Official Statistics

Police misconduct, England and Wales year ending 31 March 2022

Published 12 January 2023

Applies to England and Wales

Frequency of release: Annual

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Jodie Hargreaves

Press enquiries: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: policingstatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

Privacy information notice

1. Key findings

Of the allegations referred to proceedings involving police officers, in cases finalised by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales in the year ending 31 March 2022, a misconduct meeting was the most common proceeding type for police complaints (67%), conduct matters (60%) and recordable conduct matters (40%) as shown in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1: Proceedings type for allegations referred to proceedings, for police officers, in England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

	Police complaints		Conduct matters		Recordable conduct matters
Proceedings type	Volume	Percentage (%)	Volume	Percentage (%)	Volume	Percentage (%)
Meeting	105	67	471	60	200	40
Hearing	46	29	189	24	126	25
Accelerated hearing	6	4	124	16	175	35
Total	157	100	784	100	501	100
Not known	1		7		0

Source: Table PC7, CM7, RC7

Of the 158 complaints allegations, involving police officers, that were referred to proceedings, gross misconduct was found in 38 (25%) allegations and misconduct was found in a further 78 (51%) allegations. Meanwhile, 38 (25%) were found to not be misconduct. No misconduct finding level was recorded for a small number (4) of allegations.

Of the 791 allegations, in conduct matters, involving police officers, there were referred to proceedings, gross misconduct was found in 284 (36%) allegations and misconduct was found in a further 414 (53%) allegations. Meanwhile, 86 (11%) were found not to be misconduct, including 10 allegations where proceedings were discontinued. No misconduct finding level was recorded for a small number (7) of allegations.

Of the 501 allegations, in recordable conduct matters, involving police officers, there were referred to proceedings, gross misconduct was found in 267 (53%) allegations and misconduct was found in a further 188 (38%) allegations. Meanwhile, 46 (9%) were found not to be misconduct, including 3 allegations where proceedings were discontinued.

2. Introduction

2.1 Introduction

Whilst explanations are provided throughout this release, the user guide to the ‘Police Misconduct’ statistical series contains further information about the police conduct regulations and a glossary with definitions of key terms used in this publication. It contains further information on the quality and limitations of these data and the ways in which the Home Office engages with users of these statistics.

This release contains information on the number of ‘police complaints’, ‘conduct matters’ and ‘recordable conduct matters’ finalised by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales in the year ending 31 March 2022. It includes:

• the number of cases and allegations, broken down by breach types

• the number of subjects who have an allegation against them and their protected characteristics

• whether there was a case to answer for each allegation

• the action taken for each allegation, including whether it was referred to misconduct proceedings and the type of proceedings

• the outcome at such proceedings including the level of misconduct found and any disciplinary actions imposed

• timeliness to finalise cases

• cases which lead to criminal proceedings

Police complaints, conduct matters, and recordable conduct matters are each presented in their own chapter, and data are provided for both police officers (including special constables)^{[footnote 1]} and staff^{[footnote 2][footnote 3]}.

The data referred to in this report are obtained from Centurion, a tool for the recording and processing of professional standards data within police forces. While data have undergone quality assurance checks, as with all administrative datasets used for the production of statistics, there are known limitations and quality issues to consider. Data in this report are a reflection of cases as recorded on the Centurion system, and users should bear in mind the limitations associated with these data as highlighted in the accompanying user guide when interpreting the data.

These data have been designated as experimental statistics^{[footnote 4]} to acknowledge that they should be interpreted with caution and that further development is currently taking place. There have been significant changes to the conduct legislation, the scope of these statistics, and changes to the way in which data are extracted from the Centurion system, between publications meaning it would not be meaningful to compare these data to that of previous years.

The Home Office intends to improve the completeness and quality of these data in future years. The Home Office will continue to work with Professional Standards Departments (PSDs) within police forces to improve the quality of the data and to provide more detailed published statistics in the future with the intention of publishing in the autumn on an annual basis going forward (from autumn 2023).

The data in this release can be found in the accompanying ‘Police Misconduct, England and Wales: year ending 31 March 2022’ data tables which includes police force area breakdowns.

2.2 Changes in this release

Scope of the statistics

Previously, data in this release (for the year ending 31 March 2021) covered only those complaints and conduct matters that were deemed serious enough to require investigation. In addition, the data were based on cases finalised in the financial year, irrespective of when the case was received. This means cases may have been handled under either the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012 (when the matter came to the force’s attention on or prior to 31 January 2020), or under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (when the matter came to the force’s attention on or after 1 February 2020). The data presented therefore included cases finalised under both regulations.

In order to simplify these statistics, in year ending 31 March 2022, the Home Office has collected and published data on cases raised under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 only. This decision was made to reflect that the changes to the regulations meant that processes on how to handle cases from 1 February 2020 onwards differed to cases handled under the old regulations. Amendments to the legislation in 2020 included changing the definition of what constitutes misconduct and widening the definition of a complaint. It also included amendments to available disciplinary outcomes, removing the use of management action or management advice and introducing the new Reflective Practice Review Process. As such, it is not appropriate to compare complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters handled under the different legislation.

Users should bear in mind that the change in scope of these statistics, to cover only cases handled under the 2020 regulations, means the totals reported are therefore likely an undercount. The scale of cases currently ongoing (which means not finalised) under the old regulations is unknown and not captured in these statistics. We anticipate that the number of remaining cases raised under the old regulations should reduce each year as they are finalised. Users should be mindful these statistics do not present a complete picture of cases finalised in the year ending March 2022 as they do not include cases which came to the forces’ attention prior to February 2020.

In addition, these statistics include information on all cases finalised by police forces, not just those deemed serious enough to investigate as was the case for data covering the year ending 31 March 2021. This enables users of the data to gain a fuller picture of the number of complaints and conduct matters finalised. For these reasons mentioned above direct comparisons should not be made between statistics covering the year ending 31 March 2021 and the year ending 31 March 2022 onwards.

New content in this release

In addition, this release contains new datasets not previously published on:

• allegations broken down by breach types
• widened coverage of protected characteristics to include the age of subjects who have an allegation against them
• level of misconduct found at misconduct proceedings
• timeliness to finalise cases
• cases which lead to criminal proceedings

This statistical series is accompanied by a newly developed user guide which includes further information about the police complaints and conduct regulations, a glossary with definitions of key terms used in this publication and known limitations of these data.

2.3 The police complaints and disciplinary systems

The police complaints and disciplinary systems are key for maintaining confidence in policing, upholding high standards in policing and protecting the public. The systems facilitate the public and those serving within the police to raise concerns about the behaviour of an individual serving with the police. The systems are governed by different pieces of legislation, and this dictates how a particular matter is handled. This includes differences between the processes involved for police officers and members of police staff.

Police complaints from members of the public, recordable conduct matters and death or serious injury (DSI) matters are handled under the Police Reform Act 2002 and the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020 (the “Complaints Regulations”). Whereas internal conduct matters are currently handled under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (the “Conduct Regulations”). Whilst there are similarities between the systems, there are some distinct differences in how matters are handled.

Further information about the police complaints and disciplinary systems can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

2.4 Experimental statistics status

These data have been designated as experimental statistics to acknowledge that they should be interpreted with caution and that further development is currently taking place.

Data in this report are a reflection of cases as recorded on Centurion, an operational tool for the recording and processing of professional standards data within police forces. As with all administrative datasets used for the production of statistics, there are known limitations and quality issues to consider. The user guide to the ‘Police Misconduct’ statistical series contains further information about the quality, limitations and known issues regarding these data.

The Home Office intends to improve the completeness and quality of these data in future years. The Home Office will continue to work with Professional Standards Departments (PSDs) within police forces to improve the quality of the data and to provide more detailed published statistics in the future. Having already made significant changes to the scope of these statistics compared to the first publication in the ‘Police misconduct’ series, covering police misconduct cases finalised in the financial year ending 31 March 2021, it would not be meaningful to compare these data to that of previous years.

2.5 Additional notes on these statistics

Protected characteristics

Although these statistics report on “gender”, in reality the Centurion system is likely collecting a mix of data on gender and sex. For the purpose of these statistics, we are reporting the data in the format they are collected. For further information about the quality and limitations of these data can be found in the accompanying user guide.

The self-defined ethnicity of all individuals with an allegation raised against in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are recorded as ‘unknown’. Due to a technical issue which is being investigated, this information is not being pulled through correctly to the Centurion system and the Home Office report extracted from Centurion. The Home Office are working with the MPS to resolve this issue for future data collections. This bulletin therefore includes data from the 42 police forces in England and Wales, excluding the MPS when analysing self-defined ethnicity data.

Comparisons in this bulletin to the protected characteristics of all police officers and staff (headcount) employed by police forces in England and Wales have been sourced from the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ publication series for the year ending March 2022.

Timeliness measures

Timeliness measures only cover the timeliness of cases finalised under the current regulations and as such do not include cases received before February 2020. Therefore, any timeliness measures underestimate the average time taken to finalise a case as cases finalised under the old regulations are not included. For further information about the quality and limitations of these data can be found in the accompanying user guide.

The user guide accompanying this release contains further information on the counting conventions used throughout this statistical series and examples of how cases, allegations and individuals are counted.

3. Police complaints

3.1 Introduction

A police complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with a police force that is expressed by, or on behalf of, a member of the public. This can cover complaints about policing practice and service failure, as well as complaints about the conduct of its officers and staff.

The figures in this chapter reflect cases handled and finalised under the latest Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020 (the “Complaints Regulations”), as recorded on Centurion. Cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 but received before February 2020 are therefore not included in this chapter. Furthermore, some forces do not use Centurion to record complaints handled outside of Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002. Therefore, this publication should not be used to assess the overall volume of complaints received or finalised.

Further information about the complaint regulations, limitations associated with these data, and definition of key terms used in this publication can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

3.2 Police complaint cases

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 48,979 police complaints cases involving police officers and 8,125 involving police staff^{[footnote 5]} were finalised (where the case was handled under the latest complaints regulations). Due to a change in the scope of this release, direct comparisons to data for the year ending March 2021 are not possible.

3.3 Allegations

Each police complaint case can include multiple allegations. The 48,979 police complaints involving police officers involved a total of 115,235 allegations (an average of 2.4 allegations per complaint), and the 8,125 complaints involving staff involved a total of 11,959 allegations (an average of 1.5 allegations per complaint).

Police complaints must be handled in a reasonable and proportionate manner. When a complaint is first made, and referred to the appropriate authority, a decision on whether to record and handle the complaint under Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002 is taken by the relevant body. Certain complaints must be recorded – such as if there is an allegation that the conduct or other matter complained of resulted in death or serious injury or if there is an allegation that, if proved, might constitute a criminal offence by a person serving with the police or justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. A complaint must also be recorded under Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002, if at any point the person making the complaint wants it to be recorded.

Of the 115,235 complaint allegations involving police officers and relating to cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 (and recorded on Centurion), 87,786 were handled under Schedule 3. Of the 8,125 complaint allegations involving police staff 7,893 allegations were handled under Schedule 3.

A further 27,449 allegations involving officers and 4,064 allegations involving staff were handled outside of Schedule 3 and recorded on Centurion. However, a number of forces do not use Centurion to record complaints handled outside of Schedule 3, instead opting to use their own local system. These numbers are therefore an undercount of the full extent of complaints handled outside of Schedule 3. The remainder of this chapter focuses on allegations handled under Schedule 3 only.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes data on complaints against the police in England and Wales. The IOPC statistics are considered a more reliable data source for the total volume of police complaints as they capture complaints handled both outside of, and under, Schedule 3. Further information about the quality and limitations of these data, and other data sources can be found in the accompanying user guide.

Allegations by IOPC allegation type

When recording police complaints, IOPC allegation categories are used to capture the root of the dissatisfaction expressed in a complaint. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of the categories and sub-categories that make up the framework.

Figure 3.1 shows that for allegations involving police officers, complaints about the “Delivery of duties and service” made up the largest category, accounting for 40.0% (35,114 allegations) of police complaints finalised. Within this category, “Police action following contact” and “General level of service” were largest sub-categories making up 18.0% and 13.0% of total allegations respectively.

The second most frequent IOPC allegation type category was “Police powers, policies and procedures”, accounting for 30.5% (26,817) of complaints finalised. Within this category, “Use of force” was the largest sub-category with 10,457 allegations. Data on sub-categories can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 3.1: Police complaint allegations involving police officers by IOPC allegation type, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC3

Notes:

1. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of allegation categories.

2. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

3. Some allegations (one allegation involving police officers) did not have an allegation type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown allegation types have been included in the accompanying data tables.

For allegations involving police staff, 47.6% (3,759) of complaint allegations linked to cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 (where handled under the latest complaints regulations). These were recorded under the “Delivery of duties and service” allegation type and 19.1% (1,506) of allegations under the “Individual behaviours” category. Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Case to answer decision

For complaint cases handled under Schedule 3 it is determined whether a case has to be investigated or whether it is reasonable and proportionate to do so. Table 3.1 shows the number of allegations raised against police officers and police staff by allegation result.

Table 3.1: Result following a complaint allegation handled under Schedule 3, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Result following a police complaint allegation	Allegations involving police officers	Proportion (%)	Allegations involving police staff	Proportion (%)
The service provided was acceptable	62,135	70.8	4,936	62.6
The service provided was not acceptable	8,985	10.2	1,365	17.3
Not able to determine if the service provided was acceptable	3,846	4.4	329	4.2
No further action required	7,585	8.6	891	11.3
Case to answer	261	0.3	33	0.4
No case to answer	1,231	1.4	38	0.5
Regulation 41	347	0.4	34	0.4
Withdrawn	3,375	3.8	265	3.4
Total	87,765	100.0	7,891	100.0
Unknown	21		2

Source: Table PC4

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

2. ‘Regulation 41’ applies where an investigation has previously been suspended to avoid prejudice of any criminal case, and upon resuming investigations the complainant either fails to indicate that they want to resume investigation, or they no longer wish to pursue their complaint.

3. A small number of allegations did not have an allegation result; these have been included in ‘unknown’.

Investigations will be subject to special procedures if there is an indication that an individual may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. Where an investigation is not subject to special procedures, or an allegation is handled without investigation, the complaint handler determines whether the service provided was acceptable or not acceptable.

Table 3.1 shows the service provided was determined to be acceptable in the majority of allegations; 70.8% of those involving a police officer and 62.6% of those involving police staff. A decision on whether service provided was acceptable or not can only be reached if the allegation were not investigated subject to special procedures.

Of the complaint allegations involving a police officer, 261 were found to have a case to answer. This accounts for 0.3% of all finalised complaint allegations handled under Schedule 3. In 1,231 allegations involving a police officer there was no case to answer accounting for 1.4% of all finalised complaint allegations. A decision on whether there is a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct can only be reached if the allegation was investigated subject to special procedures.

Action taken

Table 3.2 shows the action taken following police complaint allegations against police officers and police staff.

For police officers, 89.1% of complaint allegations handled under Schedule 3, resulted in no action required.

Not all behaviour which falls short of the standards of professional behaviour engages the discipline system and is referred to proceedings. Other processes, either the Reflective Practice Review Process or Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures, may be initiated when such behaviour is identified that does not warrant disciplinary action.

Of the allegations against police officers handled under Schedule 3, 10.6% saw a learning outcome (referred to the Reflective Practice Review Process or learning from reflection). A small proportion (0.2%) of allegations were referred to proceedings.

Of allegations against police staff, no action was required in 84.9% of allegations, followed by 14.6% which saw learning outcomes. A small proportion (0.3%) of allegations were referred to proceedings.

Table 3.2: Action taken following an allegation, England and Wales, police complaint cases handled and finalised under Schedule 3 year ending 31 March 2022

Action taken following a police complaint	Allegations involving police officers	Proportion (%)	Allegations involving police staff	Proportion (%)
No action required	76,926	89.1	6,593	84.9
Learning outcome	9,125	10.6	1,137	14.6
Referral to proceedings	158	0.2	27	0.3
Other action	126	0.1	6	0.1
Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures	18	0.0	1	0.0
Total	86,353	100.0	7,764	100.0
Unknown	1,433		129

Source: Table PC5

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people, the allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

2. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

3. ‘Other action’ includes any action not listed, such as, ‘Informal action by line manager’. ‘Informal action by line manger’ is not a legislative action under the 2020 regulations however was an option on Centurion. This option has since been removed from Centurion.

4. A small number of allegations did not have an allegation action; these have been included in ‘unknown’.

5. The table includes actions as recorded on Centurion, and does not necessarily contain all available outcomes following a police complaint.

3.4 Complaints referred to proceedings

For cases referred to formal disciplinary proceedings, the proceedings type (meeting, hearing or accelerated hearing) will depend on the severity of the allegation. Definitions of each proceedings type can be found in the glossary of the accompanying user guide.

Figure 3.2 shows the proceedings type for police officers and staff, for allegations relating to police complaints cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022.

The most common proceedings type following the investigation of a police complaint allegation against police officers was a meeting, with 67% of allegations referred to proceedings (where the proceedings type was known) resulted in a meeting. A further 29% were referred to a hearing. Only 4% of police complaint allegations against police officers resulted in an accelerated hearing.

The most common proceedings type for staff was a hearing, with 24 out of 27 of police complaint allegations referred to proceedings leading to a hearing. The remaining 3 police complaint allegations against staff resulted in a meeting. Police staff cannot be referred to an accelerated hearing.

Figure 3.2: Allegations referred to proceedings by proceedings type England and Wales, police complaint cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC6

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

2. A small number of allegations (1 involving a police officer) did not have a proceedings type. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

Misconduct finding level

Figure 3.3 shows the misconduct finding level of public allegations referred to proceedings. Of the 158 complaints allegations involving police officers that were referred to proceedings, gross misconduct was found in 38 allegations and misconduct was found in a further 78 allegations. Meanwhile, 38 were found to not be misconduct.

For police staff, misconduct or gross misconduct was found in all 27 allegations referred to proceedings.

Figure 3.3: Allegations referred to proceedings by misconduct finding level, England and Wales, police complaint cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC7

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

2. A small number of allegations (4 involving a police officer) did not have a misconduct finding level recorded. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

3.5 Outcomes

Misconduct meetings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 105 police complaint allegations against police officers went to a misconduct meeting. The most common outcome at a misconduct meeting for officers was a written warning, with 44 (42%) allegations referred to a meeting resulting in this outcome. A further 24 (23%) were referred to the Reflective Practice Review Process and 23 (22%) resulted in a final written warning. The remaining 14 (13%) resulted in no action.

In the year ending 31 March 2022, of the 3 police complaint allegations against police staff that went to a misconduct meeting, all of these resulted in no action.

Misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 46 police complaint allegations against police officers went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing for officers was a final written warning with 18 (39%) allegations referred to a meeting resulting in this outcome. A dismissal was given for 9 (20%) of allegations and a further 7 (15%) where the police officer would have been dismissed if they were still in service when the decision was made. Data on outcomes in remaining police complaint allegations involving police officers referred to a hearing can be found in the accompanying data tables.

In the year ending 31 March 2021, 24 police complaint allegations against police staff went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing for police staff was a first written warning, with 10 (42%) complaint allegations involving police staff resulting in this outcome, followed by 5 where the member of staff would have been dismissed if they were still in service when the decision was made. Data on outcomes in remaining police complaint allegations involving staff referred to a hearing can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Accelerated misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 6 police complaint allegations against police officers went to an accelerated misconduct hearing. In all 6 of these allegations the officer would have been dismissed if they were still in service when the decision was made.

3.6 Demographics of individuals subject to a complaint

Across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales, there were 76,831 police officers and 9,535 police staff involved in police complaint cases handled under the latest police complaints regulations. The figures in this section include individuals involved in complaints handled both outside of, and under, Schedule 3.

When counting individuals involved in a complaint case, Centurion assigns a subject reference number for each individual involved per case. This is specific to each case and as such if the same officer is involved in two cases, they will be counted twice in these statistics. For further information see the known issues section of the accompanying user guide.

Information on the protected characteristics of officers and staff involved in complaint cases are given below where available. Where this is not available individuals have been recorded as ‘Unidentified’ or ‘Not known’. This category includes cases where a complaint has been received but the force has been unable to identify the officer or staff member involved, as well as cases where an individual has not recorded information about their protected characteristics on their force HR system. For complaints cases, gender is unidentified or not known for 19% of individuals, ethnicity for 38% of individuals and age for 21% of individuals. For further information see the known issues section of the accompanying user guide.

Gender

Figure 3.4 shows the gender of individuals involved in police complaints. Of the police officers involved in police complaints, where their gender is known, 72% (44,539) were male and 28% (17,054) were female. Of the police staff involved in police complaints, where their gender is known, 40% (3,301) were male and 56% (4,589) were female. The proportion of officers and staff involved in police complaints who were male was higher than the proportion of officers and staff in the police service in England and Wales who were male (66% and 38% respectively) as at 31 March 2022.

Figure 3.4: Gender of individuals involved in police complaints, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC9

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.

2. For a number of individuals (15,106 police officers and 1,373 police staff) their gender was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

Self-defined ethnicity

Figure 3.5 shows the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in police complaints excluding the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Of the police officers involved in police complaints, where their ethnicity is known, 95% (45,296) were white and 5% (2,415) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). This reflects the ethnicity profile of police officers employed in England and Wales (excluding MPS) with 5% of officers, as at 31 March 2022, identifying as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities).

Of the police staff involved in police complaints, where their ethnicity is known, 95% (5,925) were white and 5% (337) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). This reflects the ethnicity profile of police staff employed in England and Wales (excluding MPS) with 5% of staff members, as at 31 March 2022, identifying as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities).

Further information on the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in police complaints at the 5+1 ethnicity framework can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 3.5: Self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in police complaints, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC10

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.

2. For a number of individuals (17,405 police officers and 2,644 police staff) their ethnicity was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

3. Excluding the Metropolitan Police Service. All 11,715 police officers and 629 police staff involved in police complaints are recorded as ‘unknown’ for self-defined ethnicity due to a technical issue described in section 2.5.

Age

Data on age is calculated as at the date the case was received. Figure 3.6 shows the age of individuals involved in police complaints.

Of the police officers involved in police complaints, where age is known, 16% (9,772) were aged 25 years and under, 82% (49,771) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 2% (1,312) were aged over 55 years. This is similar to the age profile of police officers employed in England and Wales. As at 31 March 2022, 12% of police officers in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 86% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 2% were aged over 55.

Of the police staff involved in police complaints, where age is known, 12% (906) were aged 25 years and under, 70% (5,124) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 17% (1,263) were aged over 55 years. This is similar to the age profile of police staff employed in England and Wales. As at 31 March 2022, 8% of police staff in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 70% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 22% were aged over 55.

In summary, police officers involved in police complaints had a younger age profile compared with police staff, however, this reflects the age profile of the police workforce.

Figure 3.6: Age of individuals involved in police complaints, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table PC11

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.

2. For a number of individuals (15,976 police officers and 2,242 police staff) their age was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

4. Conduct matters

4.1 Introduction

A ‘conduct matter’ is any matter that, is not and has not, been the subject of a complaint, where there is an indication that the person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner which would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

In carrying out their duties, those serving within the police are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour as set out in Schedule 2 of the Conduct Regulations and associated police staff misconduct procedures.

Further information about the handling of conduct matters can be found in the statutory guidance issued by the Home Office. Definitions of key terms can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

4.2 Conduct matter cases

There were 2,163 conduct matter cases involving police officers and 704 involving police staff^{[footnote 6]} that were finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022.

4.3 Allegations

A case can include multiple allegations. The 2,163 conduct matter cases involving police officers involved a total of 4,334 allegations (an average of 2.0 allegations per conduct matter) and the 704 conduct matter cases involving police staff involved a total of 1,265 allegations (an average of 1.8 allegations per conduct matter).

Allegations by IOPC allegation type

When a conduct matter occurs, IOPC allegation categories are used to capture the nature of the conduct which occurred. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of the categories and sub-categories that make up the framework.

Figure 4.1 shows that for allegations involving police officers, “Discreditable conduct” made up the largest category, accounting for 35.7% (1,547 allegations) of conduct matters finalised; this was slightly higher for police staff, at 41.4% (523 allegations). Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 4.1: Conduct matter allegations involving police officers, by IOPC allegation type, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM2

Notes:

1. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of allegation categories.
2. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
3. A small number of allegations (5) did not have an allegation type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown allegation types have been included in the accompanying data tables.

Allegations by standards of professional behaviour breach type

In carrying out their duties, police officers are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour as set out in Schedule 2 of the Conduct Regulations. Allegations can also be grouped based on the standard of professional behaviour which they breach.

Figure 4.2 shows that for allegations involving police officers, “Discreditable conduct” made up the largest category, accounting for 28.2% (1,177 allegations) of conduct matters finalised; this was similar for police staff, at 28.6% (344 allegations). Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 4.2: Conduct matter allegations involving police officers, by standard of professional behaviour breach type, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM3

Notes:

1. Standards of professional behaviour are set out in Schedule 2 of the Conduct Regulations. The Code of Ethics provides a broader framework which underpins these standards.
2. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
3. Some allegations (167 involving police officers) did not have a breach type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown breach types have been included in the accompanying data tables.

Case to answer decision

For each allegation it is determined whether there is a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct^{[footnote 7]}. Figure 4.3 shows of the allegations raised against police officers and police staff whether there was a case to answer. Of the 4,334 conduct matter allegations against police officers, in 2,858 (66%) there was not a case to answer and in 1,431 (33%) there was a case to answer. A small number of allegations (45) were discontinued where an investigation into a conduct matter was suspended.

For conduct matters against police staff, in 646 (51%) there was not a case to answer and in 567 (45%) there was a case to answer. A small number of allegations (52) were discontinued.

Figure 4.3: Case to answer decision in conduct matter allegations, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM4

Note:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

Action taken

Table 4.1 shows what action was taken following allegations from conduct matters against police officers and police staff.

Of the allegations against police officers 50.0% were referred to learning outcomes, followed by 30.4% where no action was required. A further 18.3% were referred to misconduct proceedings and in a small proportion of cases (1.3%) the allegation was referred to Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures (UPP) to be handled under the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020.

Of the allegations against police staff no action was required in 40.1% of conduct matters, followed by 30.1% which were referred to misconduct proceedings. A further 29.1% of allegations were referred to learning outcomes and in a small proportion of cases (0.6%) the allegation was referred to UPP.

Table 4.1: Action taken following an allegation in conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Action taken in conduct allegations	Allegations involving police officers	Proportion (%)	Allegations involving police staff	Proportion (%)
Referral to proceedings	791	18.3	380	30.1
Learning outcomes	2,165	50.0	368	29.1
Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures	58	1.3	8	0.6
Informal action by line manager	1	0.0	0	0.0
No action required	1,314	30.4	507	40.1
Total	4,329	100.0	1,263	100.0
Unknown	5	N/A	2	N/A

Source: Table CM5

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.
3. ‘Informal action by line manger’ is not a legislative action under the 2020 regulations however was an option on Centurion. This option has since been removed from Centurion.

4.4 Proceedings type

For cases involving officers being referred to misconduct proceedings, those proceedings are always held under the Conduct Regulations, regardless of what legislation the matter was investigated under. Proceedings can take the form of either a: meeting, hearing or accelerated hearing. Further information about the police conduct regulations and definitions for key terms used in this publication can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

Figure 4.4 shows the proceedings type for the 791 allegations involving police officers and 380 allegations involving police staff, from conduct matters, that were referred to proceedings and were finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022.

The most common proceedings type (where the proceeding type was known) for police officers in conduct matter allegations was a meeting. Of all conduct matter allegations referred to proceedings, 60% resulted to a meeting. A further 24% resulted in a hearing and 16% resulted in an accelerated hearing.

The most common proceedings type for police staff (where the proceeding type was known) was a hearing, 95% of conduct matter allegations referred to proceedings led to a hearing. The remaining 5% of conduct matter allegations against police staff resulted in a meeting. Police staff cannot be referred to an accelerated hearing.

In a small number of allegations, the proceedings type was not known. These allegations have been excluded when calculating these proportions but data on unknown proceedings type are included in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 4.4: Proceedings type for conduct matters referred to proceedings, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM6

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. A small number of allegations (7 involving police offices and 3 involving police staff) did not have a proceedings type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown proceedings have been included in the accompanying data tables.

4.5 Misconduct level findings

Figure 4.5 shows, in the year ending 31 March 2022:

• of the 471 conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to a meeting, misconduct was found in 85% (401)
• of the 189 conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to a hearing, gross misconduct was found in 85% (160) and misconduct was found in 7% (13)
• of the 124 conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to an accelerated hearing, gross misconduct was found in all (100%) allegations

Figure 4.5: Misconduct level finding in conduct matter allegations involving police officers, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM7

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. A small number of allegations (7 involving a police officer) did not have a misconduct finding level recorded. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

4.6 Outcomes

Proceedings involving police officers

Table 4.2 shows the outcomes of conduct matter allegations against police officers at a misconduct meeting, hearing and accelerated hearing.

Table 4.2: Outcomes at proceedings for conduct matter allegations involving police officers, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Outcome	Meeting	Hearing	Accelerated hearing
Would have been dismissed	N/A	59	74
Dismissal	N/A	51	42
Reduction in rank	16	0
Final written warning	40	39	8
Written warning	330	1	N/A
Learning outcomes	56	0	0
No action	35	12	0
Proceedings discontinued	6	4	0
Total	467	182	124
Not known	4	7	0

Source: Table CM8

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. ‘N/A’ indicates where an outcome is not applicable for the misconduct proceeding type.
3. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

Misconduct meetings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 471 conduct matter allegations against police officers went to a misconduct meeting. The most common outcome at a misconduct meeting (where the outcome was known) for officers was a written warning, with 71% (330) of meetings resulting in this outcome. Followed by 12% (56) that were referred to learning outcomes and a final written warning was given in 9% (40) of allegations. A further 7% (35) resulted in no action and 1% (6) where proceedings were discontinued as shown in table 4.2.

Misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 189 conduct matter allegations against police officers went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing (where the outcome was known) for officers was ‘would have been dismissed’ if the officer was still in service when the decision was made, with 32% (59) allegations resulting in this outcome. Followed by 28% (51) where the officer was dismissed. A further 21% (39) resulted in a final written warning, 9% (16) resulted in a reduction in rank and one resulted in a written warning. A small number resulted in no action (12 or 6%) or were discontinued (4 or 2%) as shown in table 4.2.

Accelerated misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 124 conduct matter allegations against police officers went to an accelerated misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at an accelerated misconduct hearing for officers was ‘would have been dismissed’ with 60% (74) of allegations resulting in this outcome. A further 34% (42) resulted in dismissal and 6% (8) resulted in a final written warning as shown in table 4.2.

Proceedings involving police staff

Table 4.3 shows the outcomes of conduct matter allegations against police staff at a misconduct meeting and hearing.

Table 4.3: Outcomes at proceedings for conduct matter allegations involving police staff, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Outcome	Meeting	Hearing
Dismissal	0	91
Would have been dismissed	0	88
Final written warning	0	60
Final written warning extension	0	6
Written warning	6	73
Verbal warning	10	7
Learning outcomes	1	6
Apply or reinstate stage 2 warning	0	4
Not proven	0	2
Proceedings discontinued	0	3
Dismiss case as unfounded or mitigated	0	10
Total	17	350
Not known	2	8

Source: Table CM8

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

Misconduct meetings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 19 conduct matter allegations against police staff went to a misconduct meeting. Of those, where the outcome was known (17), the most common outcome at a misconduct meeting for staff was a verbal warning, with 10 meetings involving staff resulting in this outcome. A further 6 resulted in a written warning and one was referred to learning outcomes as shown in table 4.3.

Misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 358 conduct matter allegations against police staff went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing for police staff, where the outcome was known (350), was dismissal, with 91 (26%) of misconduct hearings involving police staff resulting in this outcome. Followed by, ‘would have been dismissed’ if they were still in service when the decision was made with 88 (25%) resulting in this outcome. A further 73 (21%) resulted in a written warning and 60 (17%) in a final written warning. A small proportion (11%) resulted in other outcomes as shown in table 4.3.

4.7 Timeliness to finalise cases

Of the conduct matter cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022, involving police officers, it took 115 days on average (median) to finalise the case in England and Wales. The median days to finalise conduct matters ranged from 28 days in Hampshire (69 conduct matters were finalised by Hampshire in the year ending March 2022) to 310 days in West Midlands (74 conduct matters were finalised by West Midlands in the year ending March 2022). Data by police force area for both police officers and police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Table 4.4 shows the majority (88%) of conduct matter cases, involving police officers, finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022, took under 12 months to finalise.

Table 4.4: Timeliness to finalise conduct matter cases involving police officers, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Timeliness to finalise case	Number of cases	Proportion (%)
Less than 3 months	921	42.6
3 months to less than 6 months	470	21.8
6 months to less than 9 months	282	13.1
9 months to less than 12 months	218	10.1
12 months to less than 18 months	221	10.2
18 months to less than 2 years	45	2.1
2 years or more	3	0.1
Total cases finalised	2,160	100.0

Source: Table CM10

Note:

1. In a small number of cases (3) the date which the case was received was not recorded. These have been excluded from the timeliness analysis.

4.8 Demographics of individuals subject to a conduct matter

Across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales, there were 2,855 police officers and 778 police staff involved in conduct matter cases that were finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022. The number of individuals is less than allegations as individuals can have multiple allegations against them, however, and is more than cases as cases can involve multiple allegations.

Gender

Figure 4.6 shows the gender of individuals involved in conduct matters. Of the police officers involved in conduct matters, where their gender is known, 77% (2,915) were male and 23% (644) were female. Of the police staff involved in conduct matters, where their gender is known, 53% (410) were male and 47% (365) were female. The proportion of officers and staff involved in conduct matters that were male was higher than the proportion of officers and staff in the police service in England and Wales that were male (66% and 38% respectively) as at 31 March 2022.

Figure 4.6: Gender of individuals involved in conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM11

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (16 police officers and 3 police staff) their gender was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

Self-defined ethnicity

Figure 4.7 shows the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in conduct matters (excluding the MPS). Of the police officers involved in conduct matters, where their ethnicity is known, 93% (1,981) were white and 7% (149) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). The proportion of officers involved in conduct matters who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) was slightly higher than the proportion (5%) of officers in the police service in England and Wales (excluding the MPS) who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) as at 31 March 2022.

Of the police staff involved in conduct matters, where their ethnicity is known, 94% (596) were white and 6% (40) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). The proportion of police staff involved in conduct matters who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) is slightly higher than the proportion of staff (5%) in the police service in England and Wales (excluding MPS) who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) as at 31 March 2022.

Further information on the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in conduct matters at the 5+1 ethnicity framework can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 4.7: Self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM12

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (110 police officers and 88 police staff) their ethnicity was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.
3. Excluding the Metropolitan Police Service. All 615 police officers and 88 police staff involved in conduct matters are recorded as ‘unknown’ for self-defined ethnicity due to a technical issue described in section 2.5.

Age

Data on age is calculated as at the date the case was received. Figure 4.8 shows the age of individuals involved in conduct matters.

Of the police officers involved in conduct matters, where age is known, 15% (408) were aged 25 and under, 84% (2,331) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 2% (48) were aged over 55 years. This reflects the age profile of police officers employed in England and Wales. As at 31 March 2022, 12% of police officers in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 86% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 2% were aged over 55; similar to the age profile of officers involved in conduct matters.

Of the police staff involved in conduct matters, where age is known, 18% (129) were aged 25 and under, 66% (480) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 16% (119) were aged over 55 years. This is differs to the age profile of police staff employed in England and Wales. As at 31 March 2022, 8% of police staff in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 70% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 22% were aged over 55.

Figure 4.8: Age of individuals involved in conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table CM13

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (68 police officers and 50 police staff) their age was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

5. Recordable conduct matters

5.1 Introduction

A conduct matter, as set out in chapter 4, is any matter that, is not and has not, been the subject of a complaint. A ‘recordable conduct matter’, is a distinct category (and not a subset of conduct matters) where a conduct matter:

• appears to have resulted in the death or serious injury of any person
• has had an adverse effect on a member of the public
• meets any of the criteria set out in regulation 7 of the Complaints Regulations; this includes serious assaults, sexual offences and corruption

Certain recordable conduct matters which meet the mandatory referral criteria must be referred to the IOPC. The IOPC will decide whether the matters referred to them should be investigated and how, via local investigation^{[footnote 8]}, directed investigation^{[footnote 9]}, or independent investigation^{[footnote 10]}.

Recordable conduct matters are handled under the same legislation as complaints – the Police Reform Act 2002 and the Complaints Regulations as opposed to the Conduct Regulations.

Further information about the handling of recordable conduct matters and definitions of key terms can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

5.2 Recordable conduct matter cases

There were 843 recordable conduct matter cases involving police officers and 268 involving police staff^{[footnote 11]} that were finalised (either by the police force or the IOPC dependent on the investigation route) in the year ending 31 March 2022.

5.3 Allegations

A case can include multiple allegations. The 843 recordable conduct cases involving police officers involved a total of 1,802 allegations (an average of 2.1 allegations per recordable conduct matter) and the 268 recordable conduct matter cases involving police staff involved a total of 447 allegations (an average of 1.7 allegations per recordable conduct matter).

Allegations by IOPC allegation type

When a recordable conduct matter occurs, IOPC allegation categories are used to capture the nature of the conduct which occurred. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of the categories and sub-categories that make up the framework.

Figure 5.1 shows that for allegations involving police officers, “Discreditable conduct” made up the largest category, accounting for 35% (631 allegations) of recordable conduct matters finalised.

Figure 5.1: Recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers, by IOPC allegation type, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC2

Notes:

1. Appendix A of the IOPC’s guidance on capturing data about police complaints contains a full description of allegation categories.
2. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

For allegations involving police staff, 50% of recordable conduct allegations linked to cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 were recorded under the “Discreditable conduct” allegation type. Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Allegations by standards of professional behaviour breach type

In carrying out their duties, police officers are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour as set out in Schedule 2 of the Conduct Regulations. Allegations can also be grouped based on the standard of professional behaviour which they breach.

Figure 5.2 shows that for allegations involving police officers, “Discreditable conduct” made up the largest category, accounting for 37% (656 allegations) of recordable conduct matters finalised.

Figure 5.2: Recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers, by standard of professional behaviour breach type, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC3

Notes:

1. Standards of professional behaviour are set out in Schedule 2 of the Conduct Regulations. The Code of Ethics provides a broader framework which underpins these standards.
2. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
3. Some allegations (8 allegations involving police officers) did not have a breach type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown breach types have been included in the accompanying data tables.

For allegations involving police staff, 38% of recordable conduct allegations linked to cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 were recorded under the “Discreditable conduct” allegation type. Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Case to answer decision

For each allegation it is determined whether there is a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct^{[footnote 12]}. Figure 5.3 shows of the allegations raised against police officers and police staff whether there was a case to answer.

For recordable conduct matters against police officers, in 62% of the allegations there was not a case to answer and in 36% of allegations there was a case to answer. A small number of allegations (1%) were discontinued where an investigation into a recordable conduct matter was suspended.

For recordable conduct matters against police staff, in 47% of the allegations there was not a case to answer and in 49% of allegations there was a case to answer. A small number of allegations (3%) were discontinued.

Figure 5.3: Case to answer decision in recordable conduct matter allegations, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC4

Note:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

Action taken

Table 5.1 shows what action was taken following allegations from recordable conduct matters against police officers and police staff.

Of the allegations against police officers no action was required in 43% of recordable conduct matters, followed by 28% which were referred to misconduct proceedings.

Not all behaviour which falls short of the standards of professional behaviour engages the discipline system and is referred to proceedings. Other processes, such as learning outcomes or Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures, may be initiated when such behaviour is identified that does not warrant disciplinary action (which means there is no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct) but does require improvement. Of the allegations against police officers, 29% were referred to ‘learning outcomes’ and in a small number of cases (less than 1%) the allegation was referred to Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures (UPP) to be handled under the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020.

Of the allegations against police staff no action was required in 44% of recordable conduct matters, followed by 38% which were referred to misconduct proceedings. A further 16% were referred to ‘learning outcomes’ and in a small number of cases (1%) the allegation was referred to UPP.

Table 5.1: Action taken following an allegation in recordable conduct matter cases, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Action taken in recordable conduct allegations	Allegations involving police officers	Proportion (%)	Allegations involving police staff	Proportion (%)
Referral to proceedings	501	27.8	172	38.5
Learning outcomes	517	28.7	73	16.3
Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures	10	0.6	5	1.1
No action required	774	43.0	197	44.1
Total	1,802	100.0	447	100.0

Source: Table RC5

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

5.4 Proceedings type

For cases involving officers being referred to misconduct proceedings, those proceedings are always held under the Conduct Regulations, regardless of what legislation the matter was investigated under. Proceedings can take the form of either a: meeting, hearing or accelerated hearing. Further information about the police conduct regulations and definitions for key terms used in this publication can be found in the user guide accompanying this release.

Figure 5.4 shows the proceedings type for the 501 allegations involving police officers and 172 allegations involving police staff, from recordable conduct matters, that were referred to proceedings and were finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022.

The most common proceedings type for police officers for allegations in recordable conduct matters was a meeting. Of all recordable conduct matter allegations referred to proceedings, 40% (200) proceeded to a meeting. A further 35% (175) of recordable conduct matter allegations against police officers resulted in an accelerated hearing and 25% (126) resulted in a hearing.

The most common proceedings type for police staff was a hearing, 91% (150) of recordable conduct matter allegations referred to proceedings led to a hearing. The remaining 9% (14) of recordable conduct matter allegations against police staff resulted in a meeting.

In a small number of allegations, the proceedings type was not known. These allegations have been excluded when calculating these proportions but data on unknown proceedings type are included in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 5.4: Proceedings type for recordable conduct matters referred to proceedings, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC6

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. A small number of allegations (8 involving police staff) did not have a proceedings type, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown proceedings have been included in the accompanying data tables.

5.5 Misconduct level findings

Figure 5.5 shows, in the year ending 31 March 2022:

• of the 200 recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to a meeting, misconduct was found in 84% (167)
• of the 126 recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to a hearing, gross misconduct was found in 73% (92) and misconduct was found in 17% (21)
• of the 175 recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers that went to an accelerated hearing, gross misconduct was found in all (100%) allegations

Figure 5.5: Misconduct level finding in recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC7

Note:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.

Data for police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

5.6 Outcomes

Proceedings involving police officers

Table 5.2 shows the outcomes of recordable conduct matter allegations against police officers at a misconduct meeting, hearing and accelerated hearing.

Table 5.2: Outcomes at proceedings for recordable conduct matter allegations involving police officers, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Outcome	Meeting	Hearing	Accelerated hearing
Would have been dismissed	N/A	39	97
Dismissal	N/A	38	78
Final written warning	26	27	0
Written warning	114	0	N/A
Learning outcomes	41	1	0
No action	18	14	0
Proceedings discontinued	1	2	0
Total	200	121	175
Not known	0	5	0

Source: Table RC8

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. ‘N/A’ indicates where an outcome is not applicable for that misconduct proceeding type.
3. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

Misconduct meetings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 200 recordable conduct matter allegations against police officers went to a misconduct meeting. The most common outcome at a misconduct meeting for officers was a written warning, with over half (57% or 114) of meetings involving officers resulting in this outcome. Followed by 21% (41) were referred to the Reflective Practice Review Process (RPRP) and a final written warning was given in a 13% (26) of allegations. A further 18 resulted in no action and one where proceedings were discontinued as shown in table 5.2.

Misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 126 recordable conduct matter allegations against police officers went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing for officers was ‘would have been dismissed’ if the officer was still in service when the decision was made, with 31% (39) allegations resulting in this outcome. Followed by 30% (38) where the officer was dismissed. A further 21% (27) resulted in a final written warning and one was referred to RPRP. A further 18 resulted in no action and 2 where proceedings were discontinued as shown in table 5.2.

Accelerated misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 175 recordable conduct matter allegations against police officers went to an accelerated misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at an accelerated misconduct hearing for officers was ‘would have been dismissed’ with over 55% (97) allegations resulting in this outcome. A further 45% (78) resulted in dismissal as shown in table 5.2.

Proceedings involving police staff

Table 5.3 shows the outcomes of recordable conduct matter allegations against police staff at a misconduct meeting and hearing.

Table 5.3: Outcomes at proceedings for recordable conduct matter allegations involving police staff, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Outcome	Meeting	Hearing
Dismissal	0	49
Would have been dismissed	0	30
Final written warning	0	31
Final written warning extension	0	2
Written warning	7	27
Verbal warning	4	2
Learning outcomes	1	1
Apply or reinstate stage two warning	0	2
No action	0	3
Not proven	2	0
Proceedings discontinued	0	2
Dismiss case as unfounded or mitigated	0	1
Total	14	150

Source: Table RC8

Notes:

1. An allegation can be raised against multiple people. The allegation against each individual is counted in this table as each allegation can have a different result.
2. A small number of allegations (8 involving police staff) did not have an outcome at proceedings or proceeding type recorded, these have been excluded from this chart. Unknown outcomes have been included in the accompanying data tables.
3. ‘Learning outcomes’ include ‘learning from reflection’, ‘reflective practice’ and ‘Reflective Practice Review Process’.

Misconduct meetings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 14 recordable conduct matter allegations against police staff went to a misconduct meeting. Of those, where the outcome was known, the most common outcome at a misconduct meeting for staff was a written warning, with 7 meetings involving staff resulting in this outcome. A further 4 resulted in a verbal warning, one was referred back to the appropriate authority and 2 were not proven.

Misconduct hearings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 150 recordable conduct matter allegations against police staff went to a misconduct hearing. The most common outcome at a misconduct hearing for police staff was dismissal, with 33% of misconduct hearings involving police staff resulting in this outcome, followed by 21% resulting in a final written warning. In a further 20% of allegations, it resulted in the member of staff ‘would have been dismissed’ if they were still in service when the decision was made and 18% resulted in a written warning. A small proportion (9%) resulted in other outcomes as shown in table 5.3.

5.7 Timeliness to finalise cases

Of the recordable conduct matter cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022, involving police officers, it took 211 days on average (median) to finalise the case in England and Wales. The median days to finalise recordable conduct matters ranged from 29 days in Hampshire (103 recordable conduct matters were finalised by Hampshire in the year ending March 2022) to 598 days in Durham (where only one recordable conduct matter was finalised by Durham in the year ending March 2022). Data by police force area for both police officers and police staff can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Table 5.4 shows the majority (78%) of recordable conduct matter cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022 took under 12 months to finalise.

Table 5.4: Timeliness to finalise recordable conduct matter cases, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Timeliness to finalise case	Number of cases	Proportion (%)
Less than 3 months	173	20.7
3 months to less than 6 months	197	23.6
6 months to less than 9 months	149	17.8
9 months to less than 12 months	133	15.9
12 months to less than 18 months	146	17.5
18 months to less than 2 years	37	4.4
2 years or more	1	0.1
Total cases finalised	836	100.0

Source: Table RC10

Note:

1. In a small number of cases (7) the date which the case was received was not recorded. These have been excluded from the timeliness analysis.

5.8 Demographics of individuals subject to a recordable conduct matter

Across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales, there were 1,068 police officers and 291 police staff involved in recordable conduct matter cases that were finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022. The number of individuals is less than allegations as individuals can have multiple allegations against them, however, is more than cases as cases can involve multiple allegations.

Gender

Figure 5.6 shows the gender of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters. Of the police officers involved in recordable conduct matters, where their gender is known, 81% (854) were male and 19% (203) were female. Of the police staff involved in recordable conduct matters, where their gender is known, 56% (163) were male and 44% (126) were female. The proportion of officers and staff involved in recordable conduct matters that were male was higher than the proportion of officers and staff in the police service that were male (66% and 38% respectively) as at 31 March 2022.

Figure 5.6: Gender of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC11

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (11 police officers and 2 police staff) their gender was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

Self-defined ethnicity

Figure 5.7 shows the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters (excluding the MPS).

Of the police officers involved in recordable conduct matters, where their ethnicity is known, 91% (554) were white and 9% (57) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). The proportion of officers involved in recordable conduct matters who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) was slightly higher than the proportion (5%) of officers in the police service who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) as at 31 March 2022.

Of the police staff involved in recordable conduct matters, where their ethnicity is known, 93% (185) were white and 8% (15) were ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities). The proportion of police staff involved in recordable conduct matters who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) is slightly higher than the proportion of staff (5%) in the police service who identify as ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) as at 31 March 2022.

Further information on the self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters at the 5+1 ethnicity framework can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Figure 5.7: Self-defined ethnicity of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC12

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (36 police officers and 28 police staff) their ethnicity was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.
3. Excluding the Metropolitan Police Service. All 421 police officers and 63 police staff involved in recordable conduct matters are recorded as ‘unknown’ for self-defined ethnicity due to a technical issue described in section 2.5.

Age

Data on age is calculated as at the date the case was received. Figure 5.8 shows the age of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters.

Of the police officers involved in recordable conduct matters, where age is known, 15% (154) were aged 25 and under, 83% (867) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 2% (24) were aged over 55 years. In comparison, as at 31 March 2022, 12% of police officers in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 86% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 2% were aged over 55; similar to the age profile of officers involved in recordable conduct matters.

Of the police staff involved in recordable conduct matters, where age is known, 13% (36) were aged 25 and under, 70% (193) were aged 26 years to under 55 years, and 17% (48) were aged over 55 years. In comparison, as at 31 March 2022, 8% of police staff in England and Wales were aged 25 and under, 70% were aged 26 years to under 55 years and 22% were aged over 55.

In summary, police officers involved in recordable conduct matters had a younger age profile compared with police staff, however, this reflects the profile of the police workforce.

Figure 5.8: Age of individuals involved in recordable conduct matters, England and Wales, cases finalised year ending 31 March 2022

Source: Table RC13

Notes:

1. People can be involved in multiple cases and have multiple allegations against them. If a person is involved in multiple cases, they will be counted for each case they are involved in.
2. For a small number of individuals (23 police officers and 14 police staff) their age was not known, or the officer or staff member involved in the allegation was not specifically identified. These have been excluded from the chart but are included in the accompanying data tables.

6. Criminal proceedings

6.1 Introduction

The Home Office collects data on the number of police complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters, that were finalised in the financial year on Centurion, which involved criminal proceedings. Users should bear in mind, that criminal proceedings against police officers and staff could arise which do not stem from a complaint, conduct matter or recordable conduct matter; these may not be captured in this data.

Criminal proceedings are distinct from misconduct proceedings, as there are different tests and thresholds applied. For example, while a criminal prosecution relies on a burden of proof beyond all reasonable doubt, misconduct proceedings are in line with civil proceedings and rely on the balance of probabilities. This means that for criminal cases which do not result in conviction or are unsuitable for criminal prosecution, the individual can still be subject to misconduct proceedings and potentially be dismissed. In addition, where cases do result in criminal conviction, the individual can also be subject to misconduct proceedings.

6.2 Criminal proceedings

In the year ending 31 March 2022, there were 83 criminal proceedings related to police officers and 30 related to police staff.

Of the criminal proceedings involving officers (where the verdict is known), 68 (83%) resulted in the officer being found (or pleading) guilty, 7 (9%) resulted in a not guilty verdict and in a further 7 (9%) proceedings were discontinued. For staff, 25 (83%) resulted in the individual being found (or pleading) guilty and one case (3%) resulted in a not guilty verdict. In a further 3 (10%) proceedings resulted in no evidence offered and one case (3%) was discontinued.

1. The term ‘police officer’ throughout this report includes special constables. ↩

2. The term ‘police staff’ throughout this report includes civilian staff, Police Community Support Officers (PSCOs), designated officers. It does not include contractors or police support volunteers. ↩

3. Complaints or conduct matters can also be raised about a person who has since ceased serving with the police. ↩

4. The Code of Practice for Statistics describes Experimental Statistics as ‘newly developed or innovative official statistics undergoing evaluation. They are developed and published to involve users and stakeholders in the assessment of their suitability and quality at an early stage’. ↩

5. Where a case involves both worker types, an officer and staff member, it will be counted once under both worker types. ↩

6. Where a case involves both worker types, an officer and staff member, it will be counted twice under each worker type. ↩

7. A case to answer decision determines whether there is sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable misconduct meeting or hearing panel could make a finding of misconduct or gross misconduct, on the balance of probabilities. ↩

8. Whereby the force PSD can handle the matter and choose whether an investigation is appropriate. ↩

9. Whereby the force PSD conducts the investigation based on parameters set out by the IOPC. ↩

10. Whereby the IOPC investigates the matter itself. ↩

11. Where a case involves both worker types, an officer and staff member, it will be counted twice, once under each worker type. ↩

12. A case to answer decision determines whether there is sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable misconduct meeting or hearing panel could make a finding of misconduct or gross misconduct, on the balance of probabilities. ↩