"Fully committed to an anti-discriminatory police service."

The Angiolini Inquiry was established to investigate how an off-duty police officer was able to abduct, rape and murder a member of the public. The findings and recommendations of this investigation were presented in part 1 in February 2024.

Policing accepted all recommendations made and over the last year much work has been ongoing to develop and take forward these recommendations, building the necessary steps to embed them in processes and culture.

Recommendation 14 focussed on “Positive culture and elimination of misconduct or criminality often excused as ‘banter’”. The Inquiry stated that every police force should commit publicly to being an anti-sexist, anti-misogynistic, anti-racist organisation. It was agreed by all police chiefs in England, Scotland and Wales that we commit to a police service that is anti-discriminatory, placing inclusion at the heart of culture and today this statement is underlined.

National Police Chiefs' Council Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said:

“I stand with my colleagues across policing to say we are fully committed to a police service that is anti-discriminatory and we continue working hard to eradicate sexism, racism, misogyny and discrimination in all forms.

“Actions speak louder than words and while a statement can be incredibly powerful, we know that what is more important is how we embed an anti-discriminatory culture. We are driving out behaviour that does not meet the high standards of integrity the public and colleagues deserve and creating an environment where everyone is supported and empowered.

“This commitment to being anti-discriminatory represents a line in the sand while building on the valuable work ongoing across policing to address poor culture and ensure our workforce meets the high standards our communities expect and deserve.

“The Angiolini Inquiry part one was an urgent call for action and I know I speak for everyone in policing when I say we heard that call and are fully committed to bringing lasting, impactful change for future generations.”

Much progress has been made against the recommendations set out in February 2024 with a robust governance structure managing the national and local response and regular reporting back to the Everard family and the Inquiry team.

Key updates include:

• Provisions made for stringent information sharing between police forces and the armed services when individuals are transferring or moving onto new organisations.
• Vetting reform work ongoing to review the processes and procedures in vetting, reviewing robust measures and checks to ensure the integrity of policing’s workforce.
• A working group, supported by leading academics, is examining the use of psychometric testing in vetting as another means of identifying any cause for concern.
• Best practice and learning is being shared around in-person interviews and home visits for police officer applicants with pilots in place and more being developed.
• The NPCC and Home Office are working in partnership to develop a continuous integrity screening solution which will be piloted in late 2025. The purpose of the solution is to ensure police officers, staff and volunteers are regularly and automatically checked through the Police National Database, highlighting any issues or changes so they can be addressed as required.
• Publication of the revised vetting approved professional practice
  • o This encompasses a number of changes which reflect many of the recommendations around vetting, strengthening the process and reframing vetting as an ongoing process throughout the careers of officers and staff, rather than a moment in time.
• Nationally and locally, reporting mechanisms have been strengthened so that the policing workforce is empowered and supported in reporting any concerns about colleagues.
• Many police forces have implemented policies around dealing with indecent exposure incidents and the College of Policing has introduced a detailed new training package on non-contact sexual offences, placing victims at the heart of investigations.
• Policing must be an inclusive and desirable employer for everyone and the Angiolini Inquiry made recommendations particularly around supporting women in policing. Significant work is ongoing to look at how women can be better supported with a new ‘Family Friendly’ policy developed and a uniform review in progress.

National Policing Culture and Inclusion Strategy 2025-2030

The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have developed a five-year culture and inclusion strategy for policing.

The strategy sets the vision for policing to have a representative workforce that is a trusted profession, demonstrating the highest levels of integrity, fairness and respect towards each other and the public we serve.

The strategy is available for police forces to implement from 1 April 2025. It establishes new standards focusing on two interconnected priorities: evolving police organisations and improved working with the public. As part of the strategy there will be practical guidance and tools available to support forces to create lasting cultural change.

The strategy will be owned by a chief officer in each force who will maintain sign-off and oversight of force performance on an annual basis.

The NPCC and College of Policing will work with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to enable effective scrutiny of progress against this strategy and the culture and inclusion standard for policing.

To report corruption or serious abuse within policing

To report corruption or serious abuse within policing, please contact the Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service, run by the independent charity Crimestoppers. The service gives the public an anonymous route to report information about a police officer, member of staff or volunteer, who they believe are corrupt or committing serious abuse.

Contact the service by calling 0800 085 0000 or via the Crimestoppers' website. For more information about the service, click here Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service | Police.uk