A major new survey by the Police Federation of England and Wales has revealed the most comprehensive picture to date of how officers experience, witness and report misconduct by colleagues and the findings point to a system that many believe is unclear, inconsistent and, in some cases, unsafe to navigate.

The survey, completed by 5,203 officers across all ranks, regions and demographic groups, shows that police‑on‑police misconduct is far from rare. More than one in five officers (21%) have been directly involved in a misconduct case where the perpetrator was another officer. This represents thousands of individuals who have either experienced harmful behaviour or witnessed it happening to colleagues.

Among those involved, witnesses outnumber victims by three to one. Nearly half of all victims say the perpetrator was of the same rank, while 41% say the perpetrator was more senior.

The data also shows that involvement in misconduct cases increases with seniority and length of service. Thirty‑eight per cent of chief inspectors report having been involved in a case, compared with 16% of constables. Officers with more than 20 years’ service are more than twice as likely to have been involved as those with fewer than five years.

Yet despite the scale of the issue, less than half of those involved in misconduct cases reported what they saw. 47% said they had reported the behaviour, while 45% did not. Reporting rates vary sharply across groups: 60% of officers with fewer than five years’ service reported misconduct, compared with 45% of those with longer service. Female officers (53%) and ethnic minority officers (51%) are more likely to report than their male (43%) and white (46%) colleagues.

The reasons for this reluctance are clear in the data. Almost half of officers are dissatisfied with how their force handles police‑on‑police misconduct. Dissatisfaction rises to 51% among women, 58% among ethnic minority officers and 50% among those with 5-20 years’ service.

Support for those who report or act as witnesses is also widely seen as inadequate. Forty‑two per cent of officers believe support is poor, and only 12% think it is handled well. Among ethnic minority officers, 54% feel unsupported. Among those with more than 20 years’ service, the figure is 44%.

The consequences of this lack of confidence are stark. Four in five officers say the level of support available directly affects whether they feel able to report a colleague or act as a witness. This rises to 59% among women and 68% among ethnic minority officers.

The survey also reveals a significant knowledge gap. While 86% of officers say they would want Federation support if involved in a misconduct case, more than two‑fifths are unaware of the ways the Federation can help. Awareness is lowest among constables and those with fewer than five years’ service. Many officers also report confusion about who is responsible for supporting complainants: nearly one in ten do not know where to turn.

These findings sit against the backdrop of recent inquiries into policing culture and standards. Reflecting on the wider context, PFEW Chief Executive Mukund Krishna has warned that serious failures in policing “survive in the gaps created by weak supervision, flawed vetting and a culture in which silence feels safer than speaking up.” His comments echo the concerns raised by officers in the survey, who consistently link fear, uncertainty and lack of support to their reluctance to report wrongdoing.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has acknowledged the challenge, noting that “there is more for us to do to build a culture of trust and integrity that empowers officers and staff to call out bad behaviour.” While reforms to vetting and misconduct procedures are underway, the results suggest that confidence in internal systems remains fragile.

In response to the findings, the Police Federation is launching a new Victim and Witness Support Programme early in the new year. The programme will offer confidential advice, welfare support and clear pathways for officers who are victims or witnesses of misconduct. It is designed to address the very barriers highlighted in the survey: fear of repercussions, uncertainty about where to seek help, and a lack of confidence that the system will protect those who speak up.

The report shows officers want to do the right thing, but they need a system that protects them when they do so. The launch of the Victim and Witness Support Programme marks an important step in meeting that need and in shifting the Federation’s visible role from solely defending those accused of misconduct to supporting those who experience it.