Police watchdog hit with 75% rise in complaints about rogue cops following Sarah Everard's murder

Police watchdog hit with 75% rise in complaints about rogue cops following Sarah Everard’s murder

ITN News Hour

THE police watchdog has been swamped with a 75 per cent rise in complaints about rogue cops following the murder of Sarah Everard.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct got 7,000 referrals from 43 forces in England and Wales in the past year.

Off-duty Met cop Wayne Couzens raped and murdered Sarah Everard

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Off-duty Met cop Wayne Couzens raped and murdered Sarah EverardCredit: PA
Sarah, 33, vanished while walking in Clapham, South London, in March 2021

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Sarah, 33, vanished while walking in Clapham, South London, in March 2021Credit: PA Media

That compares to 4,000 a year before off-duty Met cop Wayne Couzens, 51, raped and murdered Sarah, 33, in 2021.

The IOPC has the resources to tackle only 300 cases a year, so the vast majority are passed back to individual police forces to deal with.

Meanwhile it has asked the Government to boost disciplinary hearing powers so dodgy cops can be barred like doctors.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The public put their trust in the police and we expect them to carry out their duties to the highest professional standards.

“We have taken steps to improve the culture within policing and raise standards across the board, including strengthening vetting standards and establishing the Angiolini Inquiry to uncover any systemic issues in policing.

“We are actively working with the IOPC on its funding requirements to ensure it can deliver its core functions.”


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