A WATCHDOG looking at how Thames Valley Police tackles corruption says it is 'good' but needs to do more to root out abuse of authority.

The inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) was part of a national probe into police officers accused of abusing their power to sexually exploit people, including vulnerable victims of crime.

This was described as the most serious form of corruption.

In the past two years, HMIC said Thames Valley Police's counter-corruption unit received 134 pieces of information and 18 were connected to alleged sexual misconduct.

These were reported through a dedicated corruption reporting line 'which officers and staff use and have confidence in', the report said. It said the force 'always' referred such allegations to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

But it warned the force's capability to seek intelligence on potential abuse of authority was 'limited' and 'requires improvement', with the watchdog also saying its vetting procedures did not comply with national guidelines.

Oxford Mail:

  • Source: HMCI

It said: "We have identified that the force needs to improve in some areas this is largely because its systems need to improve; this is not a comment about the force’s overall approach and commitment to tackling corruption or its ethos."

The force was unable to monitor the use of all its IT systems, HMIC said, limiting how much information could be gathered to spot officers or staff who may be accessing databases to identify vulnerable victims.

This was a problem found among about half of all police forces in England and Wales. 

It explained: "[Thames Valley Police's] current understanding of the extent of such abuse is heavily dependent on referrals from its workforce.

"A broader approach to gathering intelligence about this, and other sorts of corruption would provide the force with a more sophisticated picture."

The force was rebuked for its 'conscious decision' to vet staff when they joined the organisation but not again after 10 years.

Oxford Mail:

  • Chief constable Francis Habgood welcomed the report findings

HMIC said TVP had decided the risk was 'so low as not to warrant the additional expense', but it said: "The force should review this position with a view to complying fully with the national vetting guidelines to minimise further any risk to its integrity through corruption."

It also recommended Thames Valley Police did more to make sure its workforce 'fully understands the lessons identified by misconduct cases' and gather feedback from the public.

Click here to view the full report.

In a statement this morning, the force's chief constable, Francis Habgood, said: "It is vital that our communities believe that we use our powers fairly and treat people with respect in the course of our duties and that we are seen as friendly and approachable.

"I welcome the HMIC’s finding that Thames Valley Police is committed to the highest standards of behaviour."

It came as the national examination of corruption found hundreds of police officers across England and Wales had been accused of abusing their power to sexually exploit people.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was a matter of 'profound concern that any police officer should abuse their authority for sexual gain'.