A total of 90 police officers, former police and staff of Thames Valley Police have been disciplined for sexual misconduct in recent years, a report has revealed.
A total of 250 police officers or staff were or are currently the subject of the allegations of sexual misconduct since February 2020, including 71 in 2024.
Of these, 44 allegations, 16 per cent, are still being investigated.
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A new report from Thames Valley Police (TVP) about sexual misconduct within the force has revealed the number of cases reported and disciplined between February 2020 and February 2024.
According to the report, it is "designed to be transparent with the reporting and findings of allegations of sexual misconduct to improve confidence in reporting these matters."
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Of the 90 employees from TVP disciplined in this period, 61 were serving officers, 10 were serving police staff and 19 were former officers. In 2024, the force dealt with 10 accusations of rape and 17 allegations of sexual assault against its officers and staff.
A former TVP officer, PC Matthew Lynch was jailed for 17 months in January after forming a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman he was investigating.
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In October last year, PC Jay Cullen was sacked after being accused of violently raping and sexually assaulting a woman and strangling her. The witness and police decided not to pursue criminal proceedings.
And in December, a former senior ranking officer detective superintendent Mark Spencer was found guilty of gross misconduct after “predatory” behaviour to female colleagues, including staring at their breasts and rubbing himself against them.
The sanctions applied to officers and staff in relation to these allegations in 2024 included one being sacked, three receiving a "final written warning" and five being told to complete "reflective practice".
The number of complaints and conduct investigations have gone up year on year since the current TVP regulations cam into effect in February 2020, and the report said the figure “increased significantly” in 2023.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We have zero tolerance to sexual misconduct and are committed to rooting out anyone who abuses their position.
“We have taken steps to make it easier to report unacceptable behaviour and introduced initiatives to support victims, including the addition of independent advisors and enhanced internal training on police standards."
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They added: “Sexual misconduct is wholly unacceptable and the increase in reports reflects the changes we have made to empower victims and hold offenders accountable for their actions.”
The report also notes that the force's workforce has increased considerably since the reporting period began.
The number of full-time employees went up from 4,527 officers and 3,348 staff in February 2020 to 5,869 officers and 4,187 staff in February 2025, an increase of 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
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