Police Complaints Surge to Record High, Exceeding 100,000 for First Time
The Independent Office for Police Conduct reports a 15% year-on-year increase in complaints, with over 108,000 recorded in England and Wales.
A record number of complaints were made against police in England and Wales last year, with the total surpassing 100,000 for the first time, according to new figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The watchdog revealed a 15% surge in complaints year-on-year, bringing the total recorded between April of the previous year and the end of March to 108,897.
"A 15 per cent annual increase is the biggest we’ve seen year-on-year," said David Ford, chair of the IOPC. "Looking back on the last five years, we’ve seen a 61 per cent increase in complaints since 2020-21."
Ford cautioned against interpreting the figures solely as increased dissatisfaction with policing. "We know through our oversight work with police forces that many are now better at recording and handling complaints. That in part explains the increase," he stated. He also noted that the complaints system has become more accessible, partly due to AI, making it easier for individuals to raise concerns.
The data, published on a Wednesday, indicated that the largest category of complaints, accounting for 55% of the total, related to allegations of poor service. Matters concerning police powers and policy constituted 22% of complaints, while accusations against individual officers or staff members made up 11%.
Discriminatory behavior was cited in 5,061 complaints, representing 3% of the total. Of these, 2,398 related to accusations of race discrimination, 1,116 to disability, and 728 to sex discrimination.
Ford further explained that improvements in force complaints procedures have led to more matters being formally recorded. "In some instances, there has been under-reporting in the past. However, some forces have gone the other way now and are formally recording some matters as complaints when perhaps it’s not necessary," he said, adding that the IOPC continues to work with all forces to support them in this area.
Cleveland police recorded the highest rate of complaints per employee, with 2,199 complaints filed against its 2,553 staff members. The Metropolitan Police, being the largest police force, received the highest total number of complaints, with 13,920.