26 January 2021

Dorset Police Federation highlights detrimental effects lengthy IOPC investigations have on officers

Dorset Police Federation has highlighted the detrimental effects of lengthy Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) disciplinary investigations on police officers.

As part of the Police Federation of England and Wales’s #TimeLimits campaign, the Federation will be giving evidence to Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday) on the detrimental and costly impact of lengthy disciplinary investigations on police officers, their families and their colleagues.

James Dimmack, Dorset Police Federation Conduct Lead, said the IOPC – whilst getting better – still has some work to do to improve. 

“Officers who are subject to these IOPC investigations go through massive, massive strains and pressures,” he stated.

“If you’re investigated by the IOPC you are definitely going to suffer increased stress and almost every officer I’ve dealt with has suffered massively.

“I think for the future we need to carry on collaborating, that’s the most important thing.

“Where failings happen, we need to highlight and work from them, not use them as something to bang a drum with, but actually to promote change and promote improvement.

“We are the people who investigate most things so actually the way we investigate is perhaps the way they could investigate.

“I think it’s right we celebrate improvements but sometimes when we celebrate improvements we think it’s job done and it’s not job done, it’s job started.”

Figures from the IOPC now show 83% of cases are resolved within 12 months, and that supervised investigations take on average two years to complete.

James added: “I am in no way banging the drum against anyone of the IOPC, I applaud them for getting most of their investigations completed within a year, that’s a massive difference already.

“However, this is not the end, it’s barely even the beginning.

“To get something below a year is better than it was but it’s not something to be celebrated and it’s something we need to move forward with.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales is calling for investigations to be concluded within 12 months from the time an allegation is made.

PFEW National Conduct and Performance Lead Phill Matthews said: “Protracted disciplinary investigations have ruined the careers of multiple colleagues, left a mark on their mental health, and placed pressure on their home lives and loved ones. It is clear the effects are devastating.

“Public trust in the system will erode if people do not think their complaints will be dealt with quickly. This issue is already something many complainants frequently express.

“We are encouraged the IOPC is keen to work with us rather than against us. However, the issue of investigations rumbling on for more than a year still continues, and enough is enough.”