A government-backed inquiry has found that police leadership in England and Wales is plagued by 'nepotism and bias', with too many chiefs losing focus on fighting crime. The report, co-chaired by former home secretary David Blunkett, calls for a reset at all levels as dozens of top officers face misconduct investigations.
Systemic Concerns Across 43 Forces
The report, released on Monday, covers all 43 forces in England and Wales, identifying a 'postcode lottery' in public service quality. It states: 'We have also identified systemic causes for concern about the consistency, capability and culture of leadership across the service. Put simply, leadership in policing is not consistently of a high enough standard to provide confidence and trust in the attainment of the service which the public deserves.'
Blunkett told the Guardian that the police service was not good enough and some findings were 'staggeringly' poor. The report finds leaders 'insufficiently focused on delivering outcomes for the public', particularly in cutting crime.
Scandals and Investigations
A series of scandals involving police chiefs underscore the need for reform. One example is former Northamptonshire chief constable Nick Adderley, dismissed for lying on his CV and charged with fraud and misconduct in public office. The report notes 78 investigations into police leaders since 2018, from assistant chief constable upward. The Independent Office for Police Conduct reports common themes of 'cronyism, nepotism, abuse of position for a sexual purpose and corruption'.
Eight chief constables or former chief constables are currently under investigation or awaiting disciplinary proceedings.
Frontline Officers' Views
Regular frontline officers express dissatisfaction with leadership: only 13% of constables and 17% of sergeants agreed they worked in a 'well led and managed organisation'. Nepotism in promotions is a key theme: 'Talent identification and promotions decisions in policing are often shaped in the image of the leaders who are responsible for them at a local level. This has created fertile ground for nepotism and bias to influence progression and development.'
One officer told the report: 'It is very clearly nepotistic. Jobs for the boys or the girls who're mates with the right people.'
Broader Cultural Issues
The report adds: 'Professional culture was felt to be broken in specific, systemic ways … the gap between stated values and lived experience is described consistently, manifesting as nepotism, blame cultures, command-and-control behaviours, and reluctance to challenge inappropriate conduct.'
Recommendations
Among 27 recommendations are a new national academy of police leadership, a fast stream for future leaders, and increased funding for leadership training. Current spending on leadership training is about £4 million in a service costing £19 billion annually.
