North Wales chief constable backs new Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service

North Wales Police has announced its support for the newly launched Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service.

The initiative, introduced by the independent charity Crimestoppers, offers a secure and anonymous channel for individuals to report suspicions of corruption and serious abuse involving serving officers, staff, and volunteers.

Recognising the importance of maintaining a corruption-free and abuse-free environment it provides an alternative to existing complaint mechanisms.

Aimed at addressing issues that undermine the core values of the police force, it facilitates the reporting of serious misconduct outside traditional internal channels.

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
• Engage in racist, homophobic, misogynistic or disablist conduct, on or off duty, in person or online

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman KPM said: “The vast majority of officers, staff and volunteers act professionally and with integrity in the fulfilment of their duties to protect the public.

“We must take tough action to purge policing of those responsible for wrongdoing, for now and for the future.

“We do not underestimate the impact recent events have had on trust and confidence in policing, including the appalling findings of the Baroness Casey and Lady Angiolini reports.

“As the All-Wales Police Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) which also includes domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV), and as the lead for British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP) I have zero tolerance towards perpetrators of such offences.

“I have been clear that for those who do not share our values and high standards there is no place for them in our organisation.

“Those individuals in the minority not only undermine the fantastic work that goes on every single day but they also erode the confidence placed in us by our communities.

“The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service is another tool in our armoury that will help us to rid those individuals from our midst and enable us to operate with the trust and confidence of the public.”

To make a report, contact the service by calling 0800 085 0000 or via the Crimestoppers website The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

The public can still report crime via the usual methods including 101 and the Noth Wales Police website, as well as anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

How does it work?

Crimestoppers will take reports from the public about individuals currently employed by any police force in the UK.

The information will be passed to the relevant force’s specialist unit, such as Professional Standards or Anti-Corruption.

It may then be passed 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.

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