Introduction from Michael Lockwood, Director General
Since starting in this role over two years ago, I have continued to focus on listening to all of our stakeholders, hearing concerns and identifying areas of mutual interest.
At the IOPC, we know that young people and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities have lower levels of confidence in policing, so we’ve been working hard to improve their knowledge about our work and the wider police complaints system.
Over the last year we have seen an 18% increase in young people who are confident that complaints are dealt with fairly by the police and a 16% increase in the number of people from a BAME background who said they are aware of the IOPC. This reflects our work on improving community relationships.
We have also listened to police forces and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system to better understand their issues.
Last month I attended the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody, which focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Justice, Lucy Frazer QC MP, and included a number of stakeholders from the criminal justice system. I was able to share our improved performance on timeliness, and explained more about our proposed thematic work on near misses in custody.
I have also had a number of conversations with Andy George from the National Black Police Association (NBPA). Andy has taken over as interim president of the organisation and we talked about his areas of interest, which include disproportionality in the use of stop and search and Taser. I also met with Matthew Cane, the new Metropolitan Police Federation secretary. It was a useful meeting and it’s important we maintain good communication and mutual respect for our respective roles.
I also met with Louise King, Director of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, and Laura Cooper from Just for Kids Law. It was a good discussion about our respective areas of focus specifically we talked about the work of our Youth Panel and how issues such as Taser, stop and search and the COVID-19 policing powers are affecting young people.
It is important to me that we continue to listen to all voices – from complainants to police officers – to work together to build the strongest and most effective system we can.
Michael Lockwood
Director General
IOPC makes landmark appeal relating to police use of force
The IOPC recently appealed a High Court decision in what we consider to be a landmark case relating to the use of force by police officers.
While the challenge relates to the fatal shooting of Jermaine Baker in December 2015 by an officer known for legal reasons as W80, we appealed that decision because we believe this raises broader issues about police use of force and police accountability.
We await the Court of Appeal’s decision.
New thematic focus on race discrimination investigations
In July we announced that we would focus on race discrimination as a thematic area later this year.
Evidence of disproportionality in the use of police powers has long been a concern which impacts on confidence in policing, particularly in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Given the numbers and the statistics, from areas such as stop and search, taser use, we still need to better understand the causes and what can be done to address this.
Thematic case selection involves independently investigating more cases where race discrimination may be a factor in order to develop a body of evidence to identify systemic issues which should be addressed. We can than recommend if there is a need to change policing policy or practice. You can read more about this work in our media release.
IOPC achieves Customer Service Excellence accreditation
The IOPC has been awarded the Customer Service Excellence® (CSE) accreditation, demonstrating the achievement of a national standard for excellence in customer service.
Throughout an independent assessment process which looked at more than 57 areas, external assessors interviewed our own staff, external service users and key stakeholders. Among the strengths highlighted in the assessment were the constant focus on customer experience, robust processes, and continuous staff engagement and development.
Our Director General Michael Lockwood said: “Our work is not always easy and involves difficult conversations and issues, but our focus on putting our service users at the heart of what we do must remain consistent throughout. This accreditation is a strong reflection of that.”
Investigations news
A West Midlands Police officer was dismissed without notice following a gross misconduct hearing, arranged by the force. The hearing heard he had used excessive force during two separate incidents in Coventry. We investigated the incidents after receiving a referral from the force.
A South Wales Police officer who made a dishonest statement about an incident in which a woman sustained a head injury has been dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing. We investigated after receiving a referral from the force when the woman complained about her arrest and detention.
A Sussex Police officer who was driving a police vehicle which struck and killed a pedestrian in Brighton has been given a final written warning for misconduct following a police disciplinary hearing. David Ormesher, 79, from Poole in Dorset, died when he was hit by the police car driven by PC Richard Harris, who was responding to an emergency call.
A Hertfordshire Constabulary officer recently pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after appearing at Peterborough Crown Court. Police constable Nicholas Musto admitted the charge following an 11-year relationship with a woman he met through his role as a police officer. We investigated after receiving a referral from the force.
We are independently investigating a stop and search incident that took place in Maida Vale, London, on Saturday 4 July. Partial video footage of the incident was widely shared on social media. We made enquiries with the Metropolitan Police Service, who then made a voluntary referral to us.
Investigations following deaths, serious injuries and police use of force
Police forces must refer to us all deaths or serious injuries that happen during or following police contact. Investigating these matters is one of our key functions.
We started an investigation into South Yorkshire Police contact with a woman before her death. Amy-Leanne Stringfellow died in Balby, Doncaster in June. Our investigation will consider the force’s response to incidents reported to them prior to Amy-Leanne’s death, and whether any learning can be identified.
We are investigating Devon and Cornwall Police contact with a woman who died in hospital in Plymouth. Anastasia Theofilou had been arrested and became unwell while in custody. CPR was administered and she was taken to hospital, where she sadly died.
A West Mercia Police constable was charged with causing death by dangerous driving following our investigation into an incident in Worcester. When our investigation concluded in April 2019, we referred our report to the Crown Prosecution Service, which subsequently brought the charge after reviewing the evidence.
Read more about our work on police use of force on our website.
Witness appeals – can you help?
We are appealing for witnesses to an incident in which a woman in her 50s was shot once in the lower abdomen by a Merseyside Police firearms officer. The incident happened at around 2pm on Thursday 9 July, Liverpool, North Hill Street at the junction of Lothian Street.
Investigation summaries published
In July we published a summary of our investigation after a man suffered injuries while being transported to court by a Dyfed-Powys Police officer in April 2019. Two officers will attend a debrief to consider the risks associated with transporting a detainee alone.
Increasing young people’s understanding of the police complaints system
Our recent research has highlighted that only around half of young people are confident police will deal fairly with their complaint, To help address this, we recently worked with our youth panel to launch new guidance to support young people and explain their rights.
The guidance includes a short animation and responds to questions young people often ask – such as:
- What does the IOPC do?
- How can I make a complaint to police?
- What can I expect after complaining?
- What are the possible outcomes?
As the panel moves into its third year of work with us, we look forward to continuing our strong relationship and harnessing their enthusiasm.
We also recently spoke with young people from the Hampshire Youth Commission at a recent meeting, providing a brief history of the IOPC, explaining how we carry out our investigations, and introducing our young people’s guide to making a complaint.
Our 2019/20 annual report is now available. The report shows ongoing improvement in delivery of changes to the police complaints system, with a third of investigations now completed in under six months, and 83% within 12 months.
The report marks the end of the IOPC’s second year in operation to improve confidence in the police complaints system and policing more widely.
During the year, the final phase of legislative reforms to the police complaints system were launched which will have an influence on ongoing improvement and should ensure the police complaints system is more effective and better fit for purpose.
The IOPC worked with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and many others to ensure the smooth implementation of the reforms set out in the Policing and Crime Act 2017.
Key achievements for the IOPC during the year included:
- reviewed over 4,000 cases referred to us by police forces and determined how these should be investigated, meeting our target of 80% within three days
- completed 718 investigations, 210 more than we started
- completed 35% of investigations within six months (up 5% from the previous year) and completed 83% of independent investigations within 12 months (this excludes our most complex major investigations such as Hillsborough and Rotherham)
- upheld 34% of investigation appeals in 2019/20 compared to 37% the year before which may indicate that complaints handling by forces is improving
- made 105 learning recommendations to police forces and other bodies resulting in local and national changes to policing practice in a range of areas, from police pursuits to domestic violence, use of force and search warrants
- achieved customer service accreditation, independently assessed and verified.
Only 18 of the 538 investigations carried over from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) remained open at the end of the financial year.
Investigations started and completed
In July 2020, we completed 92% of the investigations we closed in 12 months or less, compared to 74% in July 2019.
We continue to focus effort on closing older cases, which has had an impact on our recent performance data.
Appeals
*This figure may change as a result of data being recorded after the figures are collated.
The % of upheld appeals is worked out from the number of appeals upheld over the total number of valid appeals completed.
PDF version of our July performance data.
Find out how we are performing against our targets.
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