Professional Standards Complaints

This FOI request relates to a possible management tool that operates within your Professional Standards Department, as opposed to any formal national policy or procedure.

I understand that forces operate a system which flags up cases where police officers have been subject to 3 or more public complaints within a specific period of time (say 12 months). This automatically triggers Professional Standards to look into the officer's conduct in more detail, in order to identify training or performance related issues. Some forces appear to refer to this as "special measures". I am aware this is an informal process, and may not be implemented within each force.

Please disclose under the FOI Act:

- a copy of any written procedures you may hold for this or a similar process within your Professional Standards Department.

- any recorded information as to how your police force deals with officers who've had 3 or more complaints made against them in the last 12 months.

- the number of officers who have been subject to this process in the last 12 months.
- the result of the process in each case, i.e. did the officer receive further training, did they receive a warning, or no further action.

- the details of the complaints made against each officer which triggered the management process. If you cannot provide the exact details of the complaints then please disclose the recorded information which related to the nature of the complaint(s).

Please redact any information that could lead to any individuals being identified.

- a copy of any written procedures you may hold for this or a similar process within your Professional Standards Department.

As you rightly indicated, there is no nationally agreed policy for individual police force Professional Standards Departments to follow with regard to the 'flagging up' of cases where police officers have been subject to a given number of public complaints within a specific period of time - i.e. where such flagging would then automatically trigger a course of action within Professional Standards Departments to review an officers complaint history. Cheshire Police Professional Standards Department have adopted a local procedure/process with a view to further monitoring this area of policing which the public would expect to be reviewed.

- any recorded information as to how your police force deals with officers who've had 3 or more complaints made against them in the last 12 months.

Where monitoring of complaint statistics and trends identify that a review would be beneficial for a particular member of staff, the Professional Standards Department liase closely with the officer's area Senior Management Team to decide on the most appropriate course of action.

- the number of officers who have been subject to this process in the last 12 months.

24 officers have been subject to this process within the period 1.4.09 to 31.3.10.

- the result of the process in each case, i.e. did the officer receive further training, did they receive a warning, or no further action.

This is an issue for the Senior Management Team of each policing area - i.e. to consider the most appropriate way forward, taking into consideration details of the specific complaints and local knowledge of the officers concerned. To the best of my knowledge, in the majority of cases, officers have, where appropriate received practical advice and guidance.

- the details of the complaints made against each officer which triggered the management process. If you cannot provide the exact details of the complaints then please disclose the recorded information which related to the nature of the complaint(s).

- is as follows:

Of the 24 Officers spoken to, this equates to the following in terms of breakdown of allegations received.

(Note: The officers have received 3 complaint cases in 12 months, but in some cases, there can be more than one allegation on each case)

(U) Incivility = 25 allegations
(C) Other Assault = 26 allegations
(D) Oppressive conduct/harassment = 8 allegations
(E) Unlawful/unnecessary arrest = 5
(S) Neglect of Duty = 9
(A) Serious non-sexual assault = 7
(G) Irregularity in evidence/perjury = 3
(J) Mishandling of Property = 2
(X) Improper disclosure of information = 1
(W) Other = 1
(M) Breach of Code C Pace = 2