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A major survey by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has revealed widespread concern among officers about how police-on-police misconduct is handled, with many describing the system as unclear, inconsistent and unsafe to navigate.
The survey, completed by 5,203 officers across all ranks and regions, found that more than one in five officers (21%) have been directly involved in a misconduct case where the perpetrator was a fellow officer. Witnesses outnumbered victims by three to one, while 41% of victims said the perpetrator was more senior.
Involvement in misconduct cases increased with rank and length of service, rising from 16% of constables to 38% of chief inspectors. Officers with more than 20 years’ service were more than twice as likely to have been involved as those with fewer than five years.
Despite the scale of the issue, fewer than half of those involved reported the behaviour. While 47% said they had reported misconduct, 45% had not. Reporting rates were higher among newer officers, women and ethnic minority officers.
Almost half of respondents said they were dissatisfied with how their force handled misconduct cases, rising to 58% among ethnic minority officers. Support for victims and witnesses was also seen as poor, with 42% saying it was inadequate and only 12% believing it was handled well.
PFEW Chief Executive Mukund Krishna said serious failures in policing “survive in the gaps created by weak supervision, flawed vetting and a culture in which silence feels safer than speaking up”.
The findings come amid ongoing national efforts to improve policing standards. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has acknowledged that more must be done to build trust and encourage officers to challenge wrongdoing.
In response, the Police Federation is launching a new Victim and Witness Support Programme early next year, offering confidential advice and welfare support for officers affected by misconduct. The Federation said the initiative is designed to address fears around reporting and strengthen confidence in the system.
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