Today, Monday 26th January, the government has published its police reform white paper, From local to national: a new model for policing.
Responding to the white paper, Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said:
“For too long, domestic abuse perpetrators have been able to enter and remain in our police forces with little to no consequence, breaking down trust with victims who rightly expect a robust response when they report domestic abuse.
“I have long called for the removal of officers with cautions or convictions relating to domestic abuse, and for stronger mandatory vetting standards to stop them joining in the first place. The new powers to tackle misconduct are a welcome and necessary step forward in protecting victims and survivors and rebuilding confidence in the police.
“I’m also pleased to see the introduction of more comprehensive public protection training which includes a focus on domestic abuse. Every 30 seconds the police receive an emergency call about domestic abuse, yet we know too often police forces do not get the basics right when first responding to victims. It’s critical that improvements to the frontline response from police officers, including their core skills, are looked at in the round and developed in partnership with survivors and the specialist domestic abuse sector.
“These reforms must be implemented without delay. I look forward to working with government and policing leaders to ensure these changes root out abusers from within their ranks and create a system which works for victims and survivors.”
ENDS.
Notes to editors:
- Details of the government white paper can be found here.
- Domestic abuse accounted for one third of violent crimes in the 12 months to 30 June 2025. (ONS)
- Police forces allegations of police-perpetrated domestic abuse (PPDA) over the 12 months to 31 March 2024 showed:
- 1,294 allegations of PPDA; relating to
- 899 individuals within the police workforce (0.4% of workforce including all officers, staff, PCSOs and Specials).
- The vast majority of allegations resulted in ‘No case to answer’, ‘Suspension’ and ‘Learning outcomes’, and only 4% of individuals who had allegations of PPDA made against them were dismissed. (Shifting the Scales)