Police conduct and complaints

Home Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 11 Aug 2020 Closed: 31 Jul 2022 Parliament page
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 … Read more
15 Recommendations
17 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
8 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 20 events
6 Jul
2022
Correspondence
15 Jun
2022
Correspondence
15 Jun
2022
Correspondence
25 May
2022
Correspondence
25 May
2022
Correspondence
11 May
2022
Correspondence
28 Apr
2022
Report published
1 Mar
2022
Report published
9 Jun
2021
Correspondence
19 May
2021
Oral evidence
19 May
2021
Correspondence
19 May
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
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and Complaints HC 140 1 Mar 2022 32 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
Clear
14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Insufficient focus on professional standards department staffing, culture, and diversity representation
Evidence to our inquiry suggests that insufficient focus is given to the staffing and operation of some professional standards departments including their culture, transparency and ethnic diversity representation.
Government Response
The government recognises the risk of a lack of appropriate representation in professional standards departments and commits to outlining urgent actions regarding ethnic minority staffing disparities in a future response to the Macpherson report.
Home Office
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18 Recommendation Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC must expedite investigations and use reinvestigation powers sparingly and judiciously.
The example of its taking seven years to clear one police officer of misconduct is exceptional, but demonstrates why the IOPC must focus its efforts on concluding investigations as quickly as possible. Quite aside from the effect on an individual’s … Read more
Government Response
The government notes IOPC progress in minimizing investigation delays but agrees more can be done, highlighting revised IOPC guidance for police witnesses. It expresses a desire for improved cooperation from police organizations and mentions wider work on misconduct statistics and the Angiolini Inquiry.
Home Office
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19 Conclusion Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Unsatisfactory blame-shifting and lack of officer cooperation impede effective investigations.
It is unsatisfactory and unedifying to hear policing organisations blame the IOPC for delay while the IOPC suggests officers may drag their heels in cooperating with investigations. Nor is it wholly sufficient for Chief Constable Guildford to suggest Police Conduct … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the issue of delays and cooperation, noting the IOPC's efforts, including revised guidance for witnesses. It expresses disappointment with the Police Federation's stance but looks forward to working with police forces to improve cooperation.
Home Office
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21 Recommendation Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC and police forces must strengthen efforts to minimise delays and ensure accountability.
The IOPC must use its powers effectively to minimise delays to investigations at an early stage of the process. It should proactively call to account those responsible for delays or who refuse to co-operate with investigations. Police forces, individual officers … Read more
Government Response
The government notes IOPC progress on minimizing delays and agrees more can be done, highlighting IOPC's revised guidance for police witnesses and the College of Policing's review of the Code of Ethics to promote challenging bad behavior. It also references the Angiolini Inquiry for wider policing matters.
Home Office
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22 Recommendation Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Require Government to ensure timely IOPC investigations and consider stronger guidance.
The progress the IOPC has made in clearing 91% of its core investigations within 12 months is welcome and must be maintained. While there are risks in setting time targets for investigations (not least the incentive for those under investigation … Read more
Government Response
The government notes the IOPC's progress in minimizing investigation delays and their revised guidance for police witnesses. It agrees that further work on end-to-end system timeliness is needed and would welcome Home Office leadership on this issue, but does not commit to stronger governmental guidance on inquiry lengths.
Home Office
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24 Conclusion Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Home Office pledge to broaden super-complaints designated bodies is welcomed.
We welcome the super-complaints process and are encouraged by the Home Office’s pledge to review the designated bodies that can submit super-complaints on systemic issues in policing to include a broader range of organisations, including disability organisations. Read more
Government Response
The government notes and expresses pleasure regarding the Committee's positive comments on the February 2020 reforms and its encouragement for the Home Office's pledge to review designated super-complaint bodies.
Home Office
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30 Recommendation Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Review and centrally publish IOPC, HMICFRS, and Coroners' learning recommendations data.
We urge the Government to review how IOPC, HMICFRS, and Coroners’ learning recommendations are reported to the public in a more joined-up and meaningful way. We recommend that data be published centrally, in order to simplify and streamline access to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees there is a case for greater coordination and clarification on learning recommendations and will consider the proposal for central publication further, exploring possible join-up with IOPC and other bodies.
Home Office
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32 Conclusion Acknowledged
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Persistent concerns regarding delays, complexity, and inconsistency in police investigations.
It is troubling, nine years on from the Committee’s last report on this topic, that concerns are still raised about delays to investigations that detrimentally affect people’s lives, about complexity of language and processes, and about inconsistency in updating and … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Committee's concerns about delays, complexity, and inconsistency in the police complaints system, highlighting ongoing efforts and initiatives to address these issues, including the Angiolini Inquiry.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 32 of 15 classified
Accepted 13
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 8
Deferred 9
Rejected 1
Total 15 recs + 17 conclusions
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