The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was asked, in November 2014, to investigate three forces over alleged failures to act on intelligence relating to indecent images of children.
- Essex
- North Yorkshire
- North Wales police
The three forces made referrals to the IPCC in relation to intelligence they received from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). After careful assessment by the IPCC they will now be independently investigated.
An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into how North Yorkshire Police (NYP) handled intelligence from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) has led to a police staff member being disciplined for misconduct and changes in how the force now deals with such intelligence.
On 26 November 2013, intelligence was received by NYP from CEOP relating the purchase of DVDs from Canada containing naked images of children. This intelligence was not acted upon by NYP until the week commencing 29 September 2014.
The investigation found that an NYP intelligence officer in the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) failed to adequately deal with the intelligence. A case to answer for misconduct was found by the investigator.
The IPCC also identified learning for the force to that would stop individual errors resulting in intelligence not being progressed. NYP accepted and has now implemented all of the recommendations.
IPCC Commissioner Kathryn Stone OBE said:
North Yorkshire Police have acted promptly to put in place new ways of working following our investigation.
Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said:
North Yorkshire Police takes its safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously and we are committed to protecting children from sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse through a joint approach with our statutory and non-statutory partners.
This referral to the IPCC demonstrates our approach to openness, transparency and independent scrutiny of mistakes that were made. We fully accept the IPCC’s recommendations, and in particular, by way of reassurance, draw the public’s attention to the comment made by IPCC Commissioner Kathryn Stone OBE when she said that we have acted promptly to put in place new ways of working following the investigation.
