How to Complain

How do I make a complaint against the police?

You can make a complaint directly to the police force concerned or through the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) or another organisation. Whatever the route, all complaints will be recorded by the police force itself.

If you want to make a complaint you can:

Go into any police station and ask for your complaint to be recorded.
Contact the police headquarters of the force concerned by phone or post. For Derbyshire Constabulary write to the Professional Standards Department, Police Headquarters, Butterley Hall, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3RS (telephone number 0345 123 33 33).
Contact a solicitor or your MP and ask them to make a complaint for you.
Nominate a person to act on your behalf (they must have your written consent).
Contact the Independent Police Complaints Commission at: 90 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BH. Telephone number 08453 002 002. Email: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk. They will pass on the details of your complaint to the police force concerned.
Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Submit the electronic form at the bottom of this web page to the Derbyshire Constabulary Professional Standards Department.

Further information

This web page provides more information about your right to complain against the police:

Whom can I make a complaint about?

Police Officers of any rank.
Other members of Police Staff, for example Special Constables, Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's) and contracted escort and detention officers.

What happens when I make a complaint?

The police force will ask you some questions and may complete a form or take a statement in order to record the details of your complaint. If your complaint is against a person serving with the police, the police must record your complaint unless certain circumstances apply. One example would be complaints about the overall policing policies of a force, which are dealt with under a separate system.

How will my complaint be resolved?

The majority of less serious complaints will be resolved by the police at a local level through a process called local resolution. For example, allegations of rudeness are unlikely to be subject of a full police investigation.

Other complaints will be investigated by specially trained officers in the Professional Standards Department or by the IPCC itself. More serious cases, which include those in which a member of the public dies or suffers serious injury following contact with the police, will be referred to the IPCC by the police. The IPCC will then decide how the case will be investigated.

Local resolution by the police

Local resolution is intended to be quick and flexible. It provides the opportunity to explain your concerns to the police and receive an adequate response. You will be asked to give your consent to the use of local resolution and once you have given your consent the police must follow the process they have agreed with you to resolve your complaint.

Police investigations

Complaints that require a formal investigation to take place will either be investigated by the police (or, in very serious cases, by the IPCC). The IPCC can also supervise or manage police investigations in certain circumstances.

How will I be kept informed of the progress of the investigation?

Whether an investigation is run by the police or the IPCC, you have the right to be kept informed about its progress and the outcomes. The investigator will inform you:

How your complaint will be investigated.
What co-operation they require from you, for example supplying a statement and details of any witnesses.
How a decision will be reached.
What action will be taken at the conclusion of investigation.

They will also agree with you how often and by which method you would like to be kept informed of the progress of the investigation into your complaint. If you prefer, you can also agree for communication to be through a third party such as a solicitor, rather than directly between you and the investigating officer.

What will happen when the investigation is finished?

At the end of the investigation, the investigator will inform you of the conclusions of the enquiry.

Possible outcomes could include:

The investigation may find there is not enough evidence to uphold your complaint. This does not mean that you have not been believed, rather there is insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation made.
The police may decide to improve or amend their procedures in response to a complaint.
The police may take formal disciplinary or management action against an officer or person serving with the police.
The IPCC or the police could refer your case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who will decide if there is enough evidence to bring criminal charges against a police officer or person serving with the police.

Do I have any right of appeal if I am not happy with the outcome of my complaint or the way it has been handled?

You have the right to appeal to the IPCC if:

The police do not record your complaint.
You believe that the proper procedures have not been carried out under local resolution.
You have reasons to disagree with the action the police propose to take as a result of the investigation.
You have not been provided with adequate information about the findings of the investigation or the actions the police propose to take.
You are not satisfied with the outcome of the police investigation into your complaint.

More information regarding making complaints of police can be obtained from police stations or by contacting the IPCC direct or visiting their web site at http://www.ipcc.gov.uk