Derbyshire Constabulary join new  Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service

The service was established to give the public an anonymous and confidential route to report concerns about criminal behaviour by individuals in policing. It aims to bolster the force’s capability to take action against those who are not fit to serve, a commitment made by Chief Constable Rachel Swann and Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster.

The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service covers information relating to officers, staff and volunteers who: Provide information or influence in return for money or favours; Use their policing position for personal advantage - whether financial or otherwise ; Cross professional boundaries or abuse their position for sexual purposes; abuse or control their partner, or those they have a relationship with or Engage in racist, homophobic, misogynistic or disablist conduct, on or off duty, in person or online.

Crimestoppers will take reports from the public about individuals employed by Derbyshire Constabulary, as well as any police force in the UK, regardless of whether the information relates to them whilst they are on or off duty, online or in person. Reports can be submitted online and telephone calls are free.

When people contact the service, they can choose to remain 100% anonymous, or can opt to leave their details if they are willing for the force investigation team to contact them directly.

Information received by Crimestoppers will be passed to the Professional Standards Department, who will assess it. The force may then pass the information to specialist detectives to begin an investigation, take steps to safeguard someone at risk or in danger, or record the information to inform future investigations.

Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “We take all reports of corruption and abuse of power seriously in Derbyshire Constabulary and will investigate thoroughly any complaints received.

“The service sits alongside the force’s existing complaints procedure and has been set up solely to take reports of corruption and or serious abuse committed by serving police officers, staff and volunteers.”

Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “While the majority of officers, staff and volunteers carry out their duties ethically and honestly, we must proactively root out all those who fall short of these standards to prevent harm and maintain public trust and confidence.

“The new service will place police conduct under even greater scrutiny, providing forces with a platform to identify discriminatory, predatory, or inappropriate behaviour so it can be robustly challenged and at the earliest opportunity. Where officers or staff are proven unfit to serve, the public should expect them to be dealt with swiftly and justly.”