Is it worth making a complaint against the police?

Lochlinn Parker (ITN Solicitors) discusses the process and expectations.

[nickjohnson]

I made a complaint about one officer who came to take a statment from myself as a victim of 5 counts of agrivated trespass, common assult and coercive and controling behaviour. He told me in my living room "I am a realist and if I think you are being a dickhead I will say so". I made a complaint afterwards and was imediatly apointed a new case officer as a resolution. I said I would like to sit down with the first officer to review his BVW footage as he was honest-to-God certain he never said what he did.

At this point proffesional standards/public confidcence suddenly discovered he forgot to activate his BWV!? I told his sergeant I was certain it had a bright red reccording light displayed for the entire hour and a half statment making but was told by him that this PC has a new type of BWV where the bright red light is merely a battery lever indicator. I checked Sussex Polices BWV policy and that of the Royal College of Policing and could not find anything to support this odd claim.

My new case officer then told me that "If I continue to complain to an institution such as the Police I will destroy myself" - again this was captured on his BWV in my living room as well as my own reccording quiptment I decided to deploy following the previous encounter. Proffesional standards then instructed me to liase with the 2nd PC I had made 2 serious and highly valid complaints about further. He ignored me for 6 weeks. I then wrote to OSPCC who again directed me back to the same officer to resolve these complaints. a further 6 weeks passed with no contact or resolution.

I was then contacted by Pro standards telling me that my behaviour was deemed excesive and unreasonable for attempting to make contact with the PC I was instructed to as by default he is not allowed to engage with me as I had made a complaint about him!! during these 12 weeks the contact center also kept assuring me he was still my case officer and point of contact!!

This is utterly insane. There is even more to this story and has left me with less faith in Sussex Police than I have in the Prime Minister. I have now been told that any further communicatins between myself and proffesional standards regarding this matter will not be replied to and will be recorded as me wasting police time.

I am in the process of writing to the Victims Commisioner as this saga has left more than a bad taste. I believe the police realized their possition was indefendable and then encouraged me to send weekly emails and mesages to an oficer they knew was not allowed to engage with me in order to push me in to the realms of harrasment teritory.. This is simply NOT OK!

The origional complaint I made was not even that serious but the refusal to apologize at all then backtrack and preted it didnt even happen realy got my goat. A complaint which one minuit was upheld to the extent i was sent a new case officer who groveled and apoogized verbaly for the last one but then the footage never existed after all is just completely crackpot.

Then telling me outloud during that visit complaining to sussex police will lead to my distrustion is just too agrivating for words. Im selling a house next month and intend to chuck some money at solicitor for this bullshit!! There is a burning passion to see this right one way or another.

[adrianmutimer]

I made two complaints. In the first case Essex Police said it would be three weeks before they would allocate a reference to it. True to their word it took three weeks, just merely to get a reference. I have no response to the second complaint after two weeks. I am expecting the first complaint to be resolved within 3 months, but the second compliant I am expecting to take 2 years. Police admin is glacial at the best of times. Covid has meant that you stand a decent chance of dying from old age before you get anything.

[connor]

No, coppers investigating have seen atleast 10+ documented cases where the police HAVE done something wrong and IOPC just does "local resolution" aka nothing, about time we had an actual independent organisation handling complaints not SGTs or ex coppers....its like making a complaint agaisn't lets say a council worker then expecting their manager who works with them everyday and is good friends with them will do something?

Its just a smoke and mirrors act to make it look like the police are held to account, only way to hold officers to account nowadays is by social media.

[gilmarsantos]

I have been stalking, hacking, tracking I complained and o gave my evidence to the police. The police said “ not us MET@ but the police did not disclosed. What shall I do.

[leckstarx]

Basingstoke police used false and inaccurate information about me, and then gave that information to children services Hampshire and Cafcass, directly resulting in a no contact order since may 2020 they have also completely ignored the fact my ex attacked me and confessed and yet nothing happened

[kelliephilipoom]

I wouldn't make a complaint the police just Will come after you and make thing's up and lay charges on you for what ever they feel like

[leckstarx]

I’ve only ever seen one mixed raced police officer at Basingstoke police station