The devastating impact long-drawn-out conduct investigations have on officers will be laid bare when the Federation gives evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) inquiry into the role of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) next week.
The Federation has been called to give evidence to the inquiry, which will consider the police complaints system and the time taken to resolve complaints, on Wednesday (27 January).
It will highlight the detrimental, and costly, impact of lengthy disciplinary investigations on police officers, their families and their colleagues as part of its Time Limits campaign which calls for investigations to be concluded within 12 months of the time an allegation is made.
Phil Jones, chair of Staffordshire Police Federation, says the involvement of the Federation in the inquiry is good news for members.
“As police officers, we understand the need for our conduct to be scrutinised, none of us have any issue with that,” says Phil, “However, when conduct investigations go on for months and months and sometimes years and years, it has a devastating impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the officers involved and has a knock-on effect on their families, their friends and often their colleagues.
“But these lengthy enquiries also do not serve the complainants well either and nor do they give the public the confidence they need to feel in the police complaints system.
“Investigations need to be thorough but they also need to be carried out in a timely manner and I hope that the Federation, in giving evidence to MPs, is able to bring about change to the way in which the IOPC operates. There have been some improvements in recent years but they have not gone far enough.”
The Federation’s national conduct and performance lead, Phill Matthews, said: “We appreciate this opportunity to share the stark findings we gathered as part of our ‘Time Limits’ campaign with the Home Affairs Select Committee.
“Protracted disciplinary investigations have ruined the careers of multiple colleagues, left a mark on their mental health and placed pressure on their home lives and loved ones. It is clear the effects are devastating.
“Public trust in the system will erode if people do not think their complaints will be dealt with quickly. This issue is already something many complainants frequently express.
“We are encouraged the IOPC is keen to work with us rather than against us. However, the issue of investigations rumbling on for more than a year still continues, and enough is enough,” he concluded.
The Federation is calling for:
• Improved IOPC investigator training, particularly in relation to post-incident procedures and disclosure
• A move towards a system where breaching the time limit has consequences on the ability to proceed.
