An inspection into activism and impartiality in policing

Published on: 10 September 2024

In September 2023, the then Home Secretary commissioned us to inspect the extent to which police involvement in politically contested matters may be having an impact on operational policing, by influencing policing policy, priorities and practice.

We explored how the police deal with politicised and contested matters. We examined whether the police allow politics or activism to unduly influence them.

Our inspection took place between October 2023 and December 2023. We carried out fieldwork in 12 police forces in England and Wales.

This report sets out our findings.

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Greater clarity on the definition of operational independence is needed to maintain police impartiality