IOPC statement in response to Government's White Paper

We welcome the White Paper published on Monday 26 January and its acknowledgement and support for our ongoing transformation programme, which has already delivered a shift from a regional to a national model and improved delivery for both our service users and our stakeholders.

The paper also reflects our calls for further reform of the system that holds the police to account, including strengthening the appointment process for Chief Constables and redressing the system’s disproportionate impact on front-line officers by reviewing the threshold for starting misconduct investigations.

We are pleased to see the Government’s ongoing commitment to commission an independent review of end-to-end timeliness of the system, and its intention to look more closely at the interaction between the misconduct, courts and coronial systems.  We have long highlighted the complexity of current arrangements and the negative impact that delays can have on complainants, families and officers alike.

The importance of taking focussed action to improve the culture of policing, in response to the many cases that have highlighted, discriminatory attitudes and behaviours such as misogyny, racism and homophobia cannot be understated. We are pleased to see the focus on this, as well as on ensuring that officers have the right skills, training and support to carry out their roles effectively. We have previously called for a licence to practise regime for policing and believe the introduction of a licence to practise for officers will help support policing standards and improve public confidence in the police service.

Changes in legislation to enable the appointment of an independent chair for the IOPC, when our transformation programme is more advanced, will strengthen our governance arrangements and bring us into line with other arms’-length bodies. 

We welcome the Government’s commitment to work with the IOPC to enhance accountability, scrutiny and transparency in the police complaints and misconduct system. We will continue to work with the Home Office, policing and non-policing organisations to support reforms and bring about improvements to make the police accountability system more effective, fair and timely for all.