Thames Valley Police disciplined officers due to sexual misconduct claims. The force aims to increase reporting trust.
The force released a report about these issues. It aims to be open about the allegations and improve confidence in reporting. Forty-four allegations are still under investigation now. That’s about 16 percent of them.
TVP disciplined ninety employees during this time. Sixty-one were serving officers at that moment. Ten were serving police staff when they were punished and nineteen were former officers no longer with the force.
In 2024, officers faced serious accusations. There were ten rape allegations and seventeen allegations stated sexual assault. One officer, Matthew Lynch, went to jail for having a relationship with a vulnerable woman.
Another officer, Jay Cullen, got fired for alleged rape. A senior officer, Mark Spencer, also faced consequences. He showed “predatory” behavior to female colleagues, highlighting some serious problems.
Most accused employees were junior officers. Public complaints involved thirteen officers, while internal investigations involved thirty-five officers. Sanctions included sacking one employee, three got final written warnings, and five had to do “reflective practice.”
Complaints are up since February 2020 when the new reporting rules began. The number increased a lot in 2023, according to officials. The report believes people are more confident and are reporting these incidents more often.
The force’s workforce grew significantly in recent years. Officer numbers went up by 30 percent, and staff numbers increased 25 percent. TVP didn’t comment to the Oxford Mail before their deadline.