PCCs add to Time Limit campaign message

19 March 2021

The Federation’s campaign to limit the length of conduct investigations has been given a boost – by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

A House of Commons committee heard evidence from commissioners about the devastating impact lengthy Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) probes can have – reflecting the Federation’s long-running Time Limits campaign.

Humberside Police Federation chair Pete Musgrave today welcomed the commissioners’ testimonies and urged the Home Affairs Select Committee to take it on board.

Pete said: “Our Time Limits campaign calls for investigations to be completed within 12 months of the allegation. To hear PCCs giving evidence to MPs in the House of Commons about the impact lengthy investigations have on officers gives our campaign a real boost. It shows it’s having an impact and getting results.

“We understand professional standards have to be maintained and improved, but there is a significant human and a financial cost to lengthy investigations.

“They have a real impact on officers, their families and colleagues and they also cost the taxpayer. There’s no reason for them to take so long.

“We’ll continue to push for improvements through the campaign because protracted and inappropriate investigations are in no one’s interests.”

The Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the role and remit of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) heard evidence from three PCCs and two academics about how police conduct complaints are handled.

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan was among the PCCs to give evidence.

She said: “The timeliness issue was causing all sorts of issues for individual officers. In fact, the impact of it was much wider, in terms of views of lack of competency on the part of the IOPC and lack of fairness to officers.”

Sue Mountstevens, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, acknowledged that progress had been made at the IOPC especially in restricting the time limit to 12 months before an explanation has to be given to the PCCs, but also mentioned that greater accountability was necessary, adding: “I wonder where the accountability is to the IOPC if they go longer than 12 months.”

Alun Michael, Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, said: “We ought to look at the acceptable length of time being reduced from 12 months to something much shorter than that.”

Phill Matthews, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) national conduct and performance lead, gave evidence to the committee in late January and described the deep and damaging effects long-term investigations can have.

After this latest evidence from the PCCs, he said: “It is really positive that all seem to agree that 12 months for an investigation is more than adequate and that PCCs would like that to see that reduced and have more ability to hold the IOPC to account for the time investigations take. PFEW will continue to campaign relentlessly to ensure fairness for our members.”