Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
Paragraph: 49
Establish influential independent scrutiny of police professional standards and misconduct processes
Recommendation
The perception of policing as marking its own homework with regards to professional standards and misconduct is damaging. We recommend influential independent scrutiny of these processes.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government asserts that the IOPC already publishes recommendations and forces are legally required to publish their responses, with local policing bodies like PCCs already mandated to hold forces to account independently.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
49
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
32. The majority of complaints and conduct matters can be investigated effectively by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs). However, the most serious and sensitive matters are handled independently of the police by the IOPC, with police forces required by law to refer certain allegations to the IOPC under the mandatory referral criteria. This includes allegations of serious corruption or serious sexual offences. 33. Individual investigators are already required, by law, to have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience necessary to investigate a particular allegation, before they are appointed to do so. Following the review into police officer dismissals, the Government has recommended that the College of Policing introduce an accreditation scheme for professional standards investigators, to ensure the very highest standard of investigations.
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