Police force told to improve after inspection

A police force has been told it requires improvement in two out of three areas in which it was assessed.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services gave the ratings to Thames Valley Police (TVP) for how it tackles corruption and upholds professional standards. The force's vetting was judged to be adequate.

Areas of concern identified by inspectors included the force not undertaking random drug testing for staff and the way it handled and referred complaints.

TVP said it was committed to maintaining the integrity of its workforce and would use the report to focus on the "continual improvement" its communities expect.

The report said the force had a policy allowing for random drug testing of both student and fully qualified officers, as well as other staff in specific vulnerable roles.

"However, at the time of our inspection, the force didn't carry out any random drug testing," the report said.

"This was surprising, as the force identifies substance misuse as one of its main corruption risks."

It said TVP planned to introduce random tests for officers in training but that the force was "missing opportunities to deter substance misuse".

Police regulations permit forces to carry out random drug testing of serving officers, but it is not mandatory.

Inspectors also raised concerns about the handling of complaints. Of nine cases that required an automatic referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), only three were sent.

The cases not referred included sexual offences, a racially aggravated public order offence and a serious assault.

The review said the force had a "fragmented approach" to its sexual risk register, used to flag officers who may pose a risk of sexual misconduct.

The report said five employees who should have been included on the register were not added, and two had been removed "without any clear rationale".

Further issues were found in TVP's gifts and hospitality register, where inspectors said records were contradictory and approvals included prohibited items such as alcohol.

Weaknesses in post misconduct vetting reviews were also highlighted. The inspectors examined four cases and disagreed with the force's decision in each.

Roy Wilsher, from the inspectorate, said the force had strengthened its vetting and professional standards work, with clearer decision‑making and better processes.

But he warned it still needed to tighten vetting access, improve how complaints and conduct cases were handled, and properly track staff using encrypted apps on work devices.

Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs, from TVP, said: "I am pleased that the inspection reflects many of the positive changes we have made, including our increase in staffing to manage vetting demand, the swift logging of public complaints, our transparency and accountability through misconduct processes, as well as much of our approach to tackling the risk of corruption.

"We also now have an independent assessment of where we need to go further, and the force will use the report to focus on the continual improvement our communities expect."

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