More police officers committing sackable offences

The number of West Yorkshire Police officers and staff committing sackable offences has risen more than fivefold in five years, figures show.

Almost a third of the offences were sexual or domestic in nature and included crimes such as rape and possessing indecent images of children, a BBC Freedom of Information request found.

In total, more than 400 police officers and staff working across the four forces that cover Yorkshire were found to have committed gross misconduct - conduct serious enough to justify dismissal - between 2020 and 2025.

Det Ch Supt Tanya Wilkins, of West Yorkshire Police (WYP), said the rise was "not necessarily due to any increase in corruption or decline in standards".

Gross misconduct means a breach of the police's Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal.

In most cases where gross misconduct was found proven by an employment tribunal, the officer or staff member was sacked, or would have been had they not already resigned.

Eight WYP officers and staff were found to have committed gross misconduct in 2020, with the number rising to 42 in 2025.

In total, 43% of the 37 cases of gross misconduct at North Yorkshire Police between 2020 and 2025 related to sexual offences or domestic abuse.

At Humberside Police, 25% of the 92 instances of gross misconduct were related to sexual offences or domestic abuse, as did 12% of the 114 cases at South Yorkshire Police.

"It's really important that people feel confident reporting to the police and any report like this can make people feel concerned," said Carmel Offord, from Yorkshire-based IDAS.

Offord, an engagement manager at the charity, which supports people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence, added: "It's so important to people that if they do report to the police that they feel like they have been heard, listened to, respected and that they believe their report is going to be taken seriously.

"If people feel that isn't the case then it does put people off reporting, or taking things further if they do want to report to the police."

Nationally, 790 police officers were found to have committed gross misconduct in the year ending 31 March 2025, according to the latest available data covering the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

That figure, which represents about 0.5% of the overall workforce, was a 28% increase from 619 in the previous year.

In total, 695 officers were sacked or would have been dismissed had they not already left policing.

For the same period up to 31 March 2025, 323 criminal charges were brought against 189 police officers, with a sexual offence the most common charge, accounting for 26% in total.

Among the 168 officers subject to criminal proceedings where the outcome was known, 113 (67%) were either found guilty, or pleaded guilty.

High-profile cases, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021, and that of serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, have placed police conduct under renewed scrutiny.

In the wake of a Panorama undercover investigation into a London police force, hundreds of people contacted the BBC to complain about their own experiences, with misogyny when they reported domestic abuse and sexual violence a "main theme".

Det Ch Supt Wilkins, who is head of West Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Directorate, said the force was "investigating more criminal and conduct matters than ever before" and attributed the rise to increased reporting.

"The murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 and events after have, rightly so, placed a focus on internal culture in the police," she added.

"There has been a shift in attitudes towards issues such as racism, sexism and misogyny, as also seen in wider society, and we are committed to being an inclusive workplace where people feel safe and whistleblowers are supported.

"We want our officers and staff to uphold the ethical values required. We have come a long way, but we know there is more to do to continue to build trust and confidence with the communities we serve."

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's deputy mayor for policing, said: "The officers and staff who should never have been appointed in West Yorkshire, one by one, are being exited through the misconduct processes that are improving year on year.

"The exit of these officers and staff should give the public more confidence in policing and assurances that the processes we have in place are actually working."

Lowe said it was "inevitable that rogue officers and staff will be recruited because no system, no process of recruitment, is perfect".

The rise in gross misconduct cases represented a "change in culture," she added.

"It says to women and girls: 'You will be believed, please report, the processes are in place for you to report and they are working.'

"I think there is a culture of misogyny, of racism, of homophobia because of course policing is a microcosm of the society in which we all live."

South Yorkshire Police said that while the 114 cases of gross misconduct found proven in their ranks "represents a small fraction of our workforce, we do not underestimate the damage these cases do to the public's trust and confidence and even one case is one too many".

A spokesperson added: "We are committed to ensuring that the conduct of our officers and staff is reflective of the highest standards of professional behaviour."

Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Baker, from Humberside Police, said: "The specifics of each individual misconduct case referenced will all have very different circumstances but regardless, I want to be absolutely clear that we will not tolerate any form of violence against women and girls within our force or our communities.

"These misconduct cases cannot be collectively attributed to a single theme or motive," she added.

"The vast majority of our officers and staff are dedicated, professional people who work extremely hard every day to keep our communities safe. We will not allow their integrity and commitment to be overshadowed by the actions of a small number of individuals."

Det Supt Graeme Wright, safeguarding operational commander at North Yorkshire Police, said: "In cases of sexual or domestic abuse - or any misconduct that breaches our professional standards - we're unapologetic about holding colleagues to account.

"The 16 North Yorkshire misconduct cases highlighted in this data span five years, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to tackling inappropriate or unlawful sexual behaviour.

"This shows that when we say this is a priority, we absolutely mean it."

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Baines and Fiona Callow.

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