When Protection Fails: What Police Safeguarding Gaps Mean for Everyone’s Safety
An official inquiry led by Dame Elish Angiolini has found that around 26% of police forces in England and Wales still lack “basic policies for investigating sexual offences,” including indecent exposure. The revelation: coming four years after the tragic case of Sarah Everard has exposed how promises of reform remain unfulfilled, leaving serious gaps in safeguarding and raising alarming questions about institutional accountability.
This failure isn’t just administrative - it erodes public trust, undermines victim protection, and signals that many women and vulnerable people remain at risk, even calls for help may not be handled with the seriousness they demand.
Why It Matters
Trust in public institutions is vital. When policing lacks basic safeguarding policies, it undercuts confidence, especially among women and marginalised groups who rely on police to keep them safe.
Victims are discouraged from reporting: without clear, consistent protocols, survivors may fear they won’t be believed, or worse, that reporting will produce no action
Prevention becomes impossible: tackling sexual offences requires proactive, systemic safeguards - not just reactive responses after harm has occurred
For communities, this isn’t abstract - it’s about feeling secure walking home, trusting public spaces, and knowing that help is available when needed.
What This Means for Community Safety & Safeguarding
Urgent need for standardised policies: every police force must adopt and publicise a robust sexual-offence policy. Consistency across forces is essential so survivors know what to expect, wherever they are.
Independent oversight and accountability: investigations into allegations, especially against officers or staff must be transparent and independently reviewed. Internal bias or complacency must be eliminated.
Accessible, trusted reporting mechanisms: survivors and witnesses must have safe, anonymous and supported ways to report, including guidance, advocacy and follow-up, not just cold case-files.
Community engagement and education: public-safety partnerships, local authorities and civil-society organisations should collaborate with police to restore trust, offering support, training, and public assurance that safeguarding is taken seriously.
Data, prevention, and early intervention: police and partner agencies must invest in mapping patterns of abuse, supporting survivors, and preventing perpetrators from re-offending - not just responding to high-profile cases after the fact.
imabi’s View
At imabi, we believe safeguarding, whether in communities, workplaces or public services, must be built on accountability, transparency and people’s voice.
We support consistent, public safeguarding policies across all police forces: everyone deserves to know that protection isn’t optional or postcode-dependent
We believe in accessible, anonymous reporting tools, because fear of disbelief or retaliation must never silence survivors
We advocate for partnership-driven prevention, where communities, local authorities, police and civil society share responsibility for safety and prevention
We emphasise the need for systemic change - not short-term fixes or reactive statements, but long-term cultural reform and genuine investment in protecting vulnerable people
A safe society isn’t created by good intentions alone - it demands consistent action, transparent systems, and unflinching commitment.