Violence Against Women and Girls (893A/23)
Request
Please see the following Freedom of Information Requests below.
Please provide the number of police officers that were employed on May 1, 2023, in the West Midlands Police.
Please provide the number of police staff that were employed on May 1, 2023, in the West Midlands Police.
Please provide data on how many Violence Against Women and Girls-related misconduct or gross misconduct cases against police officers and police staff from May 2022-May 2023 in the West Midlands Police.
NOTE: By misconduct and gross misconduct we mean as defined under Regulation 2(1) The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, misconduct means a breach of Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify disciplinary action and gross misconduct means a breach of Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal.
NOTE: By VAWG-related misconduct or gross misconduct we mean as measured in the NPCC Violence Against Women and Girls Benchmark as some form of inappropriate sexual conduct (rape, sexual assault, abuse of position for sexual purpose and other sexual conduct) and discreditable conduct, which is a defined standards of professional behaviour which would include inappropriate sexual behaviours or domestic abuse.
Please supply data on the number of officers and staff that were suspended pending the outcome of Violence Against Women and Girls-related misconduct or gross misconduct investigations between May 2022-May 2023 in the West Midlands Police.
NOTE: By misconduct and gross misconduct we mean as defined under Regulation 2(1) of The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, misconduct means a breach of Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify disciplinary action and gross misconduct means a breach of Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal.
NOTE: By VAWG-related misconduct or gross misconduct we mean as measured in the NPCC Violence Against Women and Girls Benchmark as some form of inappropriate sexual conduct (rape, sexual assault, abuse of position for sexual purpose and other sexual conduct) and discreditable conduct, which is a defined standards of professional behaviour which would include inappropriate sexual behaviours or domestic abuse.
For the years:
- May 2021- May 2022
- May 2022- May 2023
please provide data on the outcome of Violence Against Women and Girls-related misconduct meetings, hearings, and accelerated hearings for police officers and staff in the West Midlands Police.
by outcomes of:
- No further action
- Referral to the reflective practice review process
- Reduction in rank
- Written warning
- Final written warning
- Extension of final written warning
- Dismissal with notice
- Dismissal without notice
NOTE: By VAWG-related misconduct or gross misconduct we mean as measured in the NPCC Violence Against Women and Girls Benchmark as some form of inappropriate sexual conduct (rape, sexual assault, abuse of position for sexual purpose and other sexual conduct) and discreditable conduct, which is a defined standards of professional behaviour which would include inappropriate sexual behaviours or domestic abuse.
Response
Please find attached our response.
It is important to note the force operates under the Police Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour. This includes challenging any inappropriate behaviour or action which would discredit the police service or undermine public confidence in policing.
Our Professional Standards department, take a robust stance and are committed to rooting out abuse of power, criminality and corruption whenever we find evidence of it. This is done by carrying out thorough investigations, offering support and dealing appropriately with anyone found to be acting in an inappropriate manner.
We want our officers to uphold the highest of standards so the public has the utmost confidence in them.
Sexual harassment and abuse are simply unacceptable but when it is done by a police officer – who holds a position of power and someone the public should trust – it must be rooted out and eliminated.
We must do everything we can to maintain public confidence and trust in policing.
This will provide reassurance to the public that we mean it when we say we’ll do all we can to preserve and rebuild trust.
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from a number of data sources used by forces for police purposes. The detail collected to respond specifically to your request is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when interpreting those data.
The figures provided therefore are our best interpretation of relevance of data to your request, but you should be aware that the collation of figures for ad hoc requests may have limitations and this should be considered when those data are used.
If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would ask you to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.