Police Staff Leave Roles Amid ‘Key Jamming’ Fraud Investigation

Several police staff members have either resigned or been dismissed following an internal investigation into alleged “key jamming” at Northamptonshire Police, a practice in which employees simulate computer activity to appear as though they are working while absent.

The investigation, led by the force’s counter corruption unit, relates to at least 1,516 hours of alleged false working time recorded in 2025. The total value of the suspected fraudulent claims is estimated at £44,000. According to the force, nine of those implicated are police staff, while two others work within the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Key jamming typically involves placing an object on a keyboard to prevent a computer from entering sleep mode or registering inactivity. By generating artificial keystrokes, staff can create the impression that they are logged in and actively working. In this case, the force said the allegations centre on staff placing objects on their keyboards to simulate activity.

Northamptonshire Police confirmed it is not currently treating the matter as a criminal investigation, but misconduct proceedings are under way. So far, one individual has been dismissed, three have resigned ahead of disciplinary hearings, one has received a final written warning and six investigations remain ongoing.

Deputy Chief Constable Ash Tuckley described the behaviour as a breach of trust and said there is no tolerance for such conduct within the organisation. He said the force would continue to take firm action wherever evidence of key jamming is uncovered.

Danielle Stone, the county’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the findings fall short of the standards expected by the public. She said rooting out deceptive practices is essential to maintaining confidence and ensuring public money is not wasted, particularly at a time when police budgets are under pressure.

The constabulary employs around 2,800 officers and staff and operates with an annual budget of £194 million. The investigation comes less than a year after the dismissal of former chief constable Nick Adderley, who faces charges of fraud and misconduct in public office over alleged false claims about his military service. He denies wrongdoing and is due to face trial in 2027.

Similar incidents have been reported at other forces. In Durham, a detective resigned after it was discovered that his computer had recorded thousands of repeated keystrokes without genuine activity. Greater Manchester Police has also dismissed several employees following its own large scale inquiry into key jamming practices.

Northamptonshire Police said the vast majority of officers and staff continue to work diligently under significant pressure, and it remains committed to upholding professional standards across the organisation.