27 January 2021
The national Federation has highlighted its calls for changes to how long it takes to conclude investigations of complaints against officers as part of a Government inquiry into the role and remit of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Conduct and performance chair Phill Matthews commented on issues surrounding the complaint process in a blog on the Federation’s website as he prepared to appear in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee this morning (27 January).
“Over the past year the Federation has been working hard lobbying Parliament for a change in law to introduce a 12-month time limit on disciplinary investigations against officers from the moment an allegation is made,” he says.
“By building up enough evidence to show the damaging, and often long-lasting, impact of investigations which have dragged on for an unacceptable amount of time, we can prove to MPs this issue is very real and something must be done because enough is enough. We now have that evidence.”
Phill appeared via Zoom to give evidence on the issue.