Thames Valley Police told to improve professional standards
A report has been published today by the watchdog
Last updated 26th Feb 2026
Thames Valley Police have been told to make improvements following a report by the watchdog.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services looked into the 'effectiveness of integrity' within the force.
Two out of three areas were rated as requires improvement, these were regarding how Thames Valley Police tackles corruption and how it upholds professional standards. The force's vetting was deemed adequate.
Tackling potential corruption
The report outlines that Thames Valley Police must improve how it 'assesses, monitors and develops counter-corruption intelligence'. Inspectors identified the areas of concern including not undertaking random drug testing for staff and the way it handled and referred complaints.
The report explained the force had a policy for allowing random drug testing of students, fully qualified officers, and staff in specific vulnerable roles. However, inspectors say at the time of our inspection, the force didn’t carry out any random drug testing:
"This was surprising, as the force identifies substance misuse as one of its main corruption risks. It is planning to introduce random tests but only for officers in training.
"The force is missing opportunities to deter substance misuse, identify potential misconduct and provide reassurance to the public."
In response to the report Thames Valley Police said over the last few years they have invested significant resources – money, technology, and some of their best people into our Professional Standards Department (PSD), Counter Corruption Unit (CCU), and Vetting.
Gifts and hospitality
The report described Thames Valley Police's process for monitoring the gifts and hospitality register as 'ineffective'.
Staff are required to submit notifications via an online form, which then triggers an automated email to the relevant line manager for approval of gifts valued under £100, or to the head of the PSD for those over £100.
When inspectors reviewed the register, they identified 141 entries over a three‑year period. Although every entry recorded that gifts were not accepted, other information contradicted this, and some items had been approved in direct breach of force policy, including gift cards and alcohol.
The report stated force policy requires the head of the PSD to review the register every six months, but this is not happening.
Handling and investigating public complaints
Inspectors also raised concerns about the handling of complaints. Out of the nine cases that required an automatic referral to the the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), only three were sent. The cases that the force didn’t refer included sexual offences, a racially aggravated public order offence and a serious assault.
In response to the report Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs commented:
“We remain unequivocal in our commitment to continual improvement, and we welcome the independent scrutiny provided by this report. Maintaining the integrity of our workforce, and the trust and confidence of our communities in Thames Valley Police, is at our core.
“Public trust in policing relies on officers and staff demonstrating the highest standards of professional behaviour every single day. Whilst the vast majority dedicate their careers to serving and protecting the public, and do so to a very high standard, some do not, and the force has a strong track record of appropriate misconduct sanctions in those cases.
“I am pleased that the inspection reflects many of the positive changes we have made, including our increase in staffing to manage vetting demand, the swift logging of public complaints, our transparency and accountability through misconduct processes, as well as much of our approach to tackling the risk of corruption.
“We also now have an independent assessment of where we need to go further, and the force will use the report to focus on the continual improvement our communities expect.”