Officers and staff who have been subject to a disciplinary procedure from 2020 to 2022
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.033524
I note you seek access to the following information:
FOI Request: Misconduct Data
Please can you provide us with the most up to date numbers for:
- The number of officers and staff who have been subject to a disciplinary procedure including hearings and meetings between 2020 and 2022
Whether those officers are, or identify as, male or female
The results of such proceedings - The number of officers and staff who have been subject to a disciplinary procedure due to a report of sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2022
Whether those officers are, or identify as, male or female
The results of such proceedings - The number of officers and staff who have been reported for domestic abuse between 2020 and 2022
Whether those officers are, or identify as, male or female
The results of such proceedings - The number of reports of sexual assault and/or sexual violence made to your Police fore between 2017 and 2022
The number of those reports which led to an arrest
The number of those reports which led to a person or persons being charged
The number of those reports which resulted in a trial
The results of those trials - The vetting procedure used to check police staff including how and when checks are made and who carries out those checks. (Are checks done on arrival, after a number of years of service, when changing role etc.)
The investment in such procedures between 2017 and 2022 - The Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has required all forces to review live VAWG allegations involving police officers and staff, including domestic abuse.
How many cases have been reviewed by your police force as a result of this requirement?
When and how are they reviewed and by whom?
Whether those officers involved in such reviews are, or identify as, male or female
Were any cases re-opened following such a review? - How much money has been and is being spent on the professional standards unit at your police force between 2017 and 2022?
How many officers have worked and are working in the professional standards unit at your police force between 2017 and 2022?
Whether those officers are, or identify as, male or female
- How often is refresher training relating to behaviour given to officers and who delivers it?
- How is the Reflective Practice Review Process (RPRP) carried out and by whom?
Can you confirm that the RPRP is not a disciplinary process?
In order to comply with GDPR, please censor any identifying factors, including but not limited to name or date of hearing.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Questions 1 – 4 please see attached excel spreadsheet named ‘Misconduct Disciplinary From 2020’.
With regards to
Q4 - The number of reports of sexual assault and/or sexual violence made to your Police fore between 2017 and 2022
The number of those reports which led to an arrest
The number of those reports which led to a person or persons being charged
The number of those reports which resulted in a trial’ as you have put this under the heading of ‘Misconduct Data’ we have taken this to also be for officers and staff.
If you meant general members of the public, the report info can be found here:
If you required further breakdowns on arrests and PPA, please let us know and this can be considered a new request.
Maintaining Public Trust in the MPS
Securing and maintaining the trust of the community is integral to the principle of policing by consent and to continue to do so, the MPS recognises that its staff must act with professionalism and integrity. The MPS treats each occasion when an allegation is made about the conduct of its staff extremely seriously and will fully investigate each incident to determine whether the conduct of that member of staff has breached the standards of professional behaviour. Where the conduct of staff is proven to have fallen below the standards of behaviour expected, the MPS will take robust action to ensure that its staff are held to account and that lessons are learnt from each case. Any instance where the conduct of our staff is alleged to have fallen below the standards of behaviour expected is treated extremely seriously by the MPS.
Q5a - The vetting procedure used to check police staff including how and when checks are made and who carries out those checks. (Are checks done on arrival, after a number of years of service, when changing role etc.)
All new employees are subject to a minimum of Recruitment Vetting and a CTC check prior to appointment, conducted by Vetting Officers with the decision made by Senior Vetting Officers. Checks are conducted in line with the College of Policing’s Vetting Code of Practice and APP Vetting. These checks are repeated at least every 10 years. Should individuals move to a post requiring an enhanced level of clearance, this would require a new vetting process to be completed. Clearance may additionally be reviewed at any time depending on individual circumstances.
Please see below Vetting budget:
| Vetting Budget | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Year Budget | Full Year Outturn | Full Year Variance | |
| April 2023 to March 2024 | 6,361,857 | ||
| April 2022 to March 2023 | 5,997,651 | 8,443,843 | 2,446,192 |
| April 2021 to March 2022 | 3,611,595 | 4,340,830 | 729,236 |
| April 2020 to March 2021 | 3,366,746 | 4,745,776 | 1,379,031 |
| April 2019 to March 2020 | 1,228,677 | 4,143,281 | 2,914,604 |
| April 2018 to March 2019 | 7,340 | 2,242,637 | 2,235,297 |
| April 2017 to March 2018 | 371,906 | 1,295,052 | 923,146 |
| April 2016 to March 2017 | 357,891 | 650,090 | 292,200 |
The Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has required all forces to review live VAWG allegations involving police officers and staff, including domestic abuse.
Q6a - How many cases have been reviewed by your police force as a result of this requirement?
None – as a result of the MPS work on Onyx and Rainier the NPCC requirements were covered.
The latest published info on Onyx can be found here The Met updates on the largest reform of culture and standards in decades | Metropolitan Police
The MPS have a bespoke Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences (DASO) Investigation Unit within Directorate of Professional Standards. DASO was set up in January 2022 and deals with all misconduct investigations in relation to the police perpetrated sexual offences and domestic abuse.
None – as a result of the MPS work on Onyx and Rainier the NPCC requirements were covered.
The latest published info on Onyx can be found here The Met updates on the largest reform of culture and standards in decades | Metropolitan Police
The MPS have a bespoke Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences (DASO) Investigation Unit within Directorate of Professional Standards. DASO was set up in January 2022 and deals with all misconduct investigations in relation to the police perpetrated sexual offences and domestic abuse.
Q6b - When and how are they reviewed and by whom?
Not applicable, review not conducted for the reasons outlined above.
Q6c - Whether those officers involved in such reviews are, or identify as, male or female.
Not applicable, review not conducted for the reasons outlined above.
Q6d - Were any cases re-opened following such a review?
Not applicable, review not conducted for the reasons outlined above.
Q7a - How much money has been and is being spent on the professional standards unit at your police force between 2017 and 2022?
| DPS Budget and Outturn | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Year Budget | Full Year Outturn | Outturn Variance | |
| April 2022 to March 2023 | 31,951,573 | 41,060,811 | 9,109,238 |
| April 2021 to March 2022 | 28,430,412 | 31,239,615 | 2,809,203 |
| April 2020 to March 2021 | 28,284,720 | 28,364,718 | 79,999 |
| April 2019 to March 2020 | 27,464,930 | 27,854,939 | 390,009 |
| April 2018 to March 2019 | 26,005,244 | 25,675,162 | 330,082 |
| April 2017 to March 2018 | 23,723,426 | 23,869,973 | 146,547 |
| April 2016 to March 2017 | 22,975,291 | 22,301,613 | 673,678 |
Q7b - How many officers have worked and are working in the professional standards unit at your police force between 2017 and 2022?
Q7c - Whether those officers are, or identify as, male or female.
These are the Professional Standards strength figures for the professional standards unit:
| Female | Male | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2017 | 98 | 184 | 282 |
| March 2018 | 105 | 189 | 294 |
| March 2019 | 108 | 208 | 316 |
| March 2020 | 110 | 181 | 291 |
| March 2021 | 116 | 187 | 303 |
| March 2022 | 167 | 205 | 372 |
Q8 - How often is refresher training relating to behaviour given to officers and who delivers it?
There is no specific refresher training course delivered to officers, however, there is ongoing advice and guidance offered to all MPS employees on this topic.
There is also a Professional Standards ‘Tile’ on the MPS intranet which can be accessed by all staff and officers which provides standard of professional behaviour content.
In relation to the training offered to officers on this topic please see the following disclosures which provide further detail:
Q9a - How is the Reflective Practice Review Process (RPRP) carried out and by whom?
Q9b - Can you confirm that the RPRP is not a disciplinary process?
The subject officer is informed that a matter relating to them has been referred to be dealt with under the reflective practice review process.
This process does not constitute disciplinary proceedings and no action taken within this process will constitute disciplinary action.
The purpose of RPRP is to give the officer the opportunity to reflect on and learn and develop from a matter where their actions or behaviour have been assessed as amounting to practice requiring improvement, i.e. as performance or conduct not amounting to misconduct or gross misconduct which falls short of the expectations of the public and the police service as set out in the code of ethics.
The process follows these stages:
- They will be invited to provide an account within five days of the invitation (unless a longer period is agreed between you and the reviewer) however they may choose to do so immediately
- The Line Manager will undertake fact finding to establish what has taken place
- The officer will be invited to have a reflective practice review discussion with the Line Manager
- The Line manager will write a report outlining the result of the discussion
- The report will be reviewed as part of their Performance Development Review