Hold an Inquiry into the state of the Police Complaints System and role of IOPC

I believe that the current system for investigating police officers is broken and beyond repair.

The system needs to be reviewed and an inquiry into how the system could be amended to ensure that it is fair for all, whilst at the same time being achieved in a timely and expeditious manner.

The system needs overhauled to include (i) Time limits for investigations and 28 day updates (ii) Officers served notices ASAP (iii) Final Reports served on all parties. (iv) Disclosure processes - regulated (v). Replace 23(7) process with a structured review process. (vi) Regulated structure of welfare and support.

This list is not exhaustive The system can be improved to develop & build trust in this system which currently causes pain, stress and anxiety to those who fall under investigation

Police integrity sits at the heart of the British system of policing by consent. Ensuring that the police are held to the highest standards is crucial to public confidence in the police. It is critical that allegations of misconduct are dealt with quickly and effectively, not just for the benefit of the public, but also for officers who have done nothing wrong.

Following extensive reviews of the police complaints and discipline systems, the Government has introduced a number of reforms to date and is committed to completing the delivery of a package of measures designed to overhaul these systems – making them more transparent, efficient and proportionate.

Since 2015, the Government has been implementing a package of reforms set out in the response to the public consultation Improving Police Integrity – a consultation on the proposals resulting from reviews of both the police complaints and discipline systems (the latter conducted by retired Major-General Chapman CB).

These reforms are set out in the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (“the 2017 Act”) and build on Government’s changes in 2015 to make police misconduct hearings fairer and more transparent by requiring them to be held in public with independent legally-qualified chairs. The 2017 Act provides for wide ranging improvements to the system of policing integrity to ensure the discipline and complaints systems are more customer-focused, more efficient and proportionate.

The Government has implemented changes to extend the discipline system to officers who have left the service and introduced the police barred list (both in December 2017) and, in January 2018, implemented reforms to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) – creating the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).