Police investigation into serious sexual offences – Cambridgeshire Constabulary, July 2019
Recommendation date: 18 December 2020
Response due: 12 February 2021
Published: 2 March 2021
Child sexual abuse
In July 2019 Cambridgeshire Constabulary voluntarily referred an allegation to the IOPC that an investigation conducted by a detective in their Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) had not been appropriately progressed before he transferred to another force in April 2019. The POLIT investigation had begun in March 2016 and had not been completed by the detective when he left the force. During our investigation, it was established that a second investigation carried out by the detective from January 2016 to April 2019 may also not have been appropriatelyprogressed. Our investigation looked at the progression of the investigations by the detective, and the supervision received from their sergeant and two inspectors. We interviewed all four officers and witnesses. It became apparent that the detective had been performing poorly and had taken some time off work. The detective was supported by their sergeant and Occupational Health Unit. The detective’s performance did not …
Recommendations (3)
Recommendation 1
Accepted
Recommendation
The IOPC recommends that Cambridgeshire Constabulary ensure there is sufficient training and support in place for sergeants from both their inspectors and HR to enable them to manage performance effectively. This follows an IOPC investigation where a sergeant was not … Read more
Force Response
Accepted action: Accepted. Close and, where appropriate, intrusive supervision by Inspectors is advocated within current training and is now reinforced at Chief Inspector level. This ensures that first line supervisors (in this case sergeants) are not only supported in their … Read more
Recommendation 2
Accepted
Recommendation
The IOPC recommends that Cambridgeshire Constabulary ensure that detectives working in the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) carry a workload appropriate to their circumstances. This follows an IOPC investigation in which a part-time detective within POLIT was allocated two cases … Read more
Force Response
Accepted action: Recommendation response: Accepted. This has been addressed. Workloads are regularly reviewed as are the nature, length and scale of the investigations to ensure adequate staffing and supervision. This is considered at Inspector level and fed back to … Read more
Recommendation 3
Accepted
Recommendation
The IOPC recommends that Cambridgeshire Constabulary takes steps to ensure that sufficient wellbeing and welfare support are in place for officers and staff working in the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT). This should include considering: This follows an IOPC investigation … Read more
Force Response
Accepted action: Accepted: POLIT roles do already have psychological testing in place. All staff have a questionnaire every 12 months; this is used to evaluate staff members’ continued suitability. However, earlier signs of any fatigue or trauma are identified in … Read more