Complaints against the police

Question 1

How are minor complaints dealt with?

Answer 1

• dealt with informally

- result in an apology

Question 2

How are complaints dealt with which will involved disciplinary action?

Answer 2

-Complaint is investigated by the police force concerned or the IPCC

Question 3

When was the Independent Police Complaints Commission set up?

Answer 3

-IPCC set up in April 2004

Question 4

Why was the IPCC set up?

Answer 4

To deal with the handling of complaints against the police and police staff such as Community Support Officers

Question 5

What 5 serious issues do the IPCC address?

Answer 5

• any incident involving death or serious injury
• allegations /of
  * serious or organised crime
  * against senior officers
  * involving racism
  * perverting the course of justice

Question 6

How was the previous system worse than the IPCC?

Answer 6

because the IPCC can carry out its own investigations
the old system meant that police from one area would investigate complaints about another police force, not sufficiently independent

Question 7

What 4 types of people can make a complaint?

Any member of the public who…

Answer 7

• has been a victim of misconduct
• present when miss conduct took place and suffered loss, damage, distress or inconvenience, or put in danger or at risk
• Friend or relative of victim
• witnessed the alleged misconduct

Question 8

What are examples of an advice bureau?

Answer 8

• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Council for Racial Inequality
• Youth Offending team

Question 9

What other ways can you make a complaint other than directly?

Answer 9

• Ask solicitor

- Ask MP

Question 10

who did the IPCC case involve in 2005 Stockwell underground station?

Answer 10

Jean Charles de Menezes

Question 11

What did the case of Jean Charles de Menezes involve?

Answer 11

• Police mistakenly believed that Menezes was a terrorist

- They were criticised in their procedures

Question 12

`Who did the IPCC investigation case involved during the G20 protests in 2009?

Answer 12

Ian Tomlinson

Question 13

What happened to Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests in 2009?

Answer 13

He collapsed and died after being assaulted by an officer

Question 14

How did the IPCC investigate the G20 protest case?

Answer 14

• Interviewed almost 200 members of the public

- Looked at more than 1,200 hours of CCTV film

Question 15

Who did the case surround that the IPCC investigated regarding mental health misconduct?

Answer 15

Sean Riggs

Question 16

What happened in the case of Sean Riggs that was seen as misconduct?

Answer 16

• Police failed to act quickly from calls from a hostel where Mr.Riggs was living saying he was acting in a way that he was in danger of himself and others
• Police failed to recognise systems of mental illness in order to take sufficient care

Question 17

What has the IPCC discovered regarding police conduct with mentally ill suspects?

Answer 17

Half of deaths in police custody are still of mentally ill offenders and more needs to be done

Question 18

Under what circumstances can an officer be taken to civil court?

Answer 18

• Under claim in tort for trespass of property

e. g entering private property without a search warrant