What is 'Complaint Against the Police'
Complaint
A "complaint" is a course of conduct by a person employed by the police which has an adverse effect on a member of the public, or is sufficiently serious to bring the police service into disrepute. This does not include matters of direction and control which are not related to a specific member of staff but to service delivery.
Those Able to Complain
- The victim of alleged misconduct.
- Persons adversely affected - suffered any form of loss or damage, distress or inconvenience, or is put at danger or risk (this cannot be as a result of hearing about or seeing such conduct on tv/video).
- Witness to the conduct able to give information of an evidential nature.
- Third person acting on behalf of a complainant, who must have written consent, unless they are a solicitor representing the complainant.
- Gateway organisations presenting the complaint on behalf of a complainant (Citizens Advice Bureau).
