Complaints about police have fallen

County figures reveal they have dropped for third year in a row

THE number of complaints against Leicestershire Police has fallen for the third year in a row.

New figures also reveal half of complaints against the force were dealt with by “local resolution” - meaning no formal investigation took place - and of those cases investigated, only 10 per cent were upheld.

Data for all forces in England and Wales were published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in its annual report.

They show that across the country, complaints against the police dropped by seven per cent in 2017/18.

But the IOPC warned that there was still a need for police to become more “consistent and transparent” in dealing with concerns.

The data for Leicestershire Police shows there were 538 complaint cases recorded in 2017/18.

That was down 19 per cent compared to the 662 complaints logged the previous year. The figure stood at 689 in 2015/16 and 846 in 2014/15. Each complaint case can contain more than one specific allegation.

The complaints in 2017/18 contained a total of 1,334 allegations, down from 1,446 in 2016/17.

There were 358 allegations for every 1,000 employees of Leicestershire Police - above the national average of 274 per 1,000.

Of the allegations that were dealt with in 2017/18, 648 - or 50 per cent - were settled by “local resolution”.

That is described as a “less formal way of dealing with complaints that aims to resolve a complaint in a flexible manner focused on recovering a complainant’s confidence in the police”.

A further 36 per cent were formally investigated, with most of the others were withdrawn or otherwise discontinued.

Of those that were investigated and not subject to “special requirements”, 90 per cent were not upheld, and only 10 per cent upheld.

Michael Lockwood, director general of the IOPC, said: “At the heart of a complaint is someone unhappy with the service they received or the way they have been treated by their police force.

“What’s more important than the overall numbers is how complaints are viewed by the forces themselves.

“They offer forces a great opportunity to learn from, and address any common concerns that their local communities express. Done properly, this can be really positive for police and community relations.

“The handling of complaints varies a great deal and we hope that changes next year promote a culture across policing which is more consistent and transparent.”