Launch of national Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service
Devon & Cornwall Police and Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner have joined all police forces across the UK to launch the Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service, which will be run by the independent charity Crimestoppers.
The service went live on Thursday 14 March 2024 and was established to give the public an anonymous and confidential route to report concerns about criminal behaviour by individuals in policing. It will bolster the Force’s capability to take action against those who are not fit to serve.
The national Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service covers information relating to officers, staff and volunteers who:
• Provide information or influence in return for money or favours.
• Use their policing position for personal advantage - whether financial or otherwise.
• Cross professional boundaries or abuse their position for sexual purposes.
• Abuse or control their partner, or those they have a relationship with.
• Engage in racist, homophobic, misogynistic or disablist conduct, on or off duty, in person or online.
Crimestoppers will take reports from the public about individuals working within Devon & Cornwall Police, as well as any police force in the UK, regardless of whether the information relates to them whilst they are on or off duty, online or in person. Reports can be submitted online and telephone calls are free.
When people contact the service, they can choose to remain 100 per cent anonymous, or can opt to leave their details if they are willing for the force investigation team to contact them directly.
Information received by Crimestoppers will be passed to the Force’s Counter Corruption Unit, who will assess it. The Force may then pass the information to specialist detectives to begin an investigation, take steps to safeguard someone at risk or in danger or record the information to inform future investigations.
The service sits alongside the Force’s existing complaints procedure and has been set up solely to take reports of corruption and or serious abuse committed by serving police officers, staff and volunteers.
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thorne said: “We know that there is a majority of good people working within Devon & Cornwall Police who display exemplary standards of behaviour and do their best to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, it is the actions of a few that let us and our communities down and we must continue to do all we can to root out individuals who display unethical, unprofessional or criminal behaviour.
“The public should quite rightly have confidence that police officers and staff strive to attain the highest standards of ethical behaviour, and that when these standards fall below expectations, swift and robust action is taken.
“We are determined to do all we can to ensure our workforce is fit to serve and I would encourage anyone with concerns about a police officer, member of staff or volunteer to come forward so we can investigate.”
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “While most police officers, staff and volunteers put the welfare of the public they serve before their own interests there are a minority who fall below the high standards we and the public expect and deserve.
“This service will help us operate with the trust and confidence of the public by providing a route to report wrongdoing, independent of policing. The independent charity Crimestoppers has showed its worth to us in the South West over recent years, including during our campaign to rid the region of drugs through Operation Scorpion, where anonymised information passed by the public to police has proved invaluable in identifying where drug dealers have been operating.”
You can contact the new service by calling 0800 085 0000 or via Crimestoppers' website to provide information you have about a serving police officer, staff member or volunteer in the UK.
If you would prefer to report matters directly, you can call 101, visit the Force website or email countercorruptionunit@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk. Corruption can also be reported online at www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/v2/police-corruption
