20/10/2005
For Immediate Release

Harry Stanley

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has to follow the legal procedures in place six years ago.   

The IPCC will now await a further report concerning the new evidence gathered by Surrey Police.   It will then get recommendations from the Metropolitan Police Service regarding any possible disciplinary action.  

The IPCC will consider the recommendations and take the final decisions on disciplinary action and also consider whether any lessons remain to be learnt from the fatal shooting of Harry Stanley.  Prior to making this decision the IPCC will be seeking a meeting with the Stanley family.

The Commission is aware of the need to make its decision as quickly as possible.

Notes for editors

• The IPCC is the body with overall responsibility for the police complaints system in England and Wales. It has the task of increasing public confidence in the system and aims to make complaints investigations more open, timely, proportionate and fair. The 17 IPCC Commissioners guarantee the independence of the IPCC and by law can never have served as police officers.
• Since April 1 2004 the IPCC has used its powers to begin 62 independent and 222 managed investigations into the most serious complaints against the police. It has also set new standards for police forces to improve the way the public's complaints are handled. It has also upheld 372 appeals (out of 1121 valid appeals) by the public about the way their complaint was dealt with by the local force.
• The IPCC is committed to getting closer to the communities it serves.  It has regional offices in Cardiff, Coalville, London and Sale plus a sub office in Wakefield.  Commissioners are regionally based and supported by 84 independent investigators, as well as caseworkers and specialist support staff.

The IPCC web site is constantly updated at www.ipcc.gov.uk or members of the public can contact the IPCC on 08453 002 002

For further information please contact: Richard Offer, Head of Media Tel: 020 7166 3214 OR David Nicholson 020 7166 3250 Fax: 020 7404 0430 Mob/out of hours: 07717 851 157