If you’ve had a bad experience with the police, this factsheet explains how to make an official complaint.
If you feel you have been treated badly by the police in any way Galop can help you to make an official complaint. We will take the details of your complaint and pass them to the official Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) so that they can record it.
Galop can advise you on the best way to approach your complaint, help you articulate your issues and help to make sure you meet any deadlines for submitting information if necessary. Submitting through Galop will not give your complaint any ‘preferential attention’ but we will try and monitor the progress of your complaint.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances you should make your complaint within 12 months of the alleged incident
Misconduct can range from minor incidents such as an officer being rude to you, through to unlawful arrest, use of force or even suspicious injuries or death in custody.
Most complaints will be dealt with by the relevant local force. More serious complaints may involve a more formal investigation.
Whoever is handling your complaint, you should have the right to be kept informed about any action and decisions taken. An agreement should be made with you if the police have recorded your complaint, about the best way to keep you informed.
Possible results might be:
In certain circumstances, you may be able to appeal to the IPCC if: