The report reveals that there was a total of 434 complaints made against the county force in 2014/15, a two percent decrease on the year before. “At the moment, as these figures show, it is too often complex, opaque and unresponsive to complainants and officers”.
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That’s the conclusion after the Independent Police Complaints Commission published the national police complaints statistics.
The overall total meant the number of complaints has jumped 62 per cent over a decade – the highest since the IPCC was created.
The IPCC upheld 25 per cent of the appeals made about South Yorkshire Police complaint investigations.
“While the force has one of the lowest number of allegations recorded per 1,000 employees nationally, we recognise there has been an increase in public complaints”.
Another trend showed there were growing numbers of appeals made by the public over the way police forces carry out internal inquiries.
“Chief officers and police and crime commissioners should look closely at the figures for their own forces to satisfy themselves that complainants are being treated fairly and well”.
A few forces investigated more than 70 per cent of complaints, while others used local resolution in more than 70 per cent of cases.
She welcomed Government proposals to simplify the system, saying that at present it “satisfies neither those who need it nor those who have to operate it”.
– In Hampshire, 66% of cases were investigated and 26% were dealt with through local resolution.
IPCC chair Dame Anne Owers said the rise in the volume cases could be because people are “readier and more willing” to complain as well as having “more things to complain about”. Of these, 31,333 allegations were investigated, of which 14% or around 4,386 were upheld.
– The IPCC upheld 27% appeals made about Hampshire Constabulary complaint investigations. On average, it took 83 days for Northamptonshire Police to resolve a complaint.
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– On average, it took 101 days for Hampshire Constabulary to resolve a complaint.
