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
9 results
Clear
3 Conclusion Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC should widen investigator pool to include candidates with non-police investigative experience.
The question arose during our inquiry whether the IOPC should be staffed by investigators who were not former police officers. Opinion divided on whether those who had served in the police should be excluded for potentially ‘marking their own homework’ … Read more
Government Response
The government stated it would not prescribe how police funding should be spent or how local decisions should be taken, referring instead to the overall police funding settlement and the role of Police and Crime Commissioners in ensuring a robust complaints system, thereby deflecting from the specific recommendation about widening the IOPC's investigator candidate pool.
Home Office
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4 Conclusion Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Many complainants remain unsatisfied with police and IOPC investigations into officer misconduct and sanctions applied.
Each complaint has unique features, and we have heard from a significant number of people whose dealings with police forces, the IOPC or its predecessor have left them unsatisfied with the investigation of their complaints or the level of sanction … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed on the need for transparency but is not minded to prescribe new legal formats, deferring to existing frameworks and the independence of bodies like the IOPC, police, and CPS. It noted work already underway by these bodies and committed to keep the recommendation under review.
Home Office
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5 Conclusion Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Operation Midland failures reveal urgent need for robust police complaints system accountability.
The sorry story of Operation Midland and subsequent inquiries into how it was conducted demonstrates why a robust complaints and conduct system is necessary if the public is to be confident that police officers behave properly and will be held … Read more
Government Response
The government largely highlighted its past actions, such as 2020 reforms to strengthen accountability and improvements to data collection. It stated its intention to provide a full and detailed response, including concrete actions, to the Committee's separate report on Macpherson in May.
Home Office
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6 Recommendation Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Appoint an independent chair alongside the IOPC director general to restore checks and balances
It has been argued that uniting the roles of chair and director general of the IOPC aids clearer decision-making and action. We disagree. This is not normal practice and it detracts from the ability properly to scrutinise the executive action … Read more
Government Response
The government did not address the recommendation to appoint an independent chair alongside the IOPC director general. Instead, it discussed risks related to representation in Police Standards Departments and stated it would outline actions on ethnic minority staffing in PSDs in its response to the Macpherson report.
Home Office
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10 Recommendation Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Fund PCCs adequately to implement Models 2 or 3 for complaint-handling roles
We urge the Government to fund PCCs adequately to take on Models 2 or 3 as a minimum requirement in their complaint-handling roles. This will provide PCCs the opportunity to work more closely with their forces, for example, to record … Read more
Government Response
The government did not commit to funding PCCs for specific complaint-handling models or systematic monitoring. Instead, it committed to updating the police super-complaints website to clarify collaboration between designated and non-designated bodies.
Home Office
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11 Conclusion Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Police complaints system language remains overly complex, reducing public confidence
The Government’s recent changes to the police complaints and discipline systems were intended to simplify and speed up the process. Nonetheless, the language used to explain systems to members of the public who wish to make complaints remains too complex … Read more
Government Response
The government largely deflected by detailing the IOPC's ongoing efforts to uphold confidence, improve transparency, and engage with stakeholders. It also highlighted the IOPC's new Strategy 2, which will focus even more on increasing public confidence in the complaints system.
Home Office
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13 Recommendation Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Urge Home Secretary to respond promptly to the Macpherson report findings
More than six months on from its publication, the Home Office has not yet responded to our report on Macpherson and has given no indication of when it will respond. We urge the Home Secretary to respond to that Report.
Government Response
The government did not commit to responding to the Macpherson report. Instead, it agreed there is a case for greater coordination of recommendations from different bodies and committed to considering this proposal further, including how to better track progress against IOPC recommendations.
Home Office
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28 Conclusion Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
IOPC learning recommendations to police forces lack effective follow-up monitoring.
We are concerned that IOPC learning recommendations made to police forces across England and Wales to improve policies and practice in the handling of police complaints are not monitored for follow-up action. We have heard of a lack of clarity … Read more
Government Response
The government notes existing requirements for published IOPC recommendations and force responses, and commits to considering, with the IOPC, how to further track and report on progress by forces in implementing these recommendations.
Home Office
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29 Recommendation Deferred
Sixth Report - Police Conduct and …
Require Government to monitor and review accountability for implementing IOPC recommendations bi-annually.
We recommend that the Government monitor and review bi-annually how effectively local policing bodies are holding their chief constables accountable for implementing IOPC recommendations to their forces, and report the outcomes to us.
Government Response
The government will consider, in conjunction with the IOPC, how to go further in tracking and reporting on forces' implementation of IOPC recommendations, but does not commit to the recommended bi-annual monitoring by local policing bodies or reporting to the committee.
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