Report into complaints against Officers of Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2025
Introduction
Nottinghamshire Police have seen a significant increase in the number of Freedom of Information requests requesting information in relation to Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse (PPDA), including data on complaints made by members of the public and police employees against serving police officers and staff members.
This report is designed to provide information and statistics in relation to the reporting and findings of allegations of PPDA to improve confidence in reporting these matters.
The data set in this report is from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2025.
The definition of Police Perpetrated domestic abuse used in this report is defined as:
Domestic abuse
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse (PPDA)
Domestic abuse committed by a police workforce member.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Statutory Guidance on the Police Complaints System Chapters 10 to 13 define when a complaint must be investigated and when a complaint is appropriate for it to be handled ‘otherwise than by investigation’.
When a complaint is handled other than by way of investigation, there are only three outcomes available to the appropriate authority. They are:
-
Service acceptable
-
Service not acceptable
-
Cannot determine if service is acceptable or not
When a complaint is formally investigated there are an additional two outcomes of:
-
Case to answer
-
No case to answer
Chapter 16 of the Statutory Guidance advises when a complaint is withdrawn.
This report will discuss the number of cases, number of allegations and the number of officers. Whilst this is in accordance with the IOPC Statutory Guidance on Police Complaints it may appear confusing as the numbers may appear skewed, but this is not the case. It is quite common that within one complaint there are several distinct aspects to it and these aspects may then form several allegations against individuals or the organisation. Then each individual allegation may have more than one officer involved (e.g., 1 complaint has 5 allegations, and each allegation involves 2 different officers).
There are also two strands to the reporting:
-
First strand is the number of public complaints received
-
Second Strand is the number of conduct investigations conducted, may be a member of the police service (who cannot make a public complaint) or from another avenue other than a public complaint
All PPDA public complaints will fall inside Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002. This means that the complainant has a right to review by the relevant reviewing body at the end of the investigation.
Included in this report are officers and staff that have received sanctions for conduct related to PPDA cases even though the actual allegation of PPDA was no case to answer (PPDA assault for example) however they have received a sanction for their conduct to investigative officers upon officer attendance (abusive, obstructive attitude for example).
Executive Summary
This report provides information about allegations of Domestic Abuse involving police officers or police staff within Nottinghamshire Police between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2025. These matters are referred to as Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse (PPDA).
The purpose of publishing this information is to support transparency, explain how allegations are handled, and provide reassurance that such matters are investigated thoroughly and independently.
During the reporting period, Nottinghamshire Police employed between 3,260 and 4,014 officers and staff each year. In 2025/26, the workforce totalled 4014.82 full‑time equivalent staff, comprising:
-
2377.32 police officers
-
151.51 PCSOs
-
1485.99 police staff
The figures in this report therefore represent well under 1% of the total workforce in any given year.
Between 2018 and 2025:
-
13 public complaints specifically alleging police‑perpetrated domestic abuse were recorded.
-
These public complaints accounted for 24.5% of all PPDA‑related conduct investigations (13 out of 53 investigations).
-
No public complaints were recorded in 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2024.
-
The highest number of public complaints in a single year was six in 2022.
In addition to public complaints:
-
53 conduct investigations relating to PPDA were carried out.
-
Investigations ranged from 2 to 12 per year, reflecting both public complaints and matters identified through internal or professional reporting routes.
Across the reporting period:
-
68 individual officers or staff members were investigated.
-
This equates to significantly less than 1% of the workforce overall.
-
The highest number in a single year was 16 individuals in 2022.
Of the 68 officers and staff investigated:
-
43 were male (63.2%)
-
25 were female (36.8%)
Both male and female officers and staff are therefore represented, although male subjects were more common overall.
Between 2018 and 2025, a total of 99 separate allegations were recorded. The most common types were:
-
Assault: 37 allegations (37.4%)
-
Other discreditable conduct: 17 allegations (17.2%)
-
Stalking or harassment: 14 allegations (14.1%)
-
Controlling or coercive behaviour: 13 allegations (13.1%)
-
Sexual offences: 5 allegations (5.1%)
-
Rape: 4 allegations (4.0%)
A single investigation may involve more than one allegation, which is why the total number of allegations is higher than the number of investigations or individuals involved.
Of the 99 allegations recorded:
-
47 resulted in “no case to answer” (47.5%), meaning the evidence did not meet the required threshold.
-
17 resulted in a “case to answer” (17.2%), leading to misconduct proceedings.
-
8 were assessed as “service acceptable” (8.1%).
-
8 remained under investigation at the time of reporting (8.1%), mainly in 2025.
-
The remaining cases were discontinued, withdrawn, or otherwise concluded under national complaint regulations.
These outcomes demonstrate that while allegations are fully investigated, disciplinary action is only taken where evidence supports it.
Where misconduct was proven:
-
Five police officers were either dismissed or would have been dismissed had they not already left the organisation.
-
This represents approximately 7.4% of all officers and staff investigated (5 out of 68).
-
Other outcomes included written warnings or final written warnings.
-
Police staff were also subject to disciplinary action, particularly from 2020 onwards, when national data‑recording processes became consistent.
All public complaints relating to police‑perpetrated domestic abuse fall within national complaint regulations, meaning complainants have a legal right to an independent review at the conclusion of the process.
Nottinghamshire Police recognises the seriousness of domestic abuse and the heightened concern when allegations involve police personnel. The force remains committed to:
-
Encouraging reporting
-
Investigating allegations thoroughly and impartially
-
Taking decisive action where misconduct is proven
-
Being open with the public about how such cases are handled
The publication of this report, including both figures and percentages, forms part of that ongoing commitment to transparency and public accountability.
Scope
Between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2025, the report will answer the following points:
-
The numbers of full time equivalent police officers and staff for the calendar years 2018-2026
-
The number of public complaints of PPDA
-
The number of conduct investigations into PPDA
-
The number of officers / staff that have been / are being investigated for PPDA
-
The allegation breakdown
-
The outcomes breakdown for allegations
-
The number of officers disciplined and the outcome.
-
The number of police staff disciplined and the outcome – from 01/02/2020 onwards.
-
The gender of the officers/staff members disciplined.
Data Tables
The number of full time equivalent police officers and staff.
| 2017 / 2018 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 1917.21 |
| PCSO | 185.32 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1158.29 |
| Total | 3260.82 |
| 2018 / 2019 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 1935.97 |
| PCSO | 177.42 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1155.65 |
| Total | 3269.04 |
| 2019 / 2020 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2071.51 |
| PCSO | 169.18 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1189.67 |
| Total | 3430.36 |
| 2020 / 2021 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2181.68 |
| PCSO | 153.35 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1269.96 |
| Total | 3604.99 |
| 2021 / 2022 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2344.01 |
| PCSO | 142.86 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1263.21 |
| Total | 3607.22 |
| 2022 / 2023 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2399.88 |
| PCSO | 138.81 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1309.60 |
| Total | 3848.29 |
| 2023 / 2024 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2418.73 |
| PCSO | 157.60 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1354.55 |
| Total | 3930.88 |
| 2024 / 2025 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2390.73 |
| PCSO | 148.38 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1482.01 |
| Total | 4021.12 |
| 2025 / 2026 | Full Time Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Officers | 2377.32 |
| PCSO | 151.51 |
| Staff (excludes PCSO) | 1485.99 |
| Total | 4014.82 |
The number of public complaints of PPDA.
The number of conduct investigations into PPDA.
The number of officers / staff that have been/are being investigated for PPDA.
| Number | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of public complaints of PPDA by officers/staff | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Number of conduct investigations of PPDA | 4 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Numbers of officer/staff that have been/are being investigated for PPDA | 4 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 12 |
Gender of PPDA Officer/Staff.
| Gender | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Female | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
Category of PPDA allegations made in line with the IOPC Data Capture Guidance.
| Year | Rape | Sexual offence | Assault | Stalking/ Harassment | Controlling & Coercive behaviour | Other discreditable conduct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Outcomes of PPDA allegations in line with the IOPC Data Capture Guidance.
| Year | Service acceptable | Service not acceptable | Cannot determine | Case to answer | No case to answer | Still under investigation | Derecorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Year | Discontinued | Withdrawn | No further action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Police officers disciplined for matters relating to PPDA that had meetings or proceedings in the year
| Year | Written warning | Final written warning | Dismissed whilst serving | Would have been dismissed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Police staff disciplined for PPDA who had misconduct meetings in the year.
| Year | Written warning | Final written warning | Dismissed whilst serving | Would have been dismissed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Prior to 2020 police staff meetings were managed by HR and outcomes were not recorded on Centurion (data capture tool).
Gender of officer/staff member disciplined.
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 |