Making a Complaint Against the Police
The police have powers that they can use against you if they think you are involved in a crime, but they should treat you with respect. If a police officer treats you unfairly or injures you, you can take action against them.
If you take action against the police, you could gain an apology, compensation and/or you could make sure that you or somebody else isn’t treated the same way in the future.
If you wish to complain against the police, you have two basic options: making a complaint against an individual police officer or suing the police:
- Making a complaint against an individual police officer: This could get you an explanation or apology, and it may also result in the officer involved being disciplined. If they have committed a crime, they may be prosecuted. You can make a complaint about almost anything you felt was unfair, however you cannot get compensation for making this kind of complaint. You can make a complaint by contacting the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), contacting any police station and asking to see the duty officer, or a solicitor or MP can make the complaint on your behalf. For more information, please see the IPCC website at www.ipcc.gov.uk.
- Suing the police: If your complaint is especially serious, you may wish to sue the police. You will get financial compensation if you win your case. You can sue the police in the same way that you can sue members of the public – you can only do so for certain reasons, such as (but not exclusively) assault, false imprisonment, or racial discrimination (CLS leaflet p. 4). If you are considering suing the police, you should talk to a solicitor. Law centres offer free advice and representation. The Law Centres Federation can provide details of your local law centre, please see their website at the following address: www.lawcentres.org.uk(CAB).
The particular course of action that should be taken depends on the nature of your complaint. If you think you have been treated unfairly and/or the police have broken the codes of practice and are not sure what to do, you should speak to a solicitor or the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.