Investigation into experience as a student officer – West Yorkshire Police, March 2023

In March 2023, a serving West Yorkshire Police (WYP) officer was reported missing by their family in the Greater Manchester area. The officer had joined WYP as a student officer in 2021, and they were also studying for a degree in Professional Policing Practice.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers went to the family home and began searching for the officer in the nearby area. They were found dead in local woodlands. They had taken their own life.

The family contacted WYP and reported that the officer was bullied at work and treated differently because of their race. They complained about the culture within the force and the conduct of some officers. They named one officer as engaging in bullying behaviour and asked for an independent investigation to be carried out.

We received a complaint referral from WYP and decided to independently investigate the officer’s experience as a student officer within the force.

We examined the officer’s posting and appropriateness of deployments, their supervision, the support provided by WYP regarding the officer’s health and welfare, the nature and suitability of their training, and whether they were subjected to bullying by any officer or colleague. We also examined whether they were treated differently because of their race.

We obtained many statements from student officers within the same cohort as the officer, their colleagues, trainers and university staff, as well as copies of student records, occupational health records and other documentation. We obtained all relevant WYP policies and procedures and reviewed whether these had been followed in line with local and national guidelines.

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner to justify disciplinary proceedings.

We found no evidence the officer was mistreated, subjected to bullying while at work or treated less favourably because of their ethnicity. An appropriate level of care was provided with regards to the officer’s mental health concerns and the degree to which they had disclosed them.

We found evidence that recruitment and training procedures when the officer joined the force were below the standard expected. Changes since then mean new recruits receive a greater level of support. Our analysis of the evidence showed the officer was not treated differently to other student officers at that time, and that others were similarly impacted by the issues within recruitment.

We also found evidence that the officer, and others, were offered support when dealing with distressing incidents. On two occasions, the officer was subjected to racial abuse by members of the public, and this was properly dealt with and the people responsible prosecuted.

The officer faced challenges at work and steps were taken to help them improve their performance. There is evidence to show their progress. However, other factors undermined this, including a breakdown in communication between WYP and the officer’s university, and insufficient support with regards to the officer’s dyslexia. We found the officer would have benefitted from reasonable adjustments to help their learning experience.

We found that one officer would benefit from the reflective practice review process (RPRP). This process allows officers to learn from and reflect on what could have been done better. Some witnesses expressed concern about how this officer communicated with others in wider groups, and we recommended they reflect on their management style.

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

We shared learning with the force aimed at ensuring supervisors are better equipped to support student officers.