Police Complaints

You can make a complaint about a police officer's conduct in several ways:

• To the police force: Contact the Professional Standards Department (PSD) of the relevant force directly. Most forces have an online complaint form and a postal address for complaints. Complaints can also be made in person at a police station.
• To the IOPC: You can also submit a complaint directly to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which will then forward it to the relevant force (unless it falls within the IOPC's direct investigation criteria).
• Via a solicitor or representative: You can authorise a solicitor, Citizens Advice, or another representative to make the complaint on your behalf.

Complaints should be in writing where possible. Include the date, time, and location of the incident; the officers involved (names, warrant numbers, or descriptions); and a clear account of what happened. Submit complaints as soon as possible and within 12 months of the incident.

Police complaints are handled at different levels depending on their seriousness:

• Local resolution: Less serious complaints may be resolved informally through local resolution — a meeting, an explanation, or an apology from the officer concerned.
• Local investigation: More serious complaints are investigated by the force's Professional Standards Department. They will interview the officer(s) involved, review any evidence (CCTV, body camera footage, witness statements), and report their findings.
• IOPC investigation: The most serious complaints — particularly those involving deaths, serious injury, serious corruption, or very senior officers — are referred to the IOPC for independent investigation.

You should receive updates on the progress of your complaint and be informed of the outcome.

If you are unhappy with how your complaint was handled by the police force — for example, you believe the investigation was inadequate, the findings were wrong, or you were not treated fairly during the process — you can request a review by the IOPC.

You must request a review within 28 days of receiving the outcome of your complaint. The IOPC can uphold the review, direct the force to take specific action, or substitute its own finding for the force's decision in some cases.

Independent police complaints advocacy services are available in some areas to support complainants through the process, particularly for those from marginalised communities or where the complaint involves serious police misconduct. Contact organisations such as Inquest (for deaths involving the police) or Liberty (for civil liberties issues) for specialist support.