Complaints
In this section:
| 1. What you can complain about |
| 2. How to complain about the police |
| 3. What happens to your complaint |
| 4. What to do if you're unhappy with the outcome of your complaint |
What you can complain about
To make a complaint about the police you need to have witnessed the incident you want to complain about yourself or been directly affected by it.
If you know or suspect that an officer or member of police staff is doing something that does not seem right, please tell us.
Complaints about people
You can make a complaint about a police officer, staff member, contractor or volunteer if you:
- experienced inappropriate behaviour from them. For example, if you felt they were rude or aggressive to you
- saw them acting inappropriately. For example, you saw them drinking alcohol on duty
- have been negatively affected by their conduct. For example, you were at a demonstration and you saw officers behave in a way that you felt was inappropriate and this upset you
- believe they are taking advantage of their role and abusing their power
Complaints about corruption and abuse of power
You can make a complaint about a police officer or member of police staff who, on or off duty:
- takes money or favours in exchange for information or making things happen
- uses their job for their own gain, eg for money or advantage
- takes advantage of their position as a member of the police service to misuse their position, authority or powers in order to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship with any member of the public
- is abusive or controlling with their partner or family
- is racist, homophobic or misogynistic, on or off duty, in person or online
Complaints about standards
You can complain about how a police force is run. For example, you can complain about policing standards or policing policy.
Time limit
There's no time limit for making a complaint about the police, but if you complain about something that happened more than 12 months ago, we'll ask you to tell us why you didn’t complain sooner.
Incidents you've seen on TV or social media
You can't make a complaint about something you've seen the police do on TV or social media or heard about from another person. This is because you haven't witnessed the incident yourself or been directly affected by it. But you can still tell us about your concerns.