Forty six complaints were made against Merseyside Police officers and staff relating to violence against women and girls in the last 18 months.
Figures published by Merseyside Police revealed since October 2021 there had been 46 complaints and 44 misconduct allegations against police employees. In the last six months to February, 22 unique cases and 32 allegations were made, equating to 0.5% of the police workforce.
Merseyside Police yesterday revealed its data after the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) published its own figures into national progress in tackling violence against women and girls. The report covers data supplied by police forces across the UK between October 2021 and March 2022.
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The NPCC found 1,539 officers and staff had nationally been implicated in alleged police-perpetrated violence against women and girls. Among the complaints from the public, 63% were accusations over use of force, 9% overbearing or harassing behaviour and 6% sexual assault. The worrying figures also showed no further action was taken in more than 90% of complaints from the public.
Merseyside Police's recorded figures were below the national average. 141 employees at Greater Manchester Police were accused of misconduct in the last six months compared to 32 allegations in Merseyside.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy wrote in an open letter: "In Merseyside we are absolutely committed to keeping women and girls safe and feeling safe and it remains at the forefront of our work. Some of the headline figures from the NPCC report are alarming, particularly those figures concerning police-perpetrated abuse.
"I want to assure you that we are working hard to root out those in the minority who do not adhere to the standards and behaviours I expect from my officers and staff. From more effective vetting, to encouraging everyone internally and those who come into contact with our force to call out any inappropriate behaviour. I understand how hard that can be, but I can guarantee that any allegations will be taken seriously, and they will be fully supported."
CC Kennedy pointed to a number of initiatives the police are undertaking along with partners in local authorities, the universities and the third sector. These include campaigns such as Safer Streets - where £5760,00 of Home Office funding has been allocated to improve women's safety.
CC Kennedy added enhanced training has been introduced to all staff to improve all aspects of a survivor's journey - and a review into how the police look after victims of sexual crimes and investigate the case has been commissioned.
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, NPCC coordinator for violence against women and girls, said addressing the issues are a "long-term mission for policing". She added: "I know we will only rebuild trust when the public and our staff see results and feel the impact of our actions."
The police have recently come under severe scrutiny after London Metropolitan officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick were exposed for heinous sexual crimes against women. Josephine Wood, from RASA Merseyside, told the ECHO that trust in policing in the Met Police's area would understandably take time to rebuild.
But she added: "We cannot blame the entire police forces for one or two officers' actions." RASA has worked closely with Merseyside Police in recent years to change attitudes towards violence against women. Josephine, who was awarded an MBE for her work with survivors of sexual abuse, said: "We've worked for a long time with Merseyside Police and have a close relationship.
"And yes, sometimes we've had massive fall outs with them over the years, but now our counsellors have police officers they can call up and speak with. We've got that close relationship and I think we're actually ahead of the game."
CC Kennedy added: "My officers and staff work tirelessly to ensure that Merseyside is a safe place to live, work and socialise. There is still work to do and as a force we will continue to learn and develop so that keeping women and girls safe, and feeling safe, remains at the forefront of our work.
"We are improving. We will keep improving but we recognise that there is still more to do."
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