Category: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

NPCC response to Government announcement on police pay award

In our desire to keep our communities safe, it is essential that we can attract and retain the best people into policing through competitive pay.

Policing faces increasing demands, growing complexity and our workforce continues to face threats to their own safety. The personal impact on them is great, and this must be recognised with pay commensurate to the incredibly challenging nature of their role. 

The pay award announced today by Government, of 4.2% is in line with the recommendation of the pay review body. We recognise this is above inflation, but it does make inroads into the pay erosion felt by our officers.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Pay and Conditions, Assistant Chief Officer Philip Wells, said:

“We are pleased that the pay review body recognised the evidence that was presented by chief constables and the pay award that has been announced today is what we believe our officers deserve and reflects the nature of the work they are required to undertake to keep our streets safe.

“Today, the Home Secretary also announced an extra £120 million towards funding the pay award. With more than 85% of police spend being on pay costs, it is vitally important that additional costs for pay are fully funded if we are to maintain services and be able to continue to invest in areas such as neighbourhood policing and technology.”

Key improvements following stalking super-complaint

In September 2024, 15 recommendations were made to police chiefs in response to a super-complaint that raised concerns around the police response to stalking in England and Wales.

In November 2024, each police force published a bespoke action plan in response to the super-complaint, detailing its current practice and future plans to meet the recommendations.

Collectively, forces have made several key improvements:

• Since 2023, there has been an 800% increase in uptake of the College of Policing’s stalking training, with many forces introducing face-to-face training input from victims and advocates including the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, for new recruits.
• Training for new recruits has been updated to include cyber stalking and how offenders exploit technology to stalk victims.
• Introduction of data dashboards to collect and monitor data relating to reports of stalking to help measure force performance. This data also helps forces to better understand victim and offender profiles and spot wider patterns of behaviour that inform risk assessments.
• Most forces now monitor and audit Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) to ensure they are being correctly and promptly enforced.
• Many forces have scrutiny panels and early advice clinics, made up of subject experts and wider criminal justice bodies, such as Probation and the Crown Prosecution Service, to ensure investigations are held to a high standard and victims are protected at the earliest opportunity.
• Some forces review custody suites daily to identify detainees exhibiting stalking behaviours, which then triggers a thorough risk strategy from in-force stalking experts and investigating officers, to ensure safeguarding measures are in place for victims.
• Forces are developing more multi-agency approaches to stalking, including exploring opportunities to embed the Multi-Agency Stalking Intervention Programme model pioneered in Cheshire.

Reports of stalking and harassment have risen sharply in recent years, largely due to changes in recording, but also because officers are better able to identify and record offences.

Stalking and harassment accounts for 40% of all offences related to violence against women and girls, a priority area for all police forces.

Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Poolman, national policing lead for stalking and harassment, said: “Stalking is a highly complex crime where offenders repeatedly target victims and their behaviour can escalate quickly. That is why it’s important that the police response is thorough and robust from the outset.

“Officers need to have the right knowledge and skills to spot wider patterns of behaviour and intervene as early as possible, which is why effective training is key.

“Because stalking is nuanced and complex, understanding what drives offending and addressing those root causes is the only way to prevent harm to victims. Forces that have multi-agency teams which include police, probation and specialist psychologists working together, have had the greatest impact on reducing re-offending rates and better protecting victims.

“Forces have made progress to broaden their understanding of stalking, better assess risk and improve investigations, but it’s important that we continue to work with victims and advocates to develop our approach further. There is more work to be done to ensure consistency of risk assessment, the retrieval of evidence from digital devices, and ensuring there are dedicated services for all victims of stalking.

“It is still the case that victims receive a different level of support depending on what part of the country they live in. Our focus is on driving a consistent approach across forces and using every tool available to us to better protect victims.”

The NPCC Chair, Gavin Stephens, responds to MP’s comments made yesterday (21 July), about the role of women in policing.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the NPCC, said: “All of our officers come to work every day with passion, determination and courage to serve their communities.

“There are an increasing number of women who choose a career in policing, bringing with them vital skills and experience that are critical to the progress of policing, our role in society, and keeping the public safe. Over a third of our officers and around 40% of our chief constables are women, and we must not jeopardise our progress by diminishing the value and role women play in our workforce.

“There are no roles in policing which women cannot do, and the same exacting standards to qualify are met by all men and women who undertake some of the most challenging tasks of any profession.

“We celebrate that women have an essential and irreplaceable role in every aspect of policing across the United Kingdom; policing is at its best when it represents the communities it serves, and our priority continues to be making policing a career where anyone can thrive and make a difference.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Helen Millichap, is the new national policing lead for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

“I want the prevalence of these crimes reduced and harm prevented”, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Helen Millichap, the new national policing lead for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), who wants to encourage more victims to take that brave step and come forward. 

DAC Millichap, who is also the Director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP) added: “We know VAWG is underreported which is something I find deeply distressing. At the heart of every investigation there is a victim. I want them to have the confidence to come forward and I want to ensure that when they do, they are treated with empathy by an officer who not only listens but has that professional curiosity to look beyond what’s in front of them.”

The NCVPP was launched in April, a year after police chiefs declared VAWG a national emergency and committed to the introduction of a centre which will give forces a clear way of working, reduce duplication and improve training so that we become more consistent. 

The centre has combined the experience and knowledge from various teams whose expertise and skills have been achieving great results, and who will now work together under a single national leadership with clear national standards. 

DAC Millichap added: “Officers work tirelessly every day to protect victims; now we need to support them and equip them to meet the highest possible standards to tackle the increasing risk posed by perpetrators. This can’t be about increasing the pressure on the busy frontline or adding to the task list. We also need to look after their welfare and be really clear on their mission, so they can carry out their job effectively, and we can remove the postcode lottery for victims.” 

DAC Millichap is also calling for continued support and a more collaborative approach to reduce the risk to victims.  She said: “The challenge with VAWG offences is the sheer scale and complexity of the crimes. The volume could be seen as overwhelming but if we were able to identify patterns of behaviour early, interventions can also take place way before the police are involved, stopping future perpetrators and preventing new victims. The whole system needs to step into this threat, and it starts early. I will work with partners to achieve this rightly ambitious goal collectively.

DAC Millichap believes a real shift in attitudes is a must if we are to see real change. She added: “We need to keep these issues at the top of the agenda, and the societal outrage we see in response to these crimes needs to remain. We need to challenge misogynistic views that only serve to drive these crimes.

“Policing has a role to play, and we are up for the challenge, but we are only one part of a wider system that must play their part. 

“The work we have done over the last few years has been steadily creating a new culture in policing where I truly believe the scale of the harm and the focus required is not in doubt. What I want, is to show the public that progress is happening and for them to be confident that it is happening everywhere.” 

DAC Helen Millichap takes ownership of the national portfolio from T/CC Maggie Blyth who led this work for four years and is now the temporary Chief Constable at Gloucestershire Constabulary. 

Investigation into Post Office Horizon scandal gathers momentum

• Scope increased with 6m documents to review
• Currently seven main suspects under investigation

Six months since the police team investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal was strengthened to 100, their work continues to gather pace with the scope ever increasing.

Currently, there are over 45 individuals under investigation as enquiries progress, with seven formally identified as suspects.

At its introduction, the team, made up of officers and staff from around the country, began with around 1.5 million documents to review and through evidence gathering this has now increased to 6 million, with both the number of documents, suspects and victims expected to rise.

The investigation is overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Metropolitan Police, led by Commander Stephen Clayman. He said:

“Victims remain at the heart of this investigation and our contact with the many people affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal continues to increase. This week (25 June) the whole investigation team met in person for the first time during our operational development day, a valuable opportunity to come together and reaffirm our focus on the investigative strategy and discuss next steps.

“To date, four individuals have been interviewed. Two in late 2021, one in late 2024 and most recently one in early 2025. Formally identifying a suspect and preparing to question them takes a significant amount of time due to the volume of material and enquiries necessary so these numbers will continue to rise as the team’s work progresses.

“We are making progress and laying the foundations for what is to come. We all have a personal commitment to this investigation which goes far beyond documents and evidence. It is about the thousands of lives the Post Office Horizon scandal has impacted and we remain focussed on our goal of securing justice for those affected.”

Four Regional Investigation Teams (RITs) are made up from police forces across England and Wales with Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland also making contributions.

For further information and updates on Op Olympos visit: www.police.uk/pu/operation-olympos

Further information about Op Olympos

Additional national oversight of the investigation is provided by a Platinum group, led by NPCC Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, and comprised of nationally appointed leads for the investigation, finance, Crown Prosecution Service and victim engagement. Its role is to ensure the national team remains resourced to agreed strengths, along with oversight of the financial management of the investigation and support infrastructure. 

The investigation is unprecedented in both its scale and complexity and is truly national in its scope – with most areas across England and Wales affected, along with Scotland and Northern Island. It was determined that a national policing response would be required to effectively investigate the actions of Post Office Limited and its investigators, managers, legal teams and executive oversight, along with staff and executives within Fujitsu. This will involve reviewing millions of documents to identify actions which could amount to criminal offences on both an individual and corporate basis.

Op Olympos is investigating perjury and perverting the course of justice offences in relation to the prosecutions. These prosecutions and the sub postmasters span all police forces with potential suspects across the country.

Op Olympos is not a reinvestigation of these wrongful prosecutions. Whilst the sub postmasters are victims of tainted or missing evidence being presented about them, the offences under investigation are against the Post Office.

The action taken against the sub postmasters provides part of the evidence for perverting the course of justice, however it is not necessary to review each and every case. This strategy has been reviewed and agreed by Crown Prosecution Service throughout and is deemed to meet disclosure and evidential requirements, whilst remaining focussed and proportionate. This will require continuous scrutiny in order to prevent the scope becoming too large and less focussed.

Control room integration supports community safety and police response

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police Joint Operations Unit has integrated Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology to a police control room in the first trial of its kind in the UK.

For over a year the joint operations unit has been testing the DFR concept with trials at the Isle of Wight Festival and Victorious Music Festival in Portsmouth.

Drone as first responder (DFR) will see a network of drones positioned in urban areas providing 24/7 fast-response ‘eyes in the sky’ for incidents reported to the emergency services. Using the latest ‘drone in a box’ technology, drones will have take-off and landing boxes on the roofs of selected buildings. The drones sit waiting for a call to launch coming from the police control room. When the decision is made to deploy a drone, it will be remotely launched and fly to the incident in less than two minutes.

In Southampton, a drone is situated on a rooftop where it can be deployed from the force control room to give a real time picture of incidents. Not only does this enable the effective deployment of policing resources, but it can also track suspects leaving the scene and record footage for evidential purposes.

In future, the drone will be able to team with neighbouring DFR drones to keep watching the original scene while another drone undertakes other tasks, such as following a person of interest leaving the area. DFR drones can also conduct handovers when battery levels mean they need to return to their base to recharge.

At the end of the task, the DFR drone will return to its landing area and the weather-proof box will close so it can be charged and prepared for its next mission. 

Superintendent Taryn Evans is strategic lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council Drones team. She said:

“Our DFR trials have gathered significant pace over the last year with each one testing out how we can best exploit the potential of drones to support policing and improve the safety of our communities.

“This latest trial shows how DFR integrates with ‘business as usual’ policing. The drone can be remotely deployed from the control room as a key resource in responding to incidents, supporting both community and officer safety.”

Superintendent Adrian Hall is Joint Operations Manager for Thames Valley Police and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said:

“We’ve already seen DFR enhancing our policing response to a number of live incidents and each one has further demonstrated its value for both now and the future in keeping our local communities safe.

“As we move forward, our focus remains on safety and integration, ensuring that our emergency response capabilities are not just effective but also safe and reliable when it matters most.”

Over the last year the NPCC has been running DFR trials in Norwich, Southampton, the West Midlands and Gravesend. The various trial sites have been testing different aspects of the overall DFR capability in differing environments: 

• In Norwich the trials are primarily focused on the safety of the drones, connectivity between components of the DFR eco-system, and the way they avoid over-flying uninvolved people on the ground. They are leading on the integration of drone parachutes.
• In Southampton, the trials are integrated with the Department for Transport’s Solent Future Transport Zone project and have involved testing feeds from radar and other aircraft and drone detection equipment that facilitates the safe use of BVLOS drones.
• In Gravesend and West Midlands the trials have focused on the feed of DFR video into control rooms, how it links with systems such as number plate recognition, and the advantages DFR gives to officers handling motorway, public order and firearms incidents.

The findings of the Casey Audit and the policing response to group-based child sexual exploitation are a sobering reminder of the urgent need for continued cultural change, accountability, and a victim-centred, trauma informed approach from a multi-agency perspective.

The National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse been published today (Monday).

Director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, said:

“The report published by Baroness Casey today includes several recommendations with implications for policing which will now be carefully considered. 

“We are sorry to all those who have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation. The pain, trauma, and long-lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors is immeasurable. We recognise that for too long, your voices went unheard, and opportunities to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities were missed.

“The findings of the Casey Audit and the policing response to group-based child sexual exploitation are a sobering reminder of the urgent need for continued cultural change, accountability, and a victim-centred, trauma informed approach from a multi-agency perspective.  

“We have made real progress in the way forces now investigate and record these awful crimes, but we know more must be done.

“The findings show clearly that change cannot wait. Police chiefs will now reflect on the findings and work with partners across law enforcement, third sector stakeholders, victims and survivors to reflect on what we have learnt, which must inform how we move forward.    

“Policing has made significant strides in its understanding and response to child sexual exploitation and abuse in recent years, but we recognise there is more to do. We thank the many victims and survivors who have worked with police forces and our partners to ensure we take a trauma informed approach to policy making and investigations, with those who matter most at the heart of all we do.

“The report rightly raises the need for improvements in how policing records and uses data, particularly around ethnicity. Ethnicity data is self-defined and only captured where contact is made with an alleged offender, which presents clear challenges. We recognise these gaps and continue to work closely with HMICFRS and the College of Policing to improve the consistency and quality of data collection across all protected characteristics. Improved data will not only inform operational decisions, but ensure we have an increasingly accurate picture.

“As we have shown in recent years, policing is willing to confront difficult truths. The lessons from cases such as Rotherham and Rochdale have led to significant change, and we remain determined to build on that progress. Every allegation will be taken seriously, every investigation will be professional and evidence-led, and every victim will be treated with empathy, compassion, and respect.

“This report marks a significant moment for policing. We haven’t always got it right, but our resolve is strong. The national Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce, alongside local forces and partners, will continue to put victims and survivors at the heart of our work, relentlessly pursue those who cause harm, and do everything in our power to prevent these devastating crimes.

“Every child has the right to grow up safe from harm. We owe it to them, and to those whose lives have already been affected, to face these challenges head on and deliver the protection and justice they deserve.”

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair, responds to the Government’s Spending Review.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC chair, said: “We recognise that the Government faces tough financial choices. In the face of these challenges, it’s now more important than ever that police chiefs and government continue to unite behind radical reform for policing, and crucially, give forces the flexibility they need to modernise their workforce.

“Despite the news today, our ambition to tackle violence against women and girls, reduce knife crime and build confidence in local policing remains.

“However, it is clear that this is an incredibly challenging outcome for policing. In real terms, today’s increase in funding will cover little more than annual inflationary pay increases for officers and staff.

“Whilst we await further detail on allocation to individual forces, the amount falls far short of what is required to fund the Government’s ambitions and maintain our existing workforce.

“A decade of underinvestment has left police forces selling buildings, borrowing money and raising local taxes to maintain the what we already have, with forces facing a projected shortfall of £1.2bn over the next two years, which is now expected to rise.

“This is against a backdrop of increasing crime rates, with new and escalating threats from organised crime and hostile states, and more offenders being managed in the community as a result of an overstretched criminal justice system.

“Cutting crime isn’t just about officer numbers – we need specialist skills and people, supported with the right systems and technology, to better protect communities.

“We fully support the Government’s drive to cut crime and grow officer numbers, but for these to succeed, investment in policing must live up to the ambition.”