Complaints taken out of police hands

Police forces will no longer manage public complaints made against their own officers, the Home Secretary announced today.

Theresa May said that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will now handle citizens’ complaints, instead of forces, in a bid to increase transparency.

Overall, the number of complaints against the police has risen from 22,898 in 2004/05 to 34,863 in 2013/14.

However, the majority of people unhappy with the police choose not to complain. In 2012/13, a total of 89 per cent of those dissatisfied with the police did not complain, up 2 per cent on 2006/07.

Theresa May, said: “The vast majority of police officers do their job honestly and with integrity. But the good work of the majority threatens to be damaged by police misconduct.

“This consultation represents an important part of our radical programme of police reform.”