Frequently asked questions about complaints
Complaint FAQ's below
Appeal FAQ's
Below you will find the most frequently asked questions and answers you may have about the complaints process, both before you make a complaint and once you have submitted one.
Click on a question below to see the answer.
These FAQs can also be downloaded as pdfs.
Before I make my complaint:
My complaint has been passed to the police. What happens now?
Before I make my complaint
Can I arrange an interview with the IPCC to make my complaint?
We are sorry but the IPCC does not have the facilities to offer face-to-face interviews.
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I have a disability. What services can the IPCC provide me when making a complaint?
The IPCC endeavours to provide a service tailored to meet the needs of the complainant. If you have a specific requirement, please contact the IPCC to discuss how it can help you.
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Can I make a complaint in a language other than English?
Yes. The IPCC also provides its main leaflets in different languages and formats. Visit the Languages other than English section of this website or contact the IPCC for further information.
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Is there a time limit on making a complaint?
There is no time limit on making a complaint but it is advisable to make a complaint as quickly as possible after the incident/s have occurred. If more than 12 months have passed between the latest incident occurring and the date when the complaint is made, and there is no good reason for the delay, then the Professional Standards Department of the police force concerned may not consider your complaint.
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How long will my complaint take to deal with?
There is no limit on the length of an investigation; however the IPCC expects that any investigation should be proportionate to the nature of the complaint. Once a complaint is assigned to an investigator they should be able to indicate how long a complaint investigation is likely to take. Unless alternative arrangements have been made you should be provided with an update on the progress of your complaint at least once every 28 days.
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Can the IPCC help me make a financial claim against the police?
No, the remit of the IPCC does not allow for claims for compensation from the police. If you want to pursue any financial claims against the police, you should write to the chief constable of the police force concerned or to the force solicitor. For further advice the IPCC recommends you contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or seek legal advice.
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Can I make a complaint to the IPCC about a fixed penalty notice/caution/ASBO?
You can complain to the IPCC if you are unhappy with the conduct of an officer or member of police staff or if you feel you were treated badly or unfairly by the police. However this would not remove the fixed penalty. This also applies if you have been issued with a caution or have been issued with an ASBO. The IPCC cannot remove a police caution or contest the caution on your behalf. If you would like to challenge a police caution or fixed penalty, or contest an ASBO you should contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or seek legal advice.
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Can the IPCC remove information on my CRB?
No. The Criminal Records Bureau is an executive agency of the Home Office and does not fall under the jurisdiction of the IPCC. Any disputes regarding the information on your Criminal Record Disclosure should be raised directly with the Criminal Records Bureau. If a Criminal Record Disclosure has been applied for but you are experiencing delays, this should again be addressed directly to the Criminal Records Bureau. The delays may be due to the checking procedures conducted by the local police force but this would also fall outside the jurisdiction of the IPCC, as it is an issue of operational management and not a conduct matter. If your complaint to the Criminal Records Bureau reveals that the local police are responsible for the delay then you may complain to the chief constable of the police force concerned or the local police authority.
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The police have not properly investigated a crime I reported, what can the IPCC do?
If you are dissatisfied with a criminal investigation which the police are currently carrying out or have finished carrying out, then the IPCC can consider a complaint about the conduct of any police officer or member of police staff involved. However this would not necessarily lead to a review of the criminal investigation itself. The IPCC does not have any control over the police handling of a criminal matter; we cannot review the results or instruct the police to reinvestigate a criminal allegation. These are matters relating to the operational management of a police force and should be raised with the chief constable of the police force concerned or the local police authority.
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What can I do if I have reported a crime to the police but they refuse to record or investigate it?
If you believe the recording or investigation of a crime has been prevented due to the conduct of any police officer or members of police staff, then the IPCC can consider a complaint about those involved. However this would not necessarily lead to the recording or investigation of the reported crime. In the majority of cases, the decision of whether a reported crime warrants an investigation is an operational decision made in accordance with guidelines set by the Home Office. If you believe that a police force is failing to adhere to these guidelines, you should raise it with the chief constable of the police force concerned or the local police authority.
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My complaint has been passed to the police. What happens now?
What happens after the IPCC has passed my complaint to the Police?
The IPCC is required to forward all complaints to the ‘appropriate authority’, which in the majority of cases is the Professional Standards Department (PSD) of the police force concerned. The PSD will consider whether to ‘record’ your complaint. This is the process of assessing whether your complaint and the nature of the allegations are able to be recorded under the Police Reform Act 2002. The PSD has a duty to record any complaint concerning the conduct of a person serving with the police. There are certain circumstances when a complaint may not be recorded. The PSD will tell you if they are going to record your complaint and will explain why they have decided not to record your complaint if this is the case. If your complaint is not recorded and you disagree with the explanation for this decision, you have a right of appeal to the IPCC.
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The IPCC have passed my complaint to the Police but they have not contacted me. What can I do?
The IPCC expects the Professional Standards Department (PSD) to provide a decision about recording a complaint within ten working days of receiving the complaint, and to tell you about it within 15 working days. If more than 15 working days have passed, you should contact the PSD for an explanation for the delay. If the PSD has not given you a decision on recording within 15 working days and you do not accept their reasons for the delay, you have a right of appeal to the IPCC. Please contact the PSD or the IPCC customer service team to obtain the relevant appeal form.
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The police have informed me that my complaint is recorded. What happens next?
Once a complaint has been recorded, the Professional Standards Department (PSD) will then assess the case and decide how the complaint should be handled. Many complaints can be satisfactorily dealt with via the Local Resolution process which is intended to be quick and flexible. It provides the opportunity to explain your concerns to the police and receive an adequate response. Please see IPCC booklet ‘Dealing with your complaint by Local Resolution’ for more information. If your complaint is not suitable for Local Resolution or you do not agree to Local Resolution, the complaint will be assigned to an Investigating Officer and there will be an investigation carried out locally by the police. The severity of a complaint will determine how it should be resolved. In certain circumstances the complaint would be referred to the IPCC who may oversee a police investigation by conducting a supervised or managed investigation, or in the most serious cases handle the complaint using our own team of investigators. Please note that the involvement of the IPCC in the investigation of a complaint is only likely to apply to a small number of cases overall. The majority of complaints are investigated by the police force concerned, and the IPCC may only become involved if there is cause to review a decision made by the police.
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Can the IPCC intervene if I am not happy with the way my complaint is being handled?
The IPCC does not have an involvement in a police investigation into a complaint until its conclusion. This means that the IPCC cannot intervene in the progress of an investigation or instruct the police to change the person in charge of investigating your complaint. Any requests, comments or criticisms you have regarding an ongoing police investigation should be made either directly to the investigator or to the Professional Standards Department responsible. Alternatively, you can bring this to the attention of the IPCC at the end of the investigation through the appeal process.
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Can the IPCC provide an update on my complaint?
The IPCC does not have an involvement in an ongoing police investigation and therefore will not necessarily be aware of the current status of your complaint. If you have not heard from the investigator for more than 28 days, you should contact the Professional Standards Department directly for an update.
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Why won’t the police investigate my complaint until after the court proceedings?
If there are pending court proceedings associated with your complaint, it is possible the investigation into your complaint will be postponed because of the sub judice rule. This means ‘before the court’. This rule limits comment and disclosure of matters relating to court proceedings in order not to prejudice the legal process or, in the case of a jury trial, not to influence the jury. You may be able to waive your right to sub judice. However this decision should only be considered with legal advice. In some circumstances the police, in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, may still decide to suspend the investigation of your complaint. After the conclusion of court proceedings, the police should contact you to start or restart their complaint investigation.
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The police have applied to the IPCC to close my complaint. Can they do this?
There are provisions within the complaints system that allow the police to apply to close a complaint. If this application is made prior to an investigation, it is a dispensation. If it is made during an investigation, it is discontinuance. The police should notify you if they make any such application to the IPCC. For example, a dispensation might be applied for where you made your complaint more than 12 months after the incident you are complaining about. A discontinuance might be applied for where some practical difficulty is preventing a meaningful investigation. The IPCC consider the reasons for a dispensation or discontinuance application and in some circumstances will contact the complainant for their views on the matter. A decision on the application will be made by the IPCC within 21 days of receipt and notification sent to the Professional Standards Department and the complainant.
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These FAQ's can also be downloaded as pdf's.
Please feel free to give us your feedback if there were questions you had that were left out.
Please send us any feedback to enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
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