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| Complaints |
As a public body West Yorkshire Police Authority takes the matter of complaints very seriously. Like all public bodies, the Police Authority wants to make sure that the service it provides to its communities is professional, effective and efficient. Because of its impact on people’s lives and on the community in general, policing is one of the most important public services. The Police Authority works with the Chief Constable and the police to make sure that the service provided to communities of West Yorkshire is of the highest standard.
The Authority recognises that there will be times when people feel dissatisfied with the service they have received. This may come about as a result of a particular incident in which they are involved, a policy decision about the policing of their neighbourhood or the conduct of a particular person employed by the police or the Police Authority.
Although all of these situations could be described as ‘complaints’ each of these situations is dealt with differently and it is important for people who are raising concerns with the Police Authority to understand how their concern will be dealt with.
There are three main bodies involved in complaints about policing and the police; these are the Police Authority, the Chief Constable and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Each one takes matters of complaints seriously and each has separate responsibilities under the legislation governing policing to make sure that the right people address the right things in the right way.
Which of these bodies is the appropriate one to deal with a complaint about policing or the police will generally depend on the matter being complained about, its nature and severity.
For example, if your complaint is about the way in which the force has responded to an incident or a situation – such as the number of patrol officers policing in a certain area – this will be a matter for the Chief Constable. This is because the Chief Constable is the person having overall responsibility for the direction and control of the police force.
If your complaint is about the conduct of an individual police officer there are separate legal rules covering the procedure. In these cases the rank of the officer involved will be important. This is because, if the officer holds a rank of chief superintendent or below (the vast majority of police officers) the complaint will also be a matter for the Chief Constable to address. This is because the Chief Constable has responsibility for the activities of police officers within his or her police force. The same is true if the person works for the police in a different role (for example as an administrator or manager).
Since 17 March 2010 the Police Act 1996 has been amended to require police authorities to monitor complaints by members of the public to their police force, and to intervene where the response of the force to such a complaint appears to be unsatisfactory.
This Section provides advice on how to make a complaint against
• The Police Authority itself
• A Police Authority Member
• A Senior Police Officer
• Police Officers or Police Staff
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