Whistleblowers Fear Culture of Bullying Within The Police Force

The College of Policing has issued a report that exposes an alleged culture of bullying and intimidation within British police forces where efforts made to speak out against such aggression is strongly condemned.

This report was authorised in 2013 following revelations involving several high profile cases of misconduct. The report conducted by senior academic professionals specialising in criminology and law consists of testimonies from a number of officers and investigators who have been at the forefront of up to 40 cases of misconduct within the police force.

 
Those who speak out against misconduct run the risk of having their career progression restricted in retaliation. In contrast, those who stay quiet, or even help to cover up misconduct, have better opportunities ahead of them. The report found that a “bullying boys’ club culture” helped maintain the acquiescence of such silence within the force.

One police insider said: “What has been valued is ‘silverback’ leaders who are charismatic, have big egos and drive performance, over those who are more thoughtful and who deliver in a wider sense”.

Whistleblowing

Acts of whistleblowing are protected by the Employment Rights Act 1996 , but the new report finds no strong support for such legislation in the police force, and those who spoke out face a hostile atmosphere in the workplace.

According to those interviewed, this has the dual affect of driving Whistleblowing employees to resign from the force while their potential allies are intimidated into staying silent about instances where employment law has clearly been violated.

A plan to increase protection for whistleblowers was announced last year by Home Secretary Theresa May who explained: “Police officers and staff need to know that they can come forward in complete confidence to report wrongdoing by their colleagues”.

Accusations of Sexism

The report found that the “bullying boys’ club culture” of the force also prefers to employ male candidates, and that there is a number of uncovered instances involving discrimination towards female officers, with the most damning claims being that many males within the the force exhibit a “potentially predatory, sexual conduct towards junior colleagues”.

Dishonest Expenses

The report also claims that police expenses have been used for personal gain amid a “culture of entitlement” that allows officers to use public funds to pay for personal overheads, such as gym memberships, retirement savings, children’s education, and in at least one case, to cover up evidence of an officer’s extramarital affair.

Seeking to understand the psychology of this dishonest conduct, Professor Mike Hough, one of the report’s authors, concluded that:

“Some chief officers tended to see themselves as being more akin to ‘captains of industry’ than public servants – with all the entitlements and privileges that came with the CEO role […] pressures and individual vulnerabilities can result in misconduct among people doing very demanding jobs. Understanding these factors is central in mitigating the risks”.

 
Police defence

Despite the damning evidence suggesting corruption across numerous areas of the force, Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has insisted that all claims of misconduct will be fully reviewed: “Only the highest standards of conduct and performance are acceptable in policing, and when allegations of any kind are made it is essential that these are thoroughly investigated.”