PCCs add their voice to Federation’s concern over lengthy conduct inquiries

18 March 2021

MPs have once again been told about the devastating impact of lengthy conduct investigations on police officers.

But this time, rather than the Police Federation voicing its concerns, it has been Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

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

“All three of the commissioners when speaking to MPs on the committee said that the length of investigations was a key issue,” said George McDonnell, conduct lead for West Midlands Police Federation.

“The impact of lengthy conduct investigations on officers, their families and their colleagues has been at the centre of the Federation’s Time Limits campaign which is calling for an end to inquiries being allowed to continue for more than 12 months"

“As it currently stands, we are seeing some investigations going on for years and years during which time an officer’s life is put on hold and they are put under immeasurable pressure. It serves no one well, and that includes complainants, for these inquiries to be allowed to drag on and on.”
In the latest sitting of the Home Affairs Select Committee, North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan 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.”