Corruption allegations against Norfolk police have risen sharply over the past year, watchdog figures show
Allegations of corruption and abuse of position made against Norfolk police rose by two-thirds last year and were significantly higher than those recorded by comparable forces.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) recorded 40 allegations in the abuse of position and corruption category against Norfolk Constabulary during 2025/26, up from 24 the previous year.
The figure was also above the average of 25 recorded by Norfolk's most similar police forces.
Norfolk's comparable forces include Devon and Cornwall Police, Lincolnshire Police, North Wales Police, North Yorkshire Police, Suffolk Constabulary, West Mercia Police and Wiltshire Police.
The complaints fall under the IOPC's category of "abuse of position/corruption", which includes officers or staff misusing their role for personal gain.
A total of 564 complaints were made against Norfolk Constabulary in 2025/26, up from 385 the previous year.
Those complaints generated 1,498 allegations against officers, police staff or the organisation, compared with 1,145 the previous year. Individual complaints can contain multiple allegations.
The 40 abuse of position and corruption allegations accounted for around 3pc of all allegations recorded during the year.
POLICE CONDUCT
The increase comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over police conduct and standards nationally.
Behaviour-related complaints also increased, with 280 allegations recorded compared with 215 the previous year.
Allegations of unfairness and lack of impartiality rose from 38 to 69, while reports of unprofessional attitudes and disrespect increased from 35 to 56.
A spokeswoman for Norfolk Constabulary said: "The category of abuse of position and corruption shows an increase from 24 to 40 allegations - not proven cases of corruption.
"It's important to view these figures in the wider context of the overall complaints system.
"Every allegation in this category is investigated by specialist detectives in the Anti-Corruption Unit.
"Where corruption or abuse of position is substantiated, the Constabulary is committed to removing individuals from the organisation at the earliest opportunity."
The spokeswoman added: "Between August 2025 and July 2026, Norfolk Constabulary received 849 complaints overall and, where complainants remained dissatisfied with the force's handling of their complaint, they had the right to request an independent review.
"During that period, only 10 reviews were upheld by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), indicating that in the vast majority of cases the original handling and outcome were found to be reasonable and proportionate.
"We remain committed to maintaining public trust and confidence by encouraging reporting, investigating concerns transparently and taking appropriate action whenever wrongdoing is identified."
The IOPC's data forms part of its quarterly reporting on police complaints across England and Wales.
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