Police section

What is Local Resolution?

If a member of the public is unhappy about the way they have been treated by a police officer or member of police staff they can make a complaint. Sometimes the best way to deal with that complaint is for that person's senior officer or manager to talk with the complainant so they can understand what the complaint is about and take any appropriate action to put things right. The senior officer or manager may also want to take the opportunity to explain about what has happened from the perspective of the police officer or staff member involved.

The IPCC believes strongly that Local Resolution can be a proportionate and effective way of resolving many complaints about both police officers and staff. It is the simplest and most flexible way for people to tell the police what happened and find out why it happened.

Why the IPCC, Police Federation, UNISON and PCS support Local Resolution?

The IPCC, Police Federation, UNISON and the PCS supports the use of Local Resolution as an opportunity to resolve police complaints avoiding the need for a lengthy formal investigation. Local Resolution is important because half of all complaints are resolved in this way, so most people who handle a complaint will experience this system. If handled in a confident and professional way, Local Resolution will have a positive impact on the community’s views about policing in their area and should increase public confidence and improve communication.

The Police Federation, UNISON and the PCS have worked with the IPCC to produce information on the Local Resolution process and how this can be a more appropriate response for many complaints, particularly complaints about quality of service.  

The IPCC, Police Federation, UNISON and the PCS encourage use of the local resolution website by its staff to find out more about what is involved and to provide input on developing the content of the information available on the website.

For more information about how to email your comments about this website to the IPCC please click this link.

"UNISON, the union for Police Staff, strongly supports the principle of Local Resolution as an effective process for resolving many complaints about police staff and police officers"

Caryl Nobbs, Chair UNISON Police Staff Service Group

What can be locally resolved?

Some complaints are too serious to be resolved locally. Local Resolution is considered appropriate only once the police are satisfied that the actions of the police officers or police staff involved should not result in criminal or disciplinary proceedings.

If a complaint is not

suitable for Local Resolution, an officer will be appointed to investigate.

What you can expect from the Local Resolution process.

When a member of the public decides to have their complaint dealt with by Local Resolution they must sign a declaration to confirm that they are happy with the agreed process. Once the agreement has been signed they cannot change their mind or have their complaint dealt with by a different method.

Local Resolution is not part of the formal discipline process. Where a complaint or conduct matter is subject to Local Resolution anything you say about the subject matter of the Local Resolution process cannot be used in any disciplinary proceedings.

With Local Resolution, a formal notice telling you of an allegation and an intention to interview you is not necessary. However, forces should inform police staff and officers that a complaint has been made about them and those involved should then be engaged in the Local Resolution process.

Your supervisor will usually deal with Local Resolutions and you may be asked to comment on the complaint. Any explanation you give is purely voluntary and this can be passed on to the complainant if you wish. Nobody can apologise on your behalf unless you specifically authorise them to do so. But if you accept all or some of the events detailed in the Complaint and/or have an explanation for your actions and want this to be passed on to the complainant, this can be done.

It is important that both the complainant and the person being complained about are fully aware of the Local Resolution process. Information about what happens at each stage should be communicated clearly to those involved. You should be clear about what Local Resolution is, and what it is not, and about what will happen in response to the complaint.

A complainant has the right to appeal against the Local Resolution process

The information in this section is also available to download as a leaflet: