Tackling violence against women a "priority" say Avon and Somerset Police
National data released today shows more than 1,000 complaints were made against officers between October 2021 and March 2022
Last updated 14th Mar 2023
Avon and Somerset Police say tackling the issue of violence against women and girls "continues to be a priority", as national data released today (March 14) shows more than a thousand complaints were made against officers during a recent six month period.
The statistics from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) shows there were 653 conduct cases, against 672 individuals, relating to violence against women and girls between October 2021 and March 2022.
The complaints related to various allegations including sexual harassment, discreditable conduct not in the execution of their duty, and sexual assault.
There were also 524 complaints made by members of the public against 867 people in the same time period.
It is the first national assessment of the policing response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) since a commitment was made in 2021.
“We fully recognise if we are to have legitimacy in dealing with VAWG in our communities, we must stamp it out from within and the publication of this data today is one example of how we are working to root our those who betray our values and damage the public’s trust and confidence in the service we provide," Avon and Somerset Police Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said.
“We are committed to being open and transparent about the number of complaints and conduct matters relating to our officers, however, it’s important to note the data released today is intended to provide a benchmark that will enable us to assess our performance and progress over time.
"It does not cover the number of complaints or conduct matters we are currently dealing with.”
Across Avon and Somerset over the same period 20 public complaint cases were recorded against 30 individuals, with nine conduct cases being recorded against 10 individuals.
This generated a total of 33 separate allegations, of which 20 related to public complaints and 13 related to conduct.
A total of 70 per cent of the public complaints related to use of force.
Avon and Somerset Police say that in 85 per cent of cases the officer's actions were found either to be "acceptable", or the complaint was withdrawn.
Three allegations resulted in a finding that there was a case to answer – one of these resulted in a meeting with no further action, and the other two are subject to what Avon and Somerset Police call "reflective practice review processes".
Of the 13 conduct allegations, six relate to sexual assaults and other sexual conduct – five of these are still live, with the other one resulting in an officer being dismissed following a misconduct process.
Of the remaining seven allegations, five relate to discreditable conduct and two relate to use of force.
Three of the discreditable conduct allegations have been finalised with one resulting in a final written warning, the second resulting in a reflective practice review and the third found to have no case to answer.
Two remain live. Both use of force allegations remain live.
Assistant Chief Constable Hall says violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls in any form "is not acceptable and will not be tolerated".
“Eradicating VAWG continues to be a policing priority for us.
"We’ve already adopted the national VAWG strategy for our own strategy, and this is driving us forward in our ambition to create an environment, both within policing and in our communities, for women and girls to pursue their lives free of fear and harassment.”
Farah Nazeer, chief executive of charity Women's Aid, says only six per cent of the reported offences of violence against women and girls end with a suspect being charged.
She added: "These statistics have deeply worrying implications for women's already low levels of trust in the criminal justice system."