DOZENS of Hampshire police staff are still working despite domestic abuse accusations -  sparking concerns from a charity.

Claire Lambon, CEO at Stop Domestic Abuse, said there is "no place in policing for perpetrators" adding that those involved must be held accountable.

It comes after statistics by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and ITV, revealed  56 police officers and staff across Hampshire Constabulary were reported for domestic abuse between January 2018 and September last year.

Of those, 49 were still in a job with the force towards the end of last year.

Of those reported for domestic abuse, two were disciplined, and two were convicted of related offences. None were removed from their roles. The two convicted resigned.

TBIJ's data records accusations of domestic abuse reported to the police.

Charity boss Claire said: "Victims of domestic abuse should be confident that the police are there to protect them and keep them safe.

"There should be no risk to a victim that a police officer they trust has a different agenda and is actually a perpetrator of domestic abuse.

"There should be no place in policing for perpetrators, those officers that use abusive behaviours must be held to account to ensure that public confidence in the police is not eroded.”

A spokesperson from Hampshire Constabulary said the force has an internal policy on dealing with domestic abuse perpetrated by officers or staff.

These policies on dealing with domestic abuse internally were rewritten in June 2021 to provide "comprehensive guidance" for managers to provide increased support for victims and a "robust approach" to identifying and tackling perpetrators.

“Whilst we have always understood the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining confidentiality, this new policy tackles these issues even more overtly," they said.

The spokesperson added that they seek further independent support through an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate.

The force also has a scrutiny panel to oversee every case to ensure the service we provide is of the highest quality and to support continuous improvement.

They said: "We have four independent domestic abuse specialists who are core members of the panel providing objective oversight and advice, ensuring the victims' perspective is represented throughout.

“We take any allegation of abuse against an officer very seriously.

"Calling out unethical behaviour is also a core part of ensuring that we are upholding the highest standards of behaviour in our own organisation.

"Our ‘Confide in Us’ system allows officers and staff to report when they are concerned about the behaviour of colleagues, with anonymity and confidence."