Complaints against Police
November 2004
An MP's guide for assisting constituentis with complaints against the police.
Who should complaints be sent to?
If a constituent comes to you with a complaint against the police, the complaints can be sent directly to the police force concerned or via the IPCC.
All complaints must be recorded by the police force involved. If you send a complaint via the IPCC, you must get the written consent of the complainant for the IPCC to forward their complaint to the police force concerned.
Contact the IPCC at:
90 High Holborn
London, WC1V 6BH
Tel: 08453 002 002 (local rate) Fax: 020 7404 0430
Email: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
What information should be included?
Complaints should include the complainant's name, address and contact detail, as well as the following information:
What happened, and when it happened
Who was involved and what was said and done
Whether there were any witnesses other than the complainant and the person serving with the police, and where the witnesses can be contacted
Details of any damage or injury which took place
How are complaints investigated?
As an MP who is writing on behalf of a constituent to the IPCC, you will receive a reply from the relevant IPCC Commissioner dealing with the complaint. The Commissioner will let you know how the complaints will be handled.
Most complaints are investigated or resolved locally by the police force concerned. The IPCC oversees this system and complainants can appeal to the IPCC if they do not feel their complaint has been dealt with properly during the local resolution or investigation process.
Only the most serious complaints and conduct matters are investigated by the IPCC's own investigators. These may include cases which involve death or serious injury following contact with the police or other matters which might seriously undermine public confidence in the police service.
It is important to note that if a complaint has already been dealt with and closed under the old PCA system (prior to 1 April 2004); it cannot be re-opened or re-investigated under the new system (IPCC). If the police have considered a complaint made prior to 1 April 2004, but not recorded it, they do not have to record it and there is not right of appeal to the IPCC in such instances.
Further Information
More information about how to make a complaint, what we treat as a complaint, how we deal with complaints and how to make a complaint against us is available on the IPCC website www.ipcc.gov.uk. Leaflets are aslo available on request.
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