Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
You asked:
1. The number of reports of domestic abuse-related incidents and domestic-abuse offences (also known as domestic violence), allegedly committed by police officers, community support officers and other police staff, that have been received by your police force annually, over the last 3 years up to and including the present day (12th April 2015 to 11th April 2018)
2. The type of each report
3. The outcome(s) of each report
4. Whether each report was referred to the IOPC (formerly known as the IPCC)
5. Your policies and procedures concerning police officer & staff domestic abuse-related criminal offences
In Response:
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Professional Standards Department of Northumbria Police. I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.
The information has been extracted from a ‘live’ database and may be subject to the addition and deletion of complaints, complainants and subjects after the initial extraction of data used for the purposes of this request.
The allegations recorded with subject were downloaded from 12/04/15 to 11/04/18. Key word searches on ‘domestic’ and ‘abuse’ were conducted to establish the number of complaints and conducts against police officers relating to domestic abuse incidents and domestic offences (also known as domestic violence). Each case was then reviewed in order to establish whether it was related to domestic abuse incidents committed by Northumbria Police employees.
With the above in mind, I am able to disclose the located information to you as follows.
1.
|
Year |
Number of allegations reported |
|
2015 |
6 |
|
2016 |
3 |
|
2017 |
1 |
|
2018 |
0 |
2.
|
Report Number |
Allegation recorded |
Type of Report |
|
1 |
2015 |
Complaint |
|
2 |
2015 |
Complaint |
|
3 |
2015 |
Complaint |
|
4 |
2015 |
Complaint |
|
5 |
2015 |
Complaint |
|
6 |
2015 |
Conduct |
|
7 |
2016 |
Miscellaneous |
|
8 |
2016 |
Conduct |
|
9 |
2016 |
Miscellaneous |
|
10 |
2017 |
Complaint |
3.
|
Allegation Number |
Allegation recorded |
Type of Allegation |
Outcome |
|
1 |
2015 |
Complaint |
Disapplication - by Force |
|
2 |
2015 |
Complaint |
Disapplication - by Force |
|
3 |
2015 |
Complaint |
Disapplication - by Force |
|
4 |
2015 |
Complaint |
Upheld – by Professional Standards Department |
|
5 |
2015 |
Complaint |
Upheld - by Professional Standards Department |
|
6 |
2015 |
Conduct |
No Case to Answer |
|
7 |
2016 |
Miscellaneous |
No Action |
|
8 |
2016 |
Conduct |
No Case to Answer |
|
9 |
2016 |
Miscellaneous |
IOPC Referral |
|
10 |
2017 |
Complaint |
Special Requirements |
4. Only Allegation number 9, which was recorded in 2016, was referred to the IOPC for investigation.
5. The Professional Standards Department (PSD) policy and procedure concerning police officers and staff involved in domestic abuse related criminal offences applies to all Northumbria Police employees and is held on the force intranet for all staff to access. The procedure is outlined below with an extract taken from the intranet page.
“When a member of Northumbria Police staff commits a domestic abuse related offence, they will not be treated as distinct from any other suspect. They will be investigated and held accountable through the Criminal Justice System in the same way as any member of the public who had perpetrated a domestic abuse offence. As well as being investigated for domestic abuse related criminal offences, staff will also be held accountable through internal misconduct procedures.”
“Where a domestic abuse allegation is made against a member of Northumbria Police staff, Professional Standards Department must be informed at the earliest opportunity as consideration must be given to referring more serious matters to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
The allegation will then be investigated by either PSD or the IOPC depending on the individual case, and if so, may result in an internal misconduct meeting or hearing, in order for the perpetrator to be disciplined accordingly.
“When a member of Northumbria Police staff commits a domestic abuse related offence, they will not be treated as distinct from any other suspect. They will be investigated and held accountable through the Criminal Justice System in the same way as any member of the public who had perpetrated a domestic abuse offence. As well as being investigated for domestic abuse related criminal offences, staff will also be held accountable through internal misconduct procedures.”“Where a domestic abuse allegation is made against a member of Northumbria Police staff, Professional Standards Department must be informed at the earliest opportunity as consideration must be given to referring more serious matters to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
The allegation will then be investigated by either PSD or the IOPC depending on the individual case, and if so, may result in an internal misconduct meeting or hearing, in order for the perpetrator to be disciplined accordingly.
