THERE is no place for sexism, misogyny or violence against women and girls in policing – that’s the message from West Midlands Police.
This comes following a report by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) which shows over 1,000 complaints were made against police staff in England and Wales on their treatment of women in six months.
Reported offenses ranged from sexual attacks to excessive forces by officers during arrest.
West Midlands Police said it has implemented and met the actions set out by the NPCC and the College of Policing to bring high standards to the police in response to violence against women and girls.
The force said the report measures data from October 2021 to March 22 and during that time 653 conduct cases against 672 individuals were flagged as relating to violence against women and girls by police forces in England and Wales as well as the British Transport Police (BTP).
The force added in the same period, 524 public complaint cases against 867 individuals were recorded which it says equates to 0.7 per cent of the police workforce in employed in March 2022.
A statement by the force said: “We take these matters extremely seriously and we want to be really clear that there is no place in policing for these behaviours.
“Sexism and misogyny are simply unacceptable especially when it is done by a police officer who holds a position of power and someone the public should trust.
“We are taking action to root out and take action against those who are misogynistic, racist or homophobic or who have disrespectful attitudes and behaviours, there is simply no place for this sort of individual in policing.”
West Midlands Police says it has been taking action to stamp out the issue including training, a number of operations and a presence along walking routes around bars and university halls of residence.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Bell said: “We are transforming the way we respond to and investigate reports of rape and serious sexual offences, putting those who have been subjected to these offences at the heart of this work and supporting them through every step of the journey.
“We know that more needs to be done and we strive to be better in adopting a more suspect focused approach to improve our conviction rates.
“We have already implemented a number of measures after listening to victims to better understand their lived experience. All our investigators have been trained in Trauma Informed practice and we have developed some innovative go-to guides for all staff.
“We have a rape triage car with an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) on board to provide crucial immediate support. We also now have CPS lawyers in police buildings providing quicker guidance to staff.”
