Independent Investigation Into Systemic Failures and Potential Misconduct Within Derbyshire Police

Why This Petition Exists

Across Derbyshire, members of the public have raised serious and sustained concerns about how Derbyshire Police handle complaints, investigations, and safeguarding responsibilities. These concerns do not relate to isolated incidents, but to patterns of behaviour that suggest deeper systemic issues within the force.

Reported concerns include:

• Complaints being ignored, delayed, or closed without clear explanation
• Inconsistent or contradictory handling of evidence and reports
• Unexplained changes in process during active cases
• A lack of transparency that makes it difficult for the public to understand how decisions are made
• Potential conflicts of interest when the force investigates itself
• A growing perception that certain cases are handled in ways that protect the institution rather than serve the public

In addition, there are serious concerns regarding the handling of violence against women and girls (VAWG), stalking, and coercive control cases — particularly where victims are neurodivergent or disabled.

Reported patterns in these cases include:

• Failure to record crimes in accordance with the National Crime Recording Standard, with victims’ distress or communication differences used as justification not to record offences
• Victims being informed that cases are under investigation when they have in fact been closed without transparency
• Refusal to provide reasonable adjustments, followed by the mischaracterisation of distress responses as “controlling” or problematic behaviour
• Inappropriate use of safeguarding or social services as a response to victim distress, rather than addressing the alleged offending behaviour
• Repeated delays or non-attendance by officers, resulting in summary offences exceeding statutory time limits
• Obstruction or delay in responding to Subject Access Requests, preventing individuals from accessing information about their own cases
• Failure to engage substantively with complaints, instead reframing issues to avoid addressing the core concerns
• Failure to provide intermediaries where individuals have been assessed as requiring them
• Inconsistent or selective application of legal thresholds, raising concerns about bias in decision-making

These concerns raise serious questions about whether existing systems are adequately safeguarding vulnerable individuals, or whether structural failures are contributing to further harm.

These issues are not being raised by one individual, but by multiple members of the public across different cases, over a sustained period of time.

What We Are Calling For

We are calling for a fully independent investigation, led by a body with no operational or institutional ties to Derbyshire Police, to examine:

• Whether systemic failures or misconduct may have influenced decision-making
• Whether complaint-handling systems are fit for purpose
• Whether victims and complainants — particularly those who are disabled or neurodivergent — are being treated fairly and lawfully
• Whether internal processes allow accountability to be avoided
• Whether current practices are compliant with national standards, including crime recording and safeguarding obligations
• Whether patterns of behaviour indicate broader cultural or structural issues within the force

This petition does not presume the outcome of any investigation. It calls for transparency, because public confidence cannot be maintained where serious concerns remain unexamined.

Why This Matters

Policing relies on public trust.

When individuals feel:
• dismissed
• ignored
• misrepresented
• or unable to access justice

confidence in the system begins to break down.

These concerns are particularly serious where they affect victims of stalking, coercive control, and other forms of violence against women and girls, especially where additional vulnerabilities such as disability or neurodivergence are present.

An independent investigation is necessary to:

• Establish the facts
• Restore public confidence
• Ensure accountability where required
• Identify whether reforms are needed to prevent further harm

Public trust cannot be rebuilt without transparency.

What You Can Do

Sign this petition to support:

• Transparency
• Accountability
• Independent scrutiny
• Fair and lawful treatment of all members of the public

Every signature strengthens the call for an independent investigation into issues that affect not just individuals, but the integrity of policing across Derbyshire.