West Midlands Police among forces with highest number of officers barred from service
West Midlands Police was highlighted as one of the forces with the highest number of officers added to this 'barred list'.
A record 757 police officers were barred from serving in England and Wales in the year to the end of March 2026, with West Midlands Police among the forces with the highest number added to the list.
The total figure for the year ending March 2026 marks a new high since the list was introduced in late 2017, surpassing 735 in 2024/25 and 594 in 2023/24.
Officers, specials, and staff dismissed for misconduct are placed on this list, preventing them from ever returning to policing. The College of Policing, the professional body for the service, released these figures, showing a significant acceleration in dismissals.
Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, emphasised the importance of public trust.
He said: “Policing is built on trust and these figures show we will not hesitate to act when that trust is broken.
“757 officers have been removed and barred from ever serving again, including those who retired or resigned while under investigation.
“This represents 0.5 per cent of all serving officers, with the vast majority of officers serving with courage, professionalism and integrity.
“We all deserve a service that roots out those who fall short. Where standards are breached, we will find out and we will act.
“Since the barred list was introduced in December 2017, 3,591 regular officers have been added in total, with the pace of dismissals accelerating markedly: 757 officers were barred last year alone, more than in any single year since the list began and over twice the annual average of the preceding four years.”
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The report detailed the various reasons for officers being sacked and barred, with some cases involving multiple breaches. Dishonesty was cited in 142 cases, discriminatory behaviour in 110, and unlawful access or disclosure of information in 101 instances.
Alarmingly, 87 cases involved sexual offences or misconduct. This included six instances of child sexual abuse, five of rape, and 46 cases where an officer abused their position for a sexual purpose.
Most of those barred were police constables (641), followed by sergeants (84), inspectors (18), chief inspectors (five), superintendents (five), and chief superintendents (four).
Out of the 757 officers added to the list, 334 were serving at the time of their dismissal, while 397 had resigned, and 26 had retired while under investigation.
The forces with the highest numbers of officers added to the barred list were the Metropolitan Police with 195 (from a workforce of 31,495), Greater Manchester Police with 46 (from a workforce of 8,234), and West Midlands Police, with a workforce of 8,174.
The number of officers from forces across England and Wales added to the list has steadily increased year-on-year since 2021/22, when 299 were added, rising to 394 in 2022/23.
In addition to regular officers, 25 police specials were added to the barred list last year, down from 31 the previous year. However, the number of police staff barred saw an increase, with 348 added, up from 280 in 2024/25.