By Gabriel Princewill–
There was a rise in the number of police officers dismissed in 2025 compared to the previous two years, including a significant jump between 2023 and 2024.
The rise was according to an Insider at The Home Office largely attributed to a “robust” effort by the Home Office and individual forces—most notably the Metropolitan Police—to clean up internal culture following high-profile cases of criminal conduct by serving officers.
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This period saw a shift toward more accelerated hearings and a higher frequency of gross misconduct findings. In the year ending March 31, 2025, a total of 735 police officers in England and Wales were dismissed or would have been dismissed and were added to the College of Policing barred list for unacceptable conduct. These figures cover all types of serious misconduct, not just the specific offence of misconduct in public office.
Total Dismissals amounted to 235 officers were put on the barred list, an increase from 593 the previous year. The most common reasons were dishonesty, which amounted to 126 instances.
There were 95 instances of discriminatory behaviour and 82 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information . Inappropriate communication were 81 instances, and sexual offences or misconduct were 72 instances
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Of the cases finalised in the year ending March 31, 2024 (the latest full year for which this specific breakdown is available), misconduct (including gross misconduct) was found proven for 1,106 officers out of 1,312 referred to proceedings.
Specific data for the precise number of officers convicted of the criminal offence of “misconduct in public office” in the 2025 calendar year is not currently available in publicly released reports, which often use the financial year (April to March) for statistics.
Data from specific forces like Essex Police indicated 234 police officers had misconduct cases recorded in their force up to March 24, 2025, but zero had proceeded to a misconduct hearing by that early date.
It is assumed that there would be other cases of misconduct which never progressed to the complaint stage, making misconduct in the police force still a matter than needs attention.
The above statistics can be contrasted with the year before in which 106 officers were found to have breached professional standards, representing 84% of all officers referred to misconduct proceedings.
In terms of dismissals, there were 593 regular officers dismissed and placed on the College of Policing Barred List, a 50% increase from the 394 officers dismissed the previous year.
Over 150 police officers and staff were found guilty of crimes following misconduct investigations, including sexual offences and violence—a 70% increase year-on-year.
The College of Policing identified several recurring themes in the 1,149 recorded reasons for dismissal.
Dishonesty accounted for 126 instances. Discriminatory behaviour saw 95 instances, including racism and misogyny, whilst Sexual Offences/Misconduct saw 72 instances. Complaints of sexual conduct doubled over the last five years, reaching 401 in 2024/25.
In terms of Unlawful Information Access, there were 82 instances of improper use of police systems.
Notable High-Profile Cases
The Met recorded the highest number of dismissals (123 officers) following several scandals involving discriminatory and sexualized comments by officers.
Worth noting id the fact that there are generally more police officers than not, who are conducting themselves in a respectful and lawful manner in the course of their professional duties.
In 2023, the number of police officer dismissals for misconduct was notably lower than in subsequent years, as police forces intensified their disciplinary efforts. National data for England and Wales shows a total of 394 regular police officers were dismissed and added to the national Police Barred List.
During this period, 972 officers were referred to formal misconduct proceedings. Of those specifically referred to a misconduct hearing, 77 were dismissed while serving, and 98 “would have been dismissed” had they not already resigned or retired.
A total of 299 regular police officers were dismissed and added to the barred list. This includes: 134 officers dismissed while serving 146 officers who were dismissed post-resignation. 19 officers who were dismissed post-retirement. The Metropolitan Police Service recorded 87 dismissals or “would have been dismissed” outcomes for the 2022 calendar year.
Worth noting id the fact that there are generally more police officers than not, who are conducting themselves in a respectful and lawful manner in the course of their professional duties.
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