Police complaints solicitors
The police have an essential role to play in upholding law and order, and we should be able to rely on them to behave appropriately. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In some instances, our treatment at the hands of the police falls short of what we expect. And unfortunately, this can have serious consequences, ranging from financial losses and reputational damage to serious physical injuries.
Thankfully, if you have suffered mistreatment at the hands of the police, there are steps you can take to seek redress. This includes making a police complaint. By following the police complaints process, you can draw attention to your mistreatment and ensure the police force responsible takes action, including making a formal apology or disciplining the officers involved.
Read on below to learn more about police complaints, including the process involved and the potential outcomes, as well as how you can seek compensation through a civil action against the police.
How do I claim?
Step 1
Get in contact by using one of our contact forms throughout the site.
Step 2
We will arrange a free consultation with you to discuss your claim.
Step 3
If you have a valid claim, we will accept your case on a No Win No Fee basis.
Step 4
HNK Client Settles for over £7,000 in False Imprisonment and Assault Case Against Leicestershire Police

What are police complaints?
Police complaints are a way of formally drawing attention to misbehaviour by police officers, often referred to as police misconduct. This misconduct can take a variety of forms, including:
- Assault and battery
- Wrongful arrest
- Unlawful stop and search
- Malicious prosecution
- Discrimination under the Equality Act
- Unlawful retention of data
In each of these circumstances, the police have failed to meet the standards expected of them as set out in the Standards of Professional Behaviour. Needless to say, the consequences for those affected can be severe.
By making a police complaint, you are asking the police force responsible to investigate the matter fully. The police are required to assess your complaint in an appropriate way and contact you to explain what steps they will be taking.
What is the police complaints process?
The police complaints process begins with you complaining directly to the police force responsible for the misconduct. There are a number of ways you can do this. You can:
- Write directly to the police force responsible – every police force has a complaints page on their website that will inform you about where to send the complaint and what information to include
- Complain in person at your local police station
- Call 101 to complain over the phone
You should then receive an initial acknowledgement of your complaint (usually within three weeks). This will be used to clarity any additional details of your complaint and ask you what your desired outcome would be – for instance, you might want disciplinary action to be taken or a formal apology.
If your complaint requires investigation by the force’s professional standards department, you should be updated every 28 days at a minimum during this process. You will then be informed once the investigation has been concluded.
For more serious cases, your complaint may be referred to the IOPC for a full investigation. This must happen in cases that have led to deaths or serious injuries or which involve accusations of corruption.
What are the potential outcomes of a police complaint?
There are a number of outcomes your police complaint might have, including:
- An explanation of what took place
- An apology on behalf of the force
- The officer(s) responsible undertaking further training
- Changes to the force’s policies and procedures
For more serious cases, the officers responsible may be subject to disciplinary proceedings. In the case of police gross misconduct, this may result in their dismissal from the force.
Regardless of the outcome of your police complaint, you should receive an overview of how this decision was reached and the process that was used for handling your complaint. In many cases, you will receive a copy of the investigation report, which should clearly establish how your complaint was investigated.
Can I seek compensation for police misconduct?
As you can see, whatever the outcome of your police complaint, you will not receive compensation. If you have suffered damages due to this incident, you may understandably be unsatisfied with this.
After all, police misconduct can lead to a range of significant and traumatic outcomes, many of which will result in financial losses on your behalf. For instance, you may find yourself unable to work for a period of time or struggle with ongoing anxiety and distress that require treatment.
However, you do have the right to seek compensation for police misconduct through a different process. Instead of (or in addition to) making a police complaint, you can take the police force responsible to court through a civil action against the police. If it is found that you have suffered actionable damages due to police misconduct, you may be awarded compensation in recognition of this.
What is the process for seeking compensation for police misconduct?
To seek compensation through a civil action against the police, we would highly recommend the support of an experienced solicitor. They will be able to assess your case and use their thorough knowledge of the relevant regulations to identify if you are entitled to compensation.
The solicitor will then gather the necessary evidence to support your case – including any incident reports, CCTV footage, medical records or witness statements – while you focus on recovering from the incident. If you work with a solicitor that specialises in actions against the police, they will be able to provide tailored support based on an in-depth understanding of the impact police misconduct can have.
HNK Solicitors can help you secure compensation for police misconduct
Making a police complaint can be an important step to ensuring that your mistreatment by the police is acknowledged and that steps are taken to ensure it does not happen again. However, if you have suffered from damages as a result of the experience, you may be disheartened to discover you will not be able to receive compensation as a result of a police complaint.
However, by working with an experienced action against the police solicitors like HNK Solicitors, you can secure the compensation you deserve and begin to move on with your life. Our team of experts have helped many clients to seek compensation following an experience of police misconduct. Take a look at our case studies to see the kinds of outcomes our highly experienced solicitors have achieved.
If you’d like to discuss your case with one of our team, we offer free consultations with no obligation to make a claim. Simply call us on 0151 668 0809, or email us at enquiries@hnksolicitors.com to get started.
Free Consultation
Contact us today to arrange a free no-obligation discussion about your police complaint or police misconduct claim.
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We can accept instruction on a no-win, no-fee basis, so it won’t cost you a penny upfront to start your action against the police claim.
Get The Outcome You Desire
Our expert lawyers will fight the police complaint on your behalf, to get the outcome you desire.
FAQ
The length of the police complaints process will depend on various factors, including the seriousness and complexity of the complaint you are making and whether it needs to be referred to the IOPC. However, you should be updated regularly on the progress of your complaint – at least once every 28 days – using your preferred method of communication (e.g., email, phone, letter).
Yes, if you are unsatisfied with the outcome of your complaint you can ask for it to be reviewed. You should be informed about your right to a review when you are notified of the outcome of the investigation, as well as the process for requesting one. You have 28 days after receiving the outcome letter to request a review. Further, if you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, it’s important to remember that you can also seek compensation through a civil action against the police. By taking the police force responsible to court, you may be able to secure compensation to help offset the damages you’ve experienced.
There is no formal time limit for making a police complaint. However, it is better to do it as soon as possible after the incident. This will make investigating your complaint and gathering any necessary evidence easier, and make it more likely you will be satisfied with the outcome. Further, if you are complaining more than 12 months after the incident, you may be asked to explain the delay.
Anyone who is dissatisfied with their experience at the hands of the police or believes they have been a victim of police misconduct is entitled to make a police complaint. You can also make a complaint on behalf of someone else, but they must give you permission in writing to do so. Finally, you can complain on behalf of a child aged 16 or under if you are their parent or guardian.
No, the IOPC does not accept direct complaints. Instead, they stipulate that all complaints must be dealt with by the police force responsible in the first instance. The force may refer the complaint to the IOPC themselves if this is appropriate – in some cases, such as if the incident led to a death or a serious injury, they are required to do so. If you do submit a complaint through the IOPC website, they will forward this on to the relevant police force for it to be dealt with.
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