Dozens of sexual misconduct allegations made against Surrey and Hampshire police officers
Data has been revealed showing claims made between 2016 and 2020.
Last updated 13th Oct 2021
Hundreds of allegations of sexual misconduct were made against serving police officers across Britain over five years.
Figures from 31 police forces obtained by RADAR under the Freedom of Information Act reveal at least 750 accusations were made against officers between 2016 and 2020.
38 of these claims against male officers at Hampshire Constabulary.
The FoI asked forces in England, Wales and Scotland how many complaints of sexual assault were made against serving police officers in each of these years.
Complaints could relate to historic allegations and most, where the gender was recorded, were against male officers, the data shows.
The responses did not indicate whether any of the officers were on duty at the time of the alleged incidents.
Of the total number of cases logged by forces over the five years, at least 34 resulted in dismissals.
In at least seven cases, an officer was listed as having either resigned or been dismissed, and at least six officers would have been dismissed if they had not resigned first.
At least one officer resigned before a misconduct hearing, and in one case the officer was listed as deceased.
Not all forces provided a detailed breakdown of sanctions taken and one of the forces which replied to the FoI also included a small number of police staff in its response.
There are 43 police forces covering England and Wales, as well as Police Scotland and the British Transport Police.
In its reaction, Hampshire Constabulary said: "We expect all our officers and staff to uphold the highest levels of professionalism and integrity at all times, whether on or off duty, and we do not accept any conduct that does not meet these standards.
"Policing is built upon the values of professionalism, compassion, courage and integrity and the public have a right to expect the highest standards from the officers and staff who are entrusted to keep them safe.
"Any breach of those professional standards is unacceptable and we have a robust system in place so that they can be reported and investigated thoroughly.
"Each public complaint and allegation of misconduct is assessed to identify if there are any criminal offences that have taken place.
"There is a mandatory referral process for sexual offences to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who will determine primacy of investigation.
"Criminal allegations are dealt with in the same way as an allegation against any member of the public and are considered alongside any misconduct process.
"Since February 2020, under the IOPC guidance, we are required to record every complaint, irrespective of whether it is spurious or malicious.
"This includes where the officer’s body worn video clearly disputes the allegation being made.
"We have worked, and continue to work, extremely hard as an organisation to ensure people understand the standards of behaviour expected of them, to be ethical and inclusive of all and to give staff the confidence to challenge on the rare occasions when behaviours fall below that which is acceptable."
Separate publicly available data reveals Surrey Police recorded 36 allegations of sexual misconduct against its officers over the same period, while the Met Police logged more than 500 claims of sexual offences against both officers and members of staff.
Reacting to the figures, Surrey Police's temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ali Barlow said there is no place in the organisation for people who abuse their position.
She said one case is one too many.
But she said vast majority go into work every day to seek to protect the public and keep people safe.
Surrey Police's statement in full: "At a time when policing has never been more under the spotlight following the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a serving officer, it is important to remember that the vast majority of our officers and staff come to work every day to seek to protect the public and keep people safe.
"However, when a police officer does abuse their position, it has a hugely damaging impact on the trust and confidence in the police.
"Robust procedures are in place to ensure that anyone reporting any allegation of any form of misconduct, whether a member of the public or a member of staff, can do so with the utmost confidence that their complaint will be treated seriously and will be investigated fully.
"Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ali Barlow said: “Any allegation we receive, whether externally or internally, is always treated seriously and our position is absolutely clear - one case is one too many, police officers are in a position of trust, and there is no place in our organisation for people who abuse their position or act in such a way.
“However, we must remember that these officers and staff are in the minority and that the vast majority are working really hard to build trust and confidence in our local communities, and doing all they can to ensure that women and girls feel safe on our streets.”
"To ensure we are as open and transparent as possible, outcomes of gross misconduct hearings and criminal cases are published internally and externally on our web site.
This ensures that we remain accountable to the public who put their trust in us."
It comes after an independent inquiry was announced by the Home Secretary Priti Patel to look into the "systematic failures" that allowed Sarah Everard's killer, Wayne Couzens, to be employed as a police officer.
Baroness Casey of Blackstock will lead a separate review of culture and standards at the Metropolitan Police in the wake of Ms Everard's murder.
Armed officer Couzens used his police issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest so he could kidnap 33-year-old Ms Everard before he raped and murdered her.
The End Violence Against Women Coalition, which includes groups such as Rape Crisis, Refuge and Women's Aid, said few officers face "any meaningful consequences" for violence against women and girls.
Deputy director Denzi Ugur said: "We need to see a radical overhaul of how the police respond to violence against women - especially within their own ranks.
"This means greater accountability and urgent, co-ordinated and strategic action to address violence against women.
"Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failings before we can even begin to address women's confidence in the police."
A publicly available response to a different freedom of information request revealed the Met - the UK's largest police force - recorded 530 allegations of sexual offences against serving officers and staff members between 2016 and 2020.
They were formed of public complaints and internal conduct matters, which include those raised by other members of the force.
The allegations related to 713 Met Police officers and staff in total, most of whom were male (577) - though an officer or staff member may have been named in more than one allegation.
Overall, 47 claims resulted in officers or staff being dismissed without notice.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which oversees the police complaints system, said it was down to forces to "stamp out" any abuse of police powers.
A spokesperson said: "The abuse of police powers for purposes of sexual exploitation, or violence, has a devastating impact on victims, and a serious impact on the public's confidence in individual officers and the service in general.
"It is critical there are effective systems in place to prevent, monitor and deal swiftly with any individual who exploits that trust."In the context of the police service, this behaviour is a form of corruption and should be dealt with as such.
"Each case reported represents a serious betrayal of the trust and confidence that individuals should have in the police. It is behaviour which can never be justified or condoned."
On announcing an independent inquiry, the Home Secretary said the public needed answers to ensure an incident like the murder of Ms Everard never happened again.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "As the public would rightly expect, we take police integrity very seriously and have already taken steps to overhaul the police complaints and discipline systems in order to increase transparency and accountability."
The Government's independent inquiry has been welcomed by Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, who said vetting and professional standards procedures need to be scrutinised to restore public confidence.
"I think having an independent inquiry is a very good way for that to be to be dealt with to really help us provide that reassurance," he added.