Claims of sexual misconduct among 1,000 complaints against police
1,152 levelled against force in past year, including allegations of discrimination and corruption
OFFICIAL complaints made about Derbyshire police in the last year topped more than 1,000, including allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination and even corruption.
It’s the first time complaints statistics have been published covering all police forces in England and covers from February 2020 to February 2021.
In Derbyshire, any member of the public expressing dissatisfaction about the service they receive from the police is logged as a complaint.
According to the figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Derbyshire police received two complaints relating to sexual conduct, which includes assault and harassment, 25 relating to discriminatory behaviour and 21 reports of abuse of position or corruption.
In total 1,152 complaints were made covering 1,848 allegations.
The most common complaint covered the decisions made by officers or their actions after contact with members of the public - that total was 925 allegations.
A spokesperson for Derbyshire police said: “We take all complaints seriously and will always seek to find an early resolution and resolve the complaint at the right level.
“Responding effectively to complaints is crucial for our force in terms of providing satisfactory resolutions for the public and - most importantly - what we can learn as an organisation.
“We acknowledge that we do not always get it right and organisationally, we are very passionate about developing a culture of learning from our mistakes and providing a better service to the communities of Derbyshire.”
Across England and Wales, a total of 67,732 complaint cases were logged with 36,365 of those formally recorded.
IOPC director general Michael Lockwood said he was encouraged that widening the definition of a complaint and removing barriers to recording had led to a significant increase in complaints received and that many are being resolved quickly with tailored responses such as explanations and apologies that address the concerns raised.
He said: “An effective complaints system, and independent oversight of it, is a vital part of securing public confidence in policing.
“Now, more than ever, the public need assurance that policing is listening to their concerns and taking action to put things right. They want to know that there are checks and balances to police powers and there is accountability and learning when things go wrong.”