Home Affairs committee to consider Time Limits evidence

17 September 2020

The Home Affairs Select Committee is set to consider hard-hitting evidence from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Time Limits campaign.

The campaign was launched last year to highlight the devastating effect lengthy disciplinary investigations can have on police officers and their families and the urgent need for such inquiries to be concluded within 12 months from the time an allegation is made.

Hertfordshire Police Federation secretary Al Wollaston explained: “The campaign shows conclusively that long, drawn-out investigations can have a huge effect on our members and their loved ones.

“Colleagues have had their careers, families and mental health ripped apart by the pressure that they are under with some cases dragging on for years.”

One testimony included in the dossier is that of Met PC Adrian Daly, a firearms officer falsely accused of assault. It took nearly three years for his name to be cleared and PFEW even took evidence from his wife to demonstrate how overwhelming the investigation had been.

The evidence is part of a formal inquiry into handling of complaints by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and public trust and confidence in the complaints system. 

The Federation’s national conduct and performance lead, Phill Matthews, said: “We appreciate this opportunity to share the stark findings we have gathered and that the IOPC has admitted there is room for improvement and is keen to work with us; that hasn’t always been the case. 

“It is also pleasing to see more accountability within the IOPC and forces as they are now required to provide an explanation to Police and Crime Commissioners when investigations take longer than a year. But we will be asking the committee to consider the idea of moving towards a system where breaching the time limits has consequences on the ability to proceed because the issue of investigations rumbling on for more than a year still continues, and enough is enough.”