 Duties and Responsibilities	15	20	16	25	31	107
07 Confidentiality	12	7	11	5	14	49
08 Fitness for Duty	1					1
09 Discreditable Conduct	27	23	22	33	28	133
10 Challenging and Reporting Improper Conduct		1	8	4	3	16
Grand Total	86	94	128	152	164	624

COMPLAINT - Type Description	01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	Grand Total
Abuse of position for financial purpose				1	1	2
Abuse of position for other purpose	1	10	5	16	20	52
Abuse of position for sexual purpose			1		5	6
Accessing and handling of information from other sources	2	1	1	3	5	12
Age	2	1		4		7
Bail, identification and interview procedures	5	21	40	43	45	154
Decisions	58	109	177	202	240	786
Detention in police custody	39	33	41	51	66	230
Disability	4	1	9	5	4	23
Disclosure of information	29	31	43	47	62	212
Discreditable conduct	5	8	21	5	17	56
Evidential procedures	11	27	22	34	18	112
Gender reassignment			1		1	2
General level of service	102	192	309	335	382	1320
Handling of information	11	10	18	26	32	97
Handling of or damage to property/premises	42	48	71	134	146	441
Impolite and intolerant actions	85	111	102	180	144	622
Impolite language/tone	31	53	54	106	115	359
Information	28	36	41	75	93	273
Irregularity in evidence/perjury	1					1
Lack of fairness and impartiality	73	71	50	55	52	301
Obstruction of justice	3	7	51	33	22	116
Organisational corruption	1		4	2	6	13
Other	24	13	18	37	34	126
Other neglect or failure in duty	2					2
Other policies and procedures	39	42	52	73	81	287
Other sexual conduct	1	2		2	3	8
Out of court disposals	1	1	4	9	7	22
Overbearing or harassing behaviours	58	50	35	45	70	258
Police action following contact	218	302	419	555	503	1997
Power to arrest and detain	50	51	68	101	109	379
Race	20	32	14	31	22	119
Religion or belief					1	1
Searches of premises and seizure of property	17	23	43	46	53	182
Sex	7	2	2	24	10	45
Sexual assault		3	2	3	4	12
Sexual Orientation	2	2	2	8	3	17
Stops, and stop and search	29	19	18	35	25	126
Unlawful/unnecessary arrest or detention	4					4
Unprofessional attitude and disrespect	75	65	58	96	78	372
Use of force	139	114	143	158	142	696
Use of police systems	1	1	3	2	2	9
Use of police vehicles	16	15	22	42	30	125
Grand Total	1236	1507	1964	2624	2653	9984

Outcomes of PSD investigations
For each financial year, please provide the number of PSD investigations concluded with each of the following outcomes (or closest equivalent categories used by your force):
No case to answer
Management action / reflective practice
Misconduct meeting
Gross misconduct hearing
Dismissal
Resignation or retirement while under investigation Referral to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)

Please note: Figures differ to previous tables as this table details finalised Allegations (not Cases) with Outcomes. It is possible to have a different Outcome for different Allegations within the same Case.

Finalised allegations with outcomes	01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	Grand Total
De Recorded / Discontinuance / Withdrawn	38	50	61	30	43	222
Dismissal (at a Hearing)	7	3	16	9	8	43
Dismissal (would have been Dismissed, but Resigned or Retired whilst Under Investigation)		30	25	12	11	78
First Written Warning / Final Written Warning	28	12	20	28	19	107
Management Action / Reflective Practice	76	102	193	220	267	858
No Action	1167	1363	1687	2381	2169	8767
Regulation 13					4	4
Grand Total	1316	1560	2002	2680	2521	10,079

Investigation duration
For PSD investigations concluded in each financial year, please provide:
The average duration (in days)
The median duration (in days)

Please note: Figures are based upon the number of Complaint and Conduct Cases recorded in each financial year

Financial Year	Mean Average	Median Average
01/04/2020 to 31/03/2021	115	45
01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022	109	62
01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023	109	51
01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024	103	55
01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025	112	76

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Misconduct investigations