Police conduct and complaints
Home Affairs Committee
Closed
Inquiry
This inquiry will examine the role and remit of the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to the police conduct and discipline system. It will look at how the IOPC and police forces around the country work to resolve complaints and at progress in reforming the system following criticisms …
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15
Recommendations
17
Conclusions
1
Report
5
Oral sessions
8
Letters
5
Events
Activity timeline 20 events
6 Jul
2022
2022
15 Jun
2022
2022
15 Jun
2022
2022
25 May
2022
2022
25 May
2022
2022
11 May
2022
2022
28 Apr
2022
2022
1 Mar
2022
2022
Report published
9 Jun
2021
2021
19 May
2021
2021
Oral evidence
19 May
2021
2021
19 May
2021
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Macmillan Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
19 May 2021
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Claire Bassett · Independent Office for Police Conduct
Craig Guildford · West Midlands Police
Kathie Cashell · Independent Office for Police Conduct
Matt Parr CB · HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services
Michael Lockwood · Independent Office for Police Conduct
12 May 2021
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Kit Malthouse MP · Home Office
Michael Cordy · Home Office
Paul Regan · Home Office
17 Mar 2021
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Amania Scott-Samuels · Independent Office of Police Conduct Youth Panel
Kardaya Rooprai · West Midlands Neighbourhood Watch Force Area Association
Lady Brittan of Spennithorne
Nick Glynn · Open Society Foundations
Rose Dowling · Leaders Unlocked
3 Mar 2021
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Dr Clare Torrible · Bristol University
Dr Graham Smith · Manchester University
Julia Mulligan · Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire
Rt Hon Alun Michael
Sue Mountstevens
27 Jan 2021
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Deborah Coles · INQUEST
Michael Oswald · INQUEST Lawyers Group
Phill Matthews · Police Federation of England and Wales
Victor Marshall OBE · Police Superintendents' Association
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sixth Report - Police Conduct and Complaints | HC 140 | 1 Mar 2022 | 32 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
1
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Public perceives police misconduct complaints as over-complex, lengthy, and unlikely to result in significant action.
It is an inevitable part of any complaints system that those whose complaints are not upheld will be discontented. There is none the less a perception that complaints against police officers are unlikely to succeed and that investigations are over- …
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Government Response
The government agreed that the existing governance structure of the IOPC, including the combination of Director General and Chair roles, will be considered as part of the Home Secretary's periodic review of the IOPC, which is expected to start in early 2022/23.
Home Office
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7
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Consider police complaints within the ongoing PCC model review and assess PCC involvement
We urge the Government to consider police complaints as part of the review of the PCC model currently under way and to make an early assessment of PCC involvement in the police complaints system.
Government Response
The government's response focused entirely on the complaints and discipline system reforms it implemented in February 2020, including new statutory duties and IOPC powers. It did not address the recommendation to consider police complaints as part of the ongoing review of the PCC model or assess PCC involvement in the complaints system.
Home Office
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8
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Government failing to adequately monitor and encourage new PCC complaint models
It may be too soon to understand whether PCC involvement in the police complaints system is realising the benefits the Government hoped for, but we are concerned that the Government is not doing enough to monitor implementation of the new …
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Government Response
The government agreed further work is needed on cultural change and committed to several actions: establishing the independent Angiolini Inquiry, tasking the police inspectorate to examine conduct and culture, and releasing new experimental police misconduct statistics in May. It also highlighted the College of Policing's review of the Code of Ethics to promote openness and accountability.
Home Office
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9
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
PCCs have enhanced opportunities to improve police complaints through new models and scrutiny
We note enhanced opportunities for PCCs to play a greater role in the local complaints process following reforms introduced in 2020. The three models present a unique opportunity for PCCs, as part of their complaint-handling responsibilities, to support proactively and …
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Government Response
The government acknowledged the need for further work on timeliness and confirmed the Home Office is due to publish experimental police misconduct statistics in May, which will include initial analysis of end-to-end investigation timeliness. It also reiterated the College of Policing's Code of Ethics review and the Angiolini Inquiry.
Home Office
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12
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Require police stakeholders to publish plain language versions of complaints systems
The police complaints system needs to be simpler and more transparent. We welcome IOPC statutory guidance which encourages forces to use accessible language and formats to explain the system, but it is not evident that all forces are yet doing …
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Government Response
The government noted existing requirements for publishing IOPC recommendations and force responses. It committed to considering, with the IOPC, how to better track progress on recommendations and highlighted that an amended Specified Information Order, which came into force on May 31, 2021, now requires PCCs to publish data on complaint handling.
Home Office
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16
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Some police forces demonstrate an absence of urgency and non-cooperation in investigations.
There is a clear absence of urgency and a culture of non-co-operation from some police forces involved in investigations. Appropriate sanctions must follow for any officer served with disciplinary proceedings, whether serving or retired. We welcome the legislation that exists …
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Government Response
The government states it strengthened the complaints and discipline systems in February 2020, introducing integrity reforms, a statutory duty of cooperation, and new IOPC and legally qualified chair powers to address timeliness and sanctions for officers.
Home Office
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17
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
The statutory and regulatory frameworks require full utilisation for fair officer sanctions.
The available statutory and regulatory frameworks must be used by forces and the IOPC to obtain fair, transparent and appropriate sanctions against officers. (Paragraph 98) The IOPC complaints system
Government Response
The government states it strengthened the complaints and discipline systems in February 2020 with integrity reforms, introducing new statutory duties and powers for the IOPC and misconduct panels to ensure fair and appropriate sanctions.
Home Office
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20
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Police forces require a culture of rapid, open response to conduct complaints.
A culture needs to be created within police forces—established by and led from the top—that requires rapid, open and non-defensive response to complaints about conduct, both to deal with misconduct where it arises and to clear the names and reputations …
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Government Response
The government agrees on the need for cultural change in policing and is addressing it through the Angiolini Inquiry, tasks given to the police inspectorate, and the College of Policing's Code of Ethics review, which will produce a Code of Practice for chief officers.
Home Office
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23
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC thematic reviews demonstrate potential to improve public confidence and policing practice.
We welcome the IOPC’s work on thematic reviews, specifically its aim to identify systemic learning by taking on more independent investigations in these areas and to improve public confidence in policing and the wider system. Ultimately, the result of such …
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Government Response
The government states the IOPC is already making concerted efforts to uphold public confidence in the police complaints system through actions like thematic reviews, improved transparency, and stakeholder engagement, which are central to its current and upcoming strategies.
Home Office
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25
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Ensure Home Office super-complaints website highlights designated body collaboration with non-designated groups.
We urge the Home Office to highlight, on its super-complaints’ website, that the 16 designated bodies should collaborate with non-designated bodies as appropriate to make a complaint on matters raised by non-designated bodies. Clarity of information is essential to ensure …
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Government Response
The government commits to updating the police super-complaints website on gov.uk to explicitly state that designated bodies should collaborate with non-designated organisations and make complaints based on matters raised by them.
Home Office
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26
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC needs to improve defence of its police complaint decisions for public confidence.
Evidence to our inquiry suggests the IOPC could do better in defending its role in police complaint decisions which, though they may not always be amenable to forces or police associations, must be accepted and acted upon if public confidence …
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Government Response
The government states that the IOPC is already making concerted efforts to uphold confidence through transparency, improved investigation timeliness, and thematic reviews, and is continuing this focus with its current and new strategies.
Home Office
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27
Recommendation
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Urge IOPC to proactively communicate and defend its police complaint decisions.
The IOPC has a statutory duty to uphold confidence in the police complaints system; and we urge the IOPC to embrace this role and to proactively communicate and defend the decisions it makes. (Paragraph 142) 50 Police Conduct and Complaints
Government Response
The government states that the IOPC is already making concerted efforts to uphold confidence in the police complaints system through greater transparency, stakeholder engagement, improved timeliness, and thematic reviews, with their new strategy focusing even more on public confidence.
Home Office
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31
Conclusion
Accepted
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC has made efforts to build public trust through increased transparency.
The IOPC has made concerted efforts in its first three years to build public trust in the police complaints system by actively listening to policing bodies and communities about their concerns and by providing greater transparency in the publication of …
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Government Response
The government states that the IOPC is already making concerted efforts to uphold confidence in the police complaints system, including the specific actions the Committee highlights.
Home Office
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Correspondence 8 letters
6 Jul 2022
To committee
Letter from the Director General of the Independent Office of Police Conduct on the work of the IOPC, dated 28 June 2022
Parliament page
15 Jun 2022
From committee
Letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Independent Office of Police Conduct, dated 17 May 2022
Parliament page
15 Jun 2022
To committee
Letter from Director of Public Prosecutions on the Independent Office of Police Conduct, dated 8 June 2022
Parliament page
25 May 2022
To committee
Letter from the Home Secretary on the Government Response to the Report on police conduct and complaints, dated 17 May 2022
Parliament page
25 May 2022
From committee
Letter to the Home Secretary on the Government Response to the Report on police conduct and complaints, dated 28 April 2022
Parliament page
11 May 2022
To committee
Letter from the Independent Office of Police Conduct Unitary Board on the inquiry into Police Conduct and Complaints, dated 3 May 2022
Parliament page
9 Jun 2021
To committee
Letter from the Minister for Crime and Policing following oral evidence, dated 2 June 2021
Parliament page
19 May 2021
To committee
Letter from Michael Lockwood, Director General, IOPC, on publication of outcomes of investigations, dated 13 May 2021
Parliament page