You can make a police complaint directly to the police force you are complaining about, or via the IOPC. Complaints should be made within 12 months of the incident, otherwise, the police can decline to deal with your complaint unless you give them a good reason. The complaint should be a written statement with your full name, address, and contact information as well as details of the allegation, and complaints you are making, and who you are complaining about. If possible, you should also include witness details. The more information you provide, the better.
The police complaint process can be quite complex, so it is beneficial to instruct a specialist solicitor on police conduct. Consult HNK before you make your police complaint, and we can review it for you. The purpose of the complaint is to have a particular officer or force investigated for the complaint that was made.
The force then allocates your complaints to an officer or to the professional standards department to investigate it. It will then be dealt with in one of two ways. Local resolution is used in less serious complaints, and Local Investigation is used for more serious police complaints where a complaint needs to be investigated further. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, you are given 28 days to appeal the decision.
A civil action against the police is conducted with the purpose of obtaining compensation for mistreatment and/or an admission of liability. Actions against the police are often highly defended, so it is highly advised you have an experienced legal team, such as ourselves, to help fight your case for you, if you want a successful outcome. To find out if your complaint makes you eligible for compensation, contact HNK Solicitors.
HNK Solicitors have an expert team of actions against the police solicitors who are recognised as leaders in the field of human rights law and actions against the police. We have many years’ experience handling police complaints, and we have helped people all over England and Wales with all kinds of police complaints against almost every police force – including The Metropolitan Police, Merseyside Police, Greater Manchester Police, and West Midlands Police.
We can help clients make complaints to the police and also pursue civil claims against the police. We are proud to offer a no-win, no-fee service in many civil claims’ cases, depending on the facts of your case and an initial assessment. We also routinely act under private funding and legal expenses policies. Contact us today to find out more, and we can even offer a free consultation where you can discuss the details of your case with one of our expert actions against the police solicitors.