Police investigation urgency
Clear absence of urgency and a culture of non-cooperation from some police forces involved in investigations.
116 items
9 sources
2 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Police investigation urgency has been flagged across 9 independent accountability sources:
2 inquiry recs
32 PFD reports
12 committee recs
35 HMICFRS recs
1 PPO rec
7 IOPC recs
3 IMB recs
1 Article 2 learning point
23 LGO/SPSO decisions
When the same issue appears across inquiries, coroner reports, and regulators independently, it indicates a recurring issue across the public record.
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry Recommendations (2)
SP6 — Police use of unarmed officers in immediate threat
Recommendation: All police forces should ensure that their policies, guidance and training address taking on a calculated degree of risk in recognition of the immediate need to protect the public from an obvious risk to life. This may involve the decision …
Response Pending
LAMI-92 — Ensure prompt, efficient investigation of child victim crimes to adult standards.
Recommendation: Chief constables must ensure that crimes involving a child victim are dealt with promptly and efficiently, and to the same standard as equivalent crimes against adults.
Unknown
PFD Reports (32)
Stephen Ward
Concerns: The mental health crisis team lacked a clear protocol for following up with police after requesting a welfare check, leading to delays when police did not respond.
Response (Camden Islington NHS Trust): Response is blank.
Responded
Michael Thorley
Concerns: There was an inexcusable delay in emergency entry and a lack of clear policy for forced entry. Police failed to thoroughly investigate the scene, overlooked crucial evidence, and did not consider potential third-party involvement, compromising the investigation.
Response (Greater Manchester Police): Greater Manchester Police has provided feedback and management advice to the officers concerned. The officer who attended is to remain on an action development plan to be managed by their …
Responded
Yvonne Davies and Andrew Davies
Concerns: An off-duty police officer, personally involved with the deceased, compromised the crime scene by breaking in and contaminating evidence before and after on-duty officers arrived, who then failed to secure the scene.
Overdue
Ronald Laidiar
Concerns: The police investigation was severely inadequate, failing to secure the scene, account for missing items, properly investigate the source of blood, or identify a key head injury, significantly raising the risk of undetected violent crime.
Overdue
William Nute
Concerns: Delays in emergency service attendance and patient transfer, coupled with inadequate 999 call triage and police notification, led to an unmanaged incident scene and increased risk of death.
Response (South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust): South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides context on the ambulance delay and describes the NHS England Ambulance Response Programme (ARP), a clinically led review of call coding systems being …
Overdue
Mark Berry
Concerns: Hospital staff delayed police notification of a suspicious death due to procedural confusion. Additionally, ambulance handover and private ambulance communication lacked critical patient location details, hindering investigation.
Overdue
Keiron Bould
Concerns: Lack of clear communication protocols between police forces regarding incident primacy and case transfers led to significant delays in handling a missing person report.
Response (Warwickshire Police): Warwickshire Police has updated its working practice guidance to require call handlers to follow up a transfer of a missing person report to another force with a telephone call to …
Overdue
Jason Gregory
Concerns: Citywatch radio reports of serious disturbances are not being relayed to police in a timely manner, risking delayed emergency response and a lack of clear protocols for licensed security staff.
Overdue
Kay Martin
Concerns: A perpetrator of domestic abuse was not subject to any police bail conditions or restrictions for over a month, leaving the victim unprotected and at severe risk.
Response (Home Office): The Home Office has coordinated the implementation of several actions, including the NPCC publishing operational guidance on domestic abuse and high harm cases. HMICFRS are also inspecting all forces on …
Responded
Karen Burns
Concerns: Police resources are critically insufficient, leading to incorrect call grading and leaving numerous P2 and P3 calls unanswered due to high demand for priority incidents.
Response (West MIdlands Police): West Midlands Police has reviewed its call handling procedures, including providing additional training, instituting a "Log Closure Doctrine", reducing the number of logs held by each dispatcher, changing the dispatch …
Response (Home Office): The Home Office will ask officials to contact West Midlands Police to identify if any remedial or additional measures need to be put in place to ensure calls are handled …
Response (West MIdlands Police and Crime Commissioner): West Midlands Police accepted that the 101 call was incorrectly graded and has discussed this with the staff member in question, and has promised additional training for all control room …
Responded
Katrina O’Hara
Concerns: Outdated police policy led to a high-risk 999 call being downgraded, and officers failed to recognise the increased danger to the victim when the perpetrator expressed suicidal intent. The victim was also left without a replacement phone after hers was seized for evidence.
Response (National Police Chiefs Council): The NPCC has undertaken a major refresh of the National Contact Management Strategy since 2015, with revised principles and practice that cover the issue of inappropriate channel selection. The report …
Response (Crime Policing and Fire Service): The Home Office is working to pilot and evaluate approaches to identifying and tackling high risk offenders, including adding suicide indicators to the list of potential risk indicators. Work is …
Responded
Sarah Young
Concerns: A significant delay in obtaining a neurological opinion and a failure of the medical team to review the patient in ED, exacerbated by unreliable referral systems, led to a delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Overdue
Hannah Beardshaw
Concerns: Police response was critically delayed by nearly four hours due to escalation failures, compounded by a lack of readily available entry equipment and poor document management practices.
Response (Greater Manchester Police): GMP has revisited its Graded Response Policy (GRP), implementing a new GRP on 1 February 2022 using the THRIVE framework for risk assessment. They are also implementing a new IT …
Response (Independent Office for Police Conduct): The IOPC acknowledges the report and highlights its power to make organisational learning recommendations to relevant bodies. They state that GMP has a legal obligation to respond to the recommendations …
Responded
Christopher Boughton
Concerns: A lack of communication and clear ownership between bordering police forces hindered effective tasking and transfer of investigations, resulting in search requests being mismanaged and crucial information not being disclosed.
Response (National Police Chiefs' Council): The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) highlights existing APP guidance on cross-border cases and states that a Task and Finishing Group has developed draft NPCC advice on ‘Requesting Missing Person …
Responded
Angeline Phillips
Concerns: The provided text only states that police incident response policy governs priority and response times, without detailing any specific concerns or failures related to this policy.
Response (Greater Manchester Police): GMP reviewed and implemented its Incident Response Policy (IRP) in Feb 2022 incorporating the THRIVE risk assessment approach. All FCC officers and staff received training on the IRP and THRIVE, …
Responded
Sean Duignan
Concerns: Severe security failures at the police armoury included a chronically failing access system, a widely known override PIN, and incorrect single access permissions, allowing unauthorized access to weapons.
Response (HMICFRS): HMICFRS will ensure the College of Policing and NPCC issue a national circular by March 31, 2023, addressing lessons learned and requesting a review of armoury access procedures, and will …
Response (Bedfordshire Police): Bedfordshire Police has already commissioned a review of armoury access, rectified incorrect access levels, restricted single access, introduced mandatory training, installed additional security measures, completed an ICT system upgrade, and …
Response (HMICFRS): HMICFRS reviewed Bedfordshire Police's armoury processes, finding progress in regulating and controlling access, including new systems and technology, and improved security measures at the new Luton firearms base; the number …
Responded
Stevyn Carr
Concerns: Inappropriate grading of vulnerable person incidents and severe lack of police resources led to significant delays in response and oversight, failing to provide timely assistance.
Response (Northumbria Police): Northumbria Police details several improvements since November 2021, including reduced call answering times, faster response times for incidents, and better identification of vulnerable victims through THRIVE assessments. They also highlight …
Responded
Jonathan Shaw
Concerns: UK Border Force lacks legal powers and national guidance to effectively seize or manage consignments of substances ordered for self-harm, with no mandatory notification or welfare checks before release.
Response (Home Office): The Home Office is actively exploring legislative and policy options regarding Border Force powers to seize substances used for suicide, and will engage across government to highlight the issue; the …
Overdue
Neil Woodley
Concerns: Failures in communication between police forces led to a significant delay in conducting a welfare check, raising concerns about avoidable fatalities in future cases.
Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The Metropolitan Police Service will deliver learning to staff and officers highlighting the importance of strict location sharing and compliance with standard operating procedures.
Response (Surrey Police): Surrey Police reviewed records of calls and concluded that calls were handled correctly and promptly passed to the MPS. They agree with MPS that there was no failure in communication …
Responded
Michael Crane
Concerns: Police officers lacked guidance on using Mental Health Act powers and managing individuals likely missing but not officially reported, hindering their ability to ensure safety in critical situations.
Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The MPS runs a scenario based approach to Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST), focusing on different interactions an officer is likely to face in the course of their day …
Response (Prime Life): Prime Life has reviewed its missing person policy and has provided additional training to the staff and management at Island Place in order to ensure that they have clear guidance …
Responded
Sebastian ‘Benji’ Oliver
Concerns: Police inappropriately closed a "safe and well" check based on an outdated capacity assessment, demonstrating shortcomings in training and communication with paramedics regarding patients with fluctuating capacity who abscond from treatment.
Response (West Midlands Police): West Midlands Police have taken several actions including: implementing a new THRIVE+ risk assessment, adding a prompt regarding mental health capacity, creating a prompt to evidence rationale for clinical decision …
Responded
Oladeji Omishore
Concerns: Police dispatch failed to relay crucial mental health information to responding officers via airwaves, leading to an initial lack of consideration for the individual's mental health state during interaction.
Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The Metropolitan Police is updating training for call handlers to ensure mental health information is included in remarks, reviewing policy on amending the "golden line" to include mental health, updating …
Overdue
Barry Spooner
Concerns: Inadequate information sharing by police with Adult Social Care means prior public protection notices are not consistently provided, hindering full risk assessment and decision-making for vulnerable individuals.
Response (Nottinghamshire Police): Nottinghamshire Police will be amending their information sharing processes so that PPNs considered suitable for referral to adult social care will be accompanied by PPNs from the previous 12 months …
Responded
Kaine Fletcher
Concerns: A critical lack of shared understanding and adherence between emergency services regarding local policies and working standards for Section 136 detentions creates significant risks for vulnerable individuals.
Response (Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Police): • Nottinghamshire Police has implemented the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Multi-Agency Policy & Procedure Review Group Memorandum of Understanding: Joint Agency, sections 135 and 136 Mental Health Act 1983 Procedure since …
Response (East Midlands Ambulance Service): • East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) acknowledged the concerns raised regarding the lack of clarity and shared understanding between agencies on the applicable local policy and working standards for s.136 …
Responded
Marie Theobald
Concerns: Delays in a criminal investigation mean a suspect in a fatal road incident is unrestricted, posing a risk of further harm due to the absence of bail conditions or driving disqualification.
Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The Metropolitan Police have reviewed options to limit further offences by the suspect, including Operation Revoke and bail conditions. The Serious Collision Investigation Unit has recruited new detectives to increase …
Responded
Kaine Fletcher
Concerns: Concerns exist about emergency services' reliance on problematic terms like 'ABD', criticized for their potential to perpetuate racial bias and discrimination, despite rejection by psychiatric bodies.
Response (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust): The Trust is providing training for all acute facing mental health staff on ABD in August and October 2025 and signs and symptoms, clinical assessment and escalation processes are now …
Response (College of Policing): The NPCC clinical panel is reviewing existing guidance developed by the Faculty of Legal and Forensic Medicine regarding Acute Behavioural Disturbance. The College of Policing provides the Mental Health Approved …
Response (Department for Health and Social Care): The Department and NHS England are finalising the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Delivery framework to improve delivery of integrated, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental …
Responded
Muhammad Qasim
Concerns: Conflicting interpretations of "spontaneous pursuit" guidance and inadequate police training pose risks. Furthermore, the IOPC's investigation priorities led to the absence of a crucial forensic collision report.
Response (the IOPC): The IOPC will update internal guidance to investigators about securing full Forensic Collision Investigation Reports, including early contact with the Coroner, and will update internal written guidance within six weeks.
Response (the College of Policing): The College of Policing will amend the Police Pursuit APP to replace 'spontaneous pursuit' with clearer guidance aligned with the National Decision Model, aiming to publish revised guidance by December …
Responded
Khalif Mohammed
Concerns: West Midlands Police experienced significant delays in allocating officers to a priority case due to insufficient resources, posing a risk of future deaths.
Response (Home Office): The Home Office acknowledges the concerns and outlines government funding provided to West Midlands Police. Decisions around resourcing are the responsibility of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable.
Responded
Jake Girton
Concerns: Police failed to inform the hospital of a patient's release from custody, hindering mental health support efforts. The Metropolitan Police Service also showed no evidence of identifying shortcomings or implementing remediation.
Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The MPS expresses condolences and acknowledges the concerns. However, they dispute the coroner's view that the failure to update the facility was a conduct/performance/learning matter, stating that the DSI review …
Responded
Georgia Barter
Concerns: Frontline police officers face difficulty accessing the Police National Database for domestic abuse history across different force areas, hindering proactive identification and intervention for victims.
Response (Home Office): The Home Office describes the Police National Database and its use, noting it is a top priority to tackle violence against women and girls and highlighting the new National Policing …
Responded
Brian Davies
Concerns: The investigation into a domestic explosion was compromised by police disposing of critical debris. There was no understanding of evidence preservation or protocol between police and HSE for such events.
Response (Health and Safety Executive): The HSE will raise the coroner's concerns at an upcoming WRDP National Liaison Committee (NLC) meeting, recommending refresher communications to signatory organizations, providing an update on national training material for …
Response (South Wales Police): South Wales Police will raise the coroner's concerns with the National Liaison Committee regarding the Work Related Death Protocol and collaborate with the HSE and other signatories to ensure any …
Responded
Heidi Williams
Concerns: Evidence showed the deceased ordered numerous tablets from an individual linked to known addresses, but Essex Police have refused Northamptonshire Police's request to investigate the matter.
Response (Essex Police): Essex Police is now investigating the alleged drug supply, led by the Serious Violence Unit, and intends to take enforcement action including arrests and searches. They will also update the …
Responded
Committee Recommendations (12)
#19 — Unsatisfactory blame-shifting and lack of officer cooperation impede effective investigations.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The Government notes that the IOPC has made good progress in minimising delays to investigations but agrees that there is more that the IOPC can do to ensure their powers are used most effectively. The …
Under Consideration
#16 — Some police forces demonstrate an absence of urgency and non-cooperation in investigations.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The Government strengthened the complaints and discipline systems in February 2020, introducing integrity reforms to improve transparency, accountability and proportionality. The Government welcomes further improvements to the timeliness of, and cooperation within, police misconduct cases—during …
Accepted
#196 — Effective collaboration requires consistent intelligence sharing to disrupt OCG drone operations
Recommendation: Collaboration between HMPPS and law enforcement agencies, such as the National Crime Agency and local police, is critical in identifying and disrupting the OCGs behind drone operations. We are pleased to hear that HMPPS have developed good working relationships with …
Gov response: Partially accept We recognise the serious threat posed by Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) seeking to compromise prison security through drone incursions and illicit mobile phones and we agree that strong partnerships and intelligence-sharing are …
Partially Accepted
#190 — Employ dedicated intelligence-sharing protocols and joint task forces against organised drone and phone gangs
Recommendation: While current partnerships with police and the National Crime Agency aimed at tackling drone incursions are positive, they are not sufficient. The MoJ and HMPPS must employ dedicated intelligence-sharing protocols and joint task forces to specifically target the organised criminal …
Gov response: Partially accept We recognise the serious threat posed by Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) seeking to compromise prison security through drone incursions and illicit mobile phones and we agree that strong partnerships and intelligence-sharing are …
Partially Accepted
#21 — IOPC and police forces must strengthen efforts to minimise delays and ensure accountability.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The Government notes that the IOPC has made good progress in minimising delays to investigations but agrees that there is more that the IOPC can do to ensure their powers are used most effectively. The …
Under Consideration
#18 — IOPC must expedite investigations and use reinvestigation powers sparingly and judiciously.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The Government notes that the IOPC has made good progress in minimising delays to investigations but agrees that there is more that the IOPC can do to ensure their powers are used most effectively. The …
Under Consideration
#50 — Modern slavery prosecution and conviction rates remain unacceptably low despite legislation.
Recommendation: Despite legislative provisions being in place since 2015, prosecution and convictions rates are still comparatively low across the UK. This is unacceptable.
Gov response: In recent years the Government has tightened legislation to ensure that we have a robust system which supports genuine victims and reduces the opportunity for misuse. In the New Plan for Immigration the Government committed …
Accepted
#33 — Police prioritisation of human trafficking and modern slavery offences remains unclear.
Recommendation: The National Crime Agency recognises Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery as a national threat; in consequence it should be a national priority. Yet it remains unclear the extent to which police forces prioritise the detection and investigation of human trafficking …
Gov response: 34. As the Prime Minister has made clear, current levels of migration to the UK are too high. There were 335,447 work visas granted to main applicants in the year ending September 2023, 35% higher …
Under Consideration
#32 — Accelerate efforts to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate human trafficking and modern slavery cases.
Recommendation: Criminal justice practitioners, including the police in England and Wales, the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service, must urgently review and then accelerate and scale up their efforts to investigate, prosecute and effectively adjudicate human trafficking and modern slavery …
Gov response: 119. The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to pursue and prosecute those who seek to exploit others through modern slavery. As the Committee acknowledges, the criminal justice system faces competing resource demands, which is …
Under Consideration
#22 — Require Government to ensure timely IOPC investigations and consider stronger guidance.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The Government notes that the IOPC has made good progress in minimising delays to investigations but agrees that there is more that the IOPC can do to ensure their powers are used most effectively. The …
Under Consideration
#17 — The statutory and regulatory frameworks require full utilisation for fair officer sanctions.
Recommendation: 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
Gov response: The Government strengthened the complaints and discipline systems in February 2020, introducing integrity reforms to improve transparency, accountability and proportionality. The Government welcomes further improvements to the timeliness of, and cooperation within, police misconduct cases—during …
Accepted
#47 — Commit funding for more financial investigators in local Trading Standards and police forces.
Recommendation: The Government must recognise the rising presence of organised crime groups and serious criminality on the UK’s high streets and commit to funding more financial investigators in local Trading Standards services and police forces. (Recommendation, Paragraph 167)
Response Pending
HMICFRS Recommendations (35)
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it responds to calls from the public. Recommendation: Within three months, Surrey Police should reduce the number of non-emergency calls that the caller abandons because they are not answered.
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it responds to calls from the public. Recommendation: Within three months, Surrey Police should improve its ability to answer emergency calls quickly enough.
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Lincolnshire Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to attend calls for service in line with its published target attendance times. Recommendation: Within six months from the date of publication of this letter, Lincolnshire Police should have escalation processes in place to …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Devon and Cornwall Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve the time it takes to answer non-emergency calls Recommendation: Within three months, Devon and Cornwall Police should review its governance, oversight and data processes to understand why the rate of abandoned calls …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Devon and Cornwall Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve the time it takes to answer non-emergency calls Recommendation: Within three months, Devon and Cornwall Police should improve its processes for answering non-emergency calls so that it answers them without unnecessary delay
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Warwickshire Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how quickly it attends incidents. Recommendation: Within six months, Warwickshire Police should make sure that where there are unavoidable delays, it updates victims and risk assessments.
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Warwickshire Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how quickly it attends incidents. Recommendation: Within six months, Warwickshire Police should attend calls for service in line with the targets it has published
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Sussex Police
Cause of concern: Sussex Police is failing to manage risk effectively. In the force control room, some vulnerable victims are left without police attendance for considerable periods of time. Some victims may not be getting through to the police at …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Sussex Police
Cause of concern: Sussex Police is failing to manage risk effectively. In the force control room, some vulnerable victims are left without police attendance for considerable periods of time. Some victims may not be getting through to the police at …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Sussex Police
Cause of concern: Sussex Police is failing to manage risk effectively. In the force control room, some vulnerable victims are left without police attendance for considerable periods of time. Some victims may not be getting through to the police at …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Police
Cause of concern: The force’s response to incidents needs to improve. Recommendation: Within six months, Surrey Police should attend calls for service in line with its own published attendance times.
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Northumbria Police
Cause of concern: The force’s ability to assess vulnerability when victims first make contact, and the timeliness of the response they receive, are causes of concern. Northumbria Police needs to be certain that there are officers available to respond to …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Metropolitan Police Service
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it answers calls for service and how it identifies vulnerability at the first point of contact. Recommendation: Within nine months the force should make sure emergency calls made to the force …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Lincolnshire Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to attend calls for service in line with its published target attendance times. Recommendation: Within six months from the date of publication of this letter, Lincolnshire Police should make sure it effectively supervises deployment …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Lincolnshire Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to attend calls for service in line with its published target attendance times. Recommendation: Within six months from the date of publication of this letter, Lincolnshire Police should attend calls for service in line …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Gwent Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it answers calls for service, identifies vulnerability at first point of contact and attends incidents within its published time frames. Recommendation: Within six months, Gwent Police should attend most calls within …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Cleveland Police
Cause of concern: Cleveland Police is failing to respond appropriately to vulnerable people, including children. It is missing opportunities to safeguard them and is exposing them to risk. Recommendation: The force must take immediate action to ensure that: • it …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cause of concern: The constabulary needs to improve how quickly it attends incidents Recommendation: Within six months, Cambridgeshire Constabulary should attend calls for service in line with the targets it publicly promises to meet
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Sussex Police
Cause of concern: Sussex Police is failing to manage risk effectively. In the force control room, some vulnerable victims are left without police attendance for considerable periods of time. Some victims may not be getting through to the police at …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Northamptonshire Police
Cause of concern: The force can’t manage current demand effectively. It doesn’t have enough capacity or capability to investigate crime as effectively as it should. This is affecting the service too often. Northamptonshire Police is failing to respond appropriately to …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Greater Manchester Police
Cause of concern: The force does not investigate crime, supervise investigations or update victims to an acceptable standard. Recommendation: Greater Manchester Police should, within three months, make sure that investigations are actively and regularly supervised to check progress and to …
Recommendation
An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by Greater …
Cause of concern: The force is failing to make sure it correctly records all reported crimes, particularly violent crime, including domestic abuse behavioural crimes such as harassment, stalking and coercive controlling behaviour. So these crimes are often not investigated and …
Recommendation
An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by Greater …
Cause of concern: The force is inappropriately concluding crime investigations with cautions and community resolutions that aren’t appropriate and in which it doesn’t consult the victim. The force is also recording that victims are not supporting or are withdrawing support …
Recommendation
An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by Greater …
Cause of concern: The force is failing to make sure investigation plans are always completed to an acceptable standard and not adequately supervising investigations. This leads to poor standards of some investigations, a lack of timely progression of investigations and …
Recommendation
An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by Greater …
Cause of concern: The force is inappropriately concluding crime investigations with cautions and community resolutions that aren’t appropriate and in which it doesn’t consult the victim. The force is also recording that victims are not supporting or are withdrawing support …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Devon and Cornwall Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to make sure it carries out effective investigations that lead to satisfactory results for victims Recommendation: Within six months, Devon and Cornwall Police should make sure investigations are carried out without unnecessary delays
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: West Midlands Police
Cause of concern: The force doesn’t manage the risk posed by online child abuse offenders effectively. Recommendation: Immediately, West Midlands Police should make sure that it addresses the backlog of cases awaiting assessment by the online child sexual exploitation team, …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: West Midlands Police
Cause of concern: The force doesn’t manage the risk posed by online child abuse offenders effectively. Recommendation: Immediately, West Midlands Police should make sure that the speed and nature of the enforcement action it takes reflects risks and reduces the …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Sussex Police
Cause of concern: Non-emergency callers often have to wait in a queue or for a call-back, and call handlers frequently fail to use a structured approach to assess their risk or vulnerability Recommendation: Within six months the force should make …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Suffolk Constabulary
Cause of concern: The constabulary needs to improve the time it takes to answer emergency and non-emergency calls. Recommendation: Within six months, Suffolk Constabulary should:- make sure it can answer a greater proportion of non-emergency 101 calls so that caller …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Northumbria Police
Cause of concern: The force’s ability to assess vulnerability when victims first make contact, and the timeliness of the response they receive, are causes of concern. Northumbria Police needs to be certain that there are officers available to respond to …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Metropolitan Police Service
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it answers calls for service and how it identifies vulnerability at the first point of contact. Recommendation: Within nine months the force should make sure it can answer a larger proportion …
Recommendation
PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Gwent Police
Cause of concern: The force needs to improve how it answers calls for service, identifies vulnerability at first point of contact and attends incidents within its published time frames. Recommendation: Within six months, Gwent Police should make sure it can …
Recommendation
PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Greater Manchester Police
Cause of concern: Greater Manchester Police is failing to respond appropriately to some people who are vulnerable and at risk. This means that it is missing some opportunities to safeguard victims and secure evidence at the scene and victims are …
Recommendation
PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Police
Cause of concern: The force’s response to incidents needs to improve. Recommendation: Within six months, Surrey Police should make sure that repeat callers are routinely identified by call handlers.
Recommendation
PPO Death in Custody Recommendations (1)
IOPC Learning Recommendations (7)
Recommendations - Gloucestershire Constabulary, March 2025
The IOPC recommends that Gloucestershire Constabulary should ensure that opportunities to detect and disrupt crime should be taken without delay, and that where appropriate, substantive matters should be subject to charge at the earliest opportunity notwithstanding that other matters in …
Operation Linden recommendations - South Yorkshire Police and College of Policing, November …
The IOPC recommends that South Yorkshire Police continues to improve processes that enable SYP and partner agencies to better collaborate so that information that should be available and considered by everyone is effectively shared, understood and acted upon in a …
Excessive force alleged during son's arrest - Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, March …
The IOPC recommends that Devon and Cornwall Police should take steps to ensure Exeter officers are aware of their duty of cooperation during IOPC investigations. This follows an investigation in which IOPC investigators were met with delays in obtaining statements …
Recommendations - Gloucestershire Constabulary, March 2025
The IOPC recommends that Gloucestershire Constabulary should implement a new process by which requested intelligence markers are processed and become active. A presumption should exist that reported intelligence markers are required to be visible urgently, and therefore a system to …
Recommendations - Gloucestershire Constabulary, March 2025
The IOPC recommends the following to Gloucestershire Constabulary in respect of the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT): This recommendation has arisen following an independent investigation into a longstanding neighbour dispute that sadly resulted in murder. Following the investigation, it was established …
Recommendations - Gloucestershire Constabulary, March 2025
The IOPC recommends that Gloucestershire Constabulary should create a standard operating procedure which outlines how response officers and the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) work together in circumstances when a deployment occurs to an incident which is in the context of …
Police contact with woman prior to her death - Metropolitan Police Service, …
1) The IOPC recommends the Metropolitan Police reminds officers of the following crime reporting requirements, importance, and responsibilities to:(i) record allegations of crime reported directly to them(ii) record counter allegations on separate crime reports. This follows an IOPC investigation following …
IMB Recommendations (3)
Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (2020)
The Home Office should support the Contractor in achieving the cooperation of the Police in responding to incidents in a timelier manner.
Home Office
Wetherby (2022)
Can the Minister reassure the Board, and the wider society, that serious and violent crime remains a priority for the Government and other agencies? How will the outcomes of any initiatives be reviewed?
Ministry of Justice
Wetherby (2020)
Increasing numbers of YP are charged with violent offences and are placed in custody, either sentenced or on remand. What is being done at a national level to reduce the levels of violence among YP?
Ministry of Justice
LGO / SPSO Decisions (23)
25-012-172 — Dacorum Borough Council
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
22-001-413 — East Suffolk Council
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that a neighbour has for many years blocked a shared drive with a vehicle which prevents her from using the drive. The Council’s offer of mediation is a reasonable way forward. Ms X complains late about earlier years.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
May 2022
25-011-840 — London Borough of Merton
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
PSOW-202207992 — Cardiff Council
Ms C complained that Cardiff Council failed to explain why it felt it was appropriate to house a convicted sex offender across the hall from her as a single mother with a young daughter. The Ombudsman found that it was South Wales Police who assessed the property and deemed it …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Apr 2023
21-007-007 — Ashfield District Council
Summary: There is no fault in the Council’s handling of Mrs Y’s reports about nuisance and anti-social behaviour from a nearby football club. The Council has investigated the reports before making a professional judgement that they do not reach the threshold for formal notices. We cannot interfere with the merits …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Not Upheld
Feb 2022
22-001-902 — Hastings Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused to carry out enforcement action against his neighbour for their high hedge. The Council was at fault for failing to record its decision to prioritise which planning and enforcement cases it considers and for failing to update its website to alert residents to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Sep 2022
22-010-141 — Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of reports of neighbour anti-social behaviour (ASB). This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Nov 2022
22-004-658 — London Borough of Croydon
Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to follow proper process in considering her request for a Community Trigger. There were failings in the Community Trigger process which amount to fault. This fault has caused Miss X an injustice.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Nov 2022
23-020-323 — Three Rivers District Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to serve a legal notice requiring him to reduce the height of a hedge. He can appeal the notice to the Planning Inspectorate.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
May 2024
23-020-271 — East Suffolk Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with noise from a neighbour. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and because the complaint is made late.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
May 2024
24-000-560 — Herefordshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in sending Ms X a letter advising her it had received a complaint about noise nuisance from dog barking. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jun 2024
24-015-169 — Torbay Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about an unauthorised encampment. This is there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating and any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Apr 2025
24-008-857 — Teignbridge District Council
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to act on her reports of anti-social behaviour because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Apr 2025
25-005-494 — Charnwood Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about events around the Council issuing a community protection warning. This is mainly because any injustice is unlikely to be significant enough to justify our involvement.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Aug 2025
25-004-143 — Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about comments made by a Council officer about Mr X’s request for an anti-social behaviour case review. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to find fault with the Council’s actions.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Aug 2025
25-004-506 — Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about suffering light pollution. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Sep 2025
24-010-988 — London Borough of Redbridge
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with his reports of a noise nuisance at a nearby school. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Oct 2025
25-000-852 — Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to take sufficient action over noise nuisance from a barking dog. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jul 2025
24-023-213 — Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint the Council failed to take appropriate action to investigate her reports of anti-social behaviour from her neighbours. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jul 2025
24-022-546 — London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to reinstate a sign to prevent children from playing ball games in the green space near his home. This is because it would not lead to a different outcome and the injustice is not significant enough to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Oct 2025
25-001-786 — Torridge District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to take enforcement action against Mr X’s neighbour for feeding wild birds in his garden. This is because an investigation is unlikely to find fault, and it is unlikely we could add to the response provided by the Council’s …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Oct 2025
24-001-777 — Burnley Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Ms X’s complaint about anti-social behaviour by a neighbour. This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jun 2024
23-021-351 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council responded to reports of light nuisance. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jun 2024