ENGLAND AND WALES — A government-backed inquiry into police leadership in England and Wales released a report on Monday, concluding that leadership standards are inconsistent and undermine public trust. The report states, "We have also identified systemic causes for concern about the consistency, capability and culture of leadership across the service."

The inquiry, co-chaired by former home secretary David Blunkett and Nick Herbert, chair of the College of Policing, covers the 43 police forces in England and Wales. "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," the report states.

Blunkett acknowledged the complexities of the situation. "Two contradictory things can be true at the same time. You can have outstanding leadership and you can have deep-seated and extremely worrying behaviour," he said. Herbert also noted variations in performance, stating, "Some forces are very good but some have lost focus on cutting crime."

Since 2018, 78 investigations into police leaders of the rank of assistant chief constable or higher have occurred. Eight chief constables or former chief constables are currently under investigation or awaiting disciplinary proceedings. The report notes that the Independent Office for Police Conduct says common themes in these investigations involve "cronyism, nepotism, abuse of position for a sexual purpose and corruption." Former Northamptonshire chief constable Nick Adderley, who was dismissed after being found to have lied on his CV, has been charged with fraud and misconduct in public office.

The report finds that only 13% of constables and 17% of sergeants agree they work in a well led and managed organisation. It states, "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," the report adds. One officer interviewed for the report stated, "It is very clearly nepotistic. Jobs for the boys or the girls who're mates with the right people."

The report also identifies a broken professional culture. "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," the report states. To address these issues, the report includes 27 recommendations, such as establishing a new national academy of police leadership, creating a fast stream for future leaders, and increasing funding for leadership training. Current spending on leadership training is approximately £4 million, while the police service costs £19 billion annually.