How do I complain about the police?

Short answer

Complain in writing to the force’s Professional Standards Department, or direct to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, normally within 12 months of the incident. If you are unhappy with how the force handled it, you can ask the IOPC for a review within 28 days of the outcome.

In England and Wales the framework comes from the Police Reform Act 2002 and the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020. You can complain to the force's Professional Standards Department, submit direct to the IOPC (which routes it back to the force unless it meets the criteria for independent investigation), or have a solicitor, Citizens Advice or another representative do it for you.

What to include, and when

The date, time and location of the incident.
The officers involved — names, warrant numbers, or descriptions.
A clear factual account, written as close to the events as possible.
Any evidence: your own photographs, witness details, and a request that body-worn video and CCTV be preserved before it is routinely deleted.

Complain as soon as you can and normally within 12 months of the incident. If you were stopped and searched, request a copy of the search record — you are entitled to it under Code A of PACE.

How it is handled and what comes next

Less serious matters are dealt with by local resolution — an explanation, a meeting, an apology — usually within weeks. More serious complaints go to a local investigation by Professional Standards, typically three to six months, involving interviews and a review of body-worn footage and witness statements. The gravest categories must be referred to the IOPC whatever you ask for: deaths or serious injury following police contact, serious assaults, serious corruption, and allegations of discrimination on a protected characteristic amounting to a serious abuse of power. If your complaint fits one of those and the force has not referred it, you can raise that with the IOPC directly.

Unhappy with the outcome or the quality of the investigation? Request an IOPC review within 28 days of receiving the outcome. The IOPC can uphold the review, direct the force to take specific action, or substitute its own finding.

Two limits are worth knowing. The complaints process itself awards no compensation — injury, false imprisonment or assault mean a separate civil claim against the force, for which legal aid is sometimes available. And retaliation for complaining is itself a serious disciplinary matter: report it immediately to Professional Standards and the IOPC if you experience it.

Read the full guide: Police ComplaintsCovers eligibility, the process, deadlines, and next steps in depth.

Related guides

Police Complaints

If you have been treated unfairly, unlawfully, or improperly by the police — whether in an arrest, search, investigation, or any other encounter — you have the right to make a formal complaint. In England and Wales, police complaints are overseen by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

5 min

Building Your Complaint Evidence

A well-evidenced complaint is far more likely to succeed. Whether you are complaining to a financial firm, an energy supplier, the NHS, or a local council, the quality of your evidence determines how seriously your complaint will be taken — and how quickly it will be resolved.

8 min read

When and How to Escalate a Complaint

If a company has failed to resolve your complaint satisfactorily, or if it has gone beyond the response deadline, you have the right to escalate. Escalation means taking your complaint to an independent body — such as an ombudsman, regulator, or the courts — who can investigate and enforce a resolution.

5 min read

Judicial Review Basics

Judicial review is a legal process by which the High Court reviews the lawfulness of decisions made by public bodies — including government departments, local councils, immigration authorities, and regulatory bodies. It is not an appeal on the merits of the decision, but a challenge to whether the decision was made lawfully.

6 min