How to make a complaint against the police?
Discussion
Guys,
A bit of guidance needed here.
I have an 'issue' with a local 'character' who has a habit of making a large amount of noise at antisocial times of the day and night. The noise is made by a modified car - it's exhaust noise, not music being played too loud (or similar). I have posted on here about it before - here:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.
And here:
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.
I have been persuing this with the local police for nearly a year now, and it has come to nothing. The two officers I am in contact with are utterly ineffective. The junior one is seemingly either downright rude to me on the telephone, or promises things he has no intention of doing, and the more senior one talks a good talk but actually appears to do nothing at all. He is also now not returning telephone calls (I have spoken to his PA three times since Thursday, who assures me that he is around and that she is passing on the messages.) I may add that this is not the first time this has happened.
This problem needs a solution, and I am not prepared to wait any longer. How do I persue a complaint against the officers in question? (Note - I am not necessarily going to do this, just finding out the routine.) Should I ask to speak to the Borough Commander (or write to him), or approach the IPCC?
FWIW, the more senior of the two officers is a Chief Inspector, who reports to a Superintendent, who reports to the Borough Commander.
Any help offered most welcome!
Oli.
A bit of guidance needed here.
I have an 'issue' with a local 'character' who has a habit of making a large amount of noise at antisocial times of the day and night. The noise is made by a modified car - it's exhaust noise, not music being played too loud (or similar). I have posted on here about it before - here:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.
And here:
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.
I have been persuing this with the local police for nearly a year now, and it has come to nothing. The two officers I am in contact with are utterly ineffective. The junior one is seemingly either downright rude to me on the telephone, or promises things he has no intention of doing, and the more senior one talks a good talk but actually appears to do nothing at all. He is also now not returning telephone calls (I have spoken to his PA three times since Thursday, who assures me that he is around and that she is passing on the messages.) I may add that this is not the first time this has happened.
This problem needs a solution, and I am not prepared to wait any longer. How do I persue a complaint against the officers in question? (Note - I am not necessarily going to do this, just finding out the routine.) Should I ask to speak to the Borough Commander (or write to him), or approach the IPCC?
FWIW, the more senior of the two officers is a Chief Inspector, who reports to a Superintendent, who reports to the Borough Commander.
Any help offered most welcome!
Oli.
You have to go to the police station. Inform them that you wish to make a formal complaint. Expect a long wait and expect to be fobbed off softly softly etc. You must make a statement and ensure you use your words (not theirs). Be precise and keep your complaint simple. Don't waffle on. Once the statement is done it gets passed on to the Police Complaints Authority who I actually have some faith in. They can only investigate what you tell them (they instruct the police to make the investigation and provide details) so make sure you set out proper facts or else your complaint will get dismissed.
Boosted.
Boosted.
How do I make a complaint against the police?
If you think a police officer or member of police staff has behaved incorrectly or unfairly, you have the right to make a complaint.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, you should make your complaint within 12 months of the alleged incident.
If you decide to make a complaint you can:
Contact The Directorate of Professional Standards Reception Desk Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm on 020 8785 8666 or via email at complaints@met.police.uk;
Write to the Chief Superintendent at the police station for the area concerned;
Go into any police station where you will be seen by a senior officer on duty, probably an inspector or sergeant;
Visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau, who can advise you whether you have grounds for a complaint;
Contact your solicitor or Member of Parliament;
Ask someone else to put forward your complaint (eg, friend or neighbours, as long as they have a letter from you authorising them to do so);
Write a full account to the Commissioner of Police, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H OBG; or
Write directly to: The Independent Police Complaints Commission, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6XX or call them on 08453 002002.
More information is available on the Independent Police Complaints Commission site.
If you think a police officer or member of police staff has behaved incorrectly or unfairly, you have the right to make a complaint.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, you should make your complaint within 12 months of the alleged incident.
If you decide to make a complaint you can:
Contact The Directorate of Professional Standards Reception Desk Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm on 020 8785 8666 or via email at complaints@met.police.uk;
Write to the Chief Superintendent at the police station for the area concerned;
Go into any police station where you will be seen by a senior officer on duty, probably an inspector or sergeant;
Visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau, who can advise you whether you have grounds for a complaint;
Contact your solicitor or Member of Parliament;
Ask someone else to put forward your complaint (eg, friend or neighbours, as long as they have a letter from you authorising them to do so);
Write a full account to the Commissioner of Police, New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H OBG; or
Write directly to: The Independent Police Complaints Commission, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6XX or call them on 08453 002002.
More information is available on the Independent Police Complaints Commission site.
Thanks. vim fuego said:
Lots of good stuff, from the IPCC website
Thanks - helpful. I was wonddering whether anyone had any recommendations, advice, experience or comments about the whole thing? Does the IPCC actually listen to members of the public, or are they just an organisation that (unofficially) serves the Police and will defend them to the hilt?
Comments such as Boosteds - that he has faith in them - are helpful.
Thanks again for any input.
Oli.
yes
made a complaint for assault and won
went through all the usual emotions of being victimised/fitted up/family harassed - NONE of this has happened in the last five years since the complaint was made
was taken seriously by both forces the one i made a complaint to and the one the officer was working for,
dealt with very well by both forces
didn't think i would be believed and was told by the assaulter/policeman that i wouldn't be, stuck to my guns told the TRUTH with no embellishment, when presented with the statement he admitted the offence
didn't change my opinion of the police per se
made a complaint for assault and won
went through all the usual emotions of being victimised/fitted up/family harassed - NONE of this has happened in the last five years since the complaint was made
was taken seriously by both forces the one i made a complaint to and the one the officer was working for,
dealt with very well by both forces
didn't think i would be believed and was told by the assaulter/policeman that i wouldn't be, stuck to my guns told the TRUTH with no embellishment, when presented with the statement he admitted the offence
didn't change my opinion of the police per se
Complaints are investigated thoroughly but expect the officer/s being investigated to wriggle about a bit and be a tad unhelpful if you get my drift. Maybe the notebook went missing or had a few notes added or they colluded. It happens all the time. This is why your complaint must be accurate and precise. The authority rely on your evidence when starting an investigation. Whatever happens, the officer concerned will know he's been the subject of an investigation and that will be recorded on his records. Wonder if there's a totting up procedure!
Boosted.
Boosted.
Been there done that, didn't come to anything but it certainly made me feel better!
The Police Complaints guy that came out to see me was very nice. He listened to me asked questions etc.
Oli if you complain expect to be visited by the Police - I had 4 or 5 visits in as many days! The neighbours thought we'd been burgled!
The Police Complaints guy that came out to see me was very nice. He listened to me asked questions etc.
Oli if you complain expect to be visited by the Police - I had 4 or 5 visits in as many days! The neighbours thought we'd been burgled!
zcacogp said:
Guys,
A bit of guidance needed here.
I have an 'issue' with a local 'character' who has a habit of making a large amount of noise at antisocial times of the day and night. The noise is made by a modified car - it's exhaust noise, not music being played too loud (or similar).
A bit of guidance needed here.
I have an 'issue' with a local 'character' who has a habit of making a large amount of noise at antisocial times of the day and night. The noise is made by a modified car - it's exhaust noise, not music being played too loud (or similar).
I don't think the Police deal with noise complaints. Isn't it the council that do this?
bond-007 said:
pmanson said:
Oli if you complain expect to be visited by the Police - I had 4 or 5 visits in as many days! The neighbours thought we'd been burgled!
For what reason were you visted? Trying to get you to withdraw the complaint?
They do that as well. You have to insist on making the complaint. I was once told they had no way of knowing who had been conducting pnc checks on registration numbers ffs! Why do you think they have a database, lol. They still wriggled off the hook using some vague excuse about the reason for the checks.
Boosted.
Guys,
Thanks again for the input. I won't be dashing down this route immediately, but it is useful to have this information in hand, should it be necessary.
Oli.
Thanks again for the input. I won't be dashing down this route immediately, but it is useful to have this information in hand, should it be necessary.
shuvitupya said:
I don't think the Police deal with noise complaints. Isn't it the council that do this?
No, the council directed me towards the Police "Safer Neighbourhoods Team". (Don't tempt me to comment.) Oli.
zcacogp said:
Guys,
Thanks again for the input. I won't be dashing down this route immediately, but it is useful to have this information in hand, should it be necessary.
Oli.
Thanks again for the input. I won't be dashing down this route immediately, but it is useful to have this information in hand, should it be necessary.
shuvitupya said:
I don't think the Police deal with noise complaints. Isn't it the council that do this?
No, the council directed me towards the Police "Safer Neighbourhoods Team". (Don't tempt me to comment.) Oli.
Noise pollution is within the EHO's remit & should bedealt with by them.
Vehicle con & use regs the Police remit.
If the vehicle is illegal Police deal.
If it's legal but is creating a noise nuisance EHO to deal surely.
vonhosen said:
Noise pollution is within the EHO's remit & should bedealt with by them.
Vehicle con & use regs the Police remit.
If the vehicle is illegal Police deal.
If it's legal but is creating a noise nuisance EHO to deal surely.
EHO washed their hands of it entirely, and pointed me in the direction of the police. Either that, they both assure me that they work closely with the other one, so (in theory) it shouldn't make much odds. Vehicle con & use regs the Police remit.
If the vehicle is illegal Police deal.
If it's legal but is creating a noise nuisance EHO to deal surely.
But I think, strictly speaking, you are correct.
Oli.
Boosted LS1 said:
bond-007 said:
pmanson said:
Oli if you complain expect to be visited by the Police - I had 4 or 5 visits in as many days! The neighbours thought we'd been burgled!
For what reason were you visted? Trying to get you to withdraw the complaint?
They do that as well. You have to insist on making the complaint. I was once told they had no way of knowing who had been conducting pnc checks on registration numbers ffs! Why do you think they have a database, lol. They still wriggled off the hook using some vague excuse about the reason for the checks.
Boosted.
I was visited in regards to my car being identified on CCTV (By the dent in the side of it) at a pub where an assault on a young woman had taken place. The officer who visited wasn't a Traffic Officer (even though a Traffic Car had been outside on the house on previous occasions). I had been in the pub with 2 female friends over the course of the bank holiday weekend (The Police wouldn't tell me what day the assault had taken place).
It was an attempt for me to drop myself in it and for them to let me know they watching me as when the officer was leaving he told me they were looking for witnesses as the woman had said she'd been assaulted by a black man (I'm not black by any stretch of the imagination!)
When the PCC came to visit I was told that my car was on a list in the Police Station to be stopped on sight!
By the way this all stems from going through an amber light and being stopped by 4 police cars! For going through the amber light I was given a ticket for a TS10 offence by a traffic officer who arrived at the scene but didn't see the "offence" or even talk to me to get my side of the story!
This Traffic Officer is well known in the local pubs as having a chip on his shoulder and had seen me in the pub the night before! He made a point of mentioning it to me as he got the other officer to book me!
Edited by pmanson on Wednesday 20th September 09:08
Do you genuinely want to make a complaint against the Police Officers or do you want them to make them take your "noise" issue more seriously? Pursuing the former may well be counterproductive in terms of the latter. If the latter then I suggest you write to Borough Commander advise him that something must be done or you will be forced to take action yourself by approaching the "noisy" party.
pp
pp
Pickled Piper said:
Do you genuinely want to make a complaint against the Police Officers or do you want them to make them take your "noise" issue more seriously? Pursuing the former may well be counterproductive in terms of the latter. If the latter then I suggest you write to Borough Commander advise him that something must be done or you will be forced to take action yourself by approaching the "noisy" party.
Emphatically the latter. However, I am kind of thinking that a complaint (after them having spent a year not solving the problem) may put some wind in their sails (if you see what I mean.) Although your comment is indeed wise council. Thank you. Certianly worth bearing in mind.
If I was to write to the BC, would this be a 'complaint' or something else? It would be difficult (off the top of my head) to couch it as anything other than a complaint - that his officers have been doing sweet FA for the last year.
However, a great suggestion. Thanks.
Oli.
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