If you have been stopped, searched or arrested by the police and are not happy with the way you were treated, you have the right to complain about this. Reasons to complain can include things like being constantly stopped and searched for no obvious reason, being verbally or physically threatened, not being given a solicitor when you ask for one, and not being given medication that you need while in the police station.
There are two ways to make a formal complaint about the behaviour of a police officer or officers. The first is to make a complaint to the duty police Inspector at your local police station. You can go to your local police station and ask to speak to the Inspector face to face in order to make your complaint.
There will always be an Inspector on duty at the police station. If the Inspector is unavailable when you attend the police station, you should leave your name and contact details and request that the Inspector contacts you by phone as soon as possible. Alternatively you can make your complaint in writing to him/her. You may be able to express yourself better and more clearly in this way. Most police forces will also offer an online facility to make a complaint.
If you would prefer a meeting with the Inspector in person then you should insist on this. Be aware that the Inspector can be quite busy and so it may take a few days for you to arrange an appointment. When making your complaint you should provide as much information as possible about the officer(s) that you are complaining about. This includes their name, shoulder number and which police station they are based at (if you have this information).
The Inspector has a duty to record the complaint and investigate it properly. Depending on the nature of the complaint it can take up to several weeks for it to be investigated.
You have the right to be told how the complaint will be dealt with and what action will be taken. It is likely that the Inspector will provide you with a written response detailing his findings and what actions will be taken.
If your complaint is particularly serious then the Inspector can refer the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (The IPCC). This is a team of investigators responsible for looking into serious complaints relating to the police. The IPCC is totally independent of the police.
If you are not comfortable making your complaint to the Police Inspector initially then you can make your complaint directly to the IPCC, however depending on the case they may refer it back to the local police to deal with. If you are not happy with the answer you get from the Inspector you can ask the IPCC to look at it again.
The IPCC have the same powers as the Inspector in investigating your complaint and they will also give you a written response explaining the outcomes of their investigation into your complaint. You can go online at www.ipcc.gov.uk to find out how to make a complaint through the IPCC.
Also check out StopWatch’s stop and search complaint guide.
Y-Stop – a stop and search project developed by young people, for young people
For advice on stop and search check out Y-Stop, Release’ stop and search project run in partnership with StopWatch. This project was developed over a two-year period with young people across London.
Y-Stop has a handy app that lets you record a police stop and search and to complain directly to the police if you are unhappy with the way you have been treated by an officer. Release and StopWatch receive a copy of your complaint so the police know a third party is involved.