Federation to give evidence at Government inquiry into IOPC
21 January 2021
The Police Federation will next week give evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) inquiry into the remit of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the time it takes to resolve complaints.
The Federation has been invited to address the inquiry next Wednesday (27 January) and will highlight the detrimental and costly impact of lengthy disciplinary investigations on police officers, their families and their colleagues as part of its Time Limits campaign which was launched in 2019 and calls for investigations to be concluded within 12 months from the time an allegation is made.
It has already shared case studies with MPs including personal testimonies from officers whose mental health has been affected by long-drawn-out enquiries.
Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Federation, has welcomed the Federation’s involvement in the HASC inquiry and says it is time for a limit to be set on how long conduct investigations can take.
“For far too long now these enquiries have been allowed to continue indefinitely. We see first-hand the impact the investigations that drag on for weeks and weeks and sometimes into months and even years can have on officers. But the stress of a lengthy investigation doesn’t just stop with the officers involved. It will also have an impact on their families, their friends, their colleagues at work,” said Jon.
“Even if you take the officers out of the equation, we also have to understand that when these investigations drag on, there is an impact for those who have made a complaint, for victims, for families of victims and that is also totally unacceptable. It does nothing to instil 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 gathered as part of our ‘Time Limits’ campaign with the Home Affairs Select Committee.
“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,” he concluded.
The Federation is additionally calling for:
• Improved IOPC investigator training, particularly in relation to post-incident procedures and disclosure
• A move towards a system where breaching the time limit has consequences on the ability to proceed.
