Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Paragraph: 6
Public perceives police misconduct complaints as over-complex, lengthy, and unlikely to result in significant action.
Conclusion
It is an inevitable part of any complaints system that those whose complaints are not upheld will be discontented. There is none the less a perception that complaints against police officers are unlikely to succeed and that investigations are over- complex, take too long and frequently result in limited action against even officers found to have committed misconduct.
Government Response Summary
The government agreed that the existing governance structure of the IOPC, including the combination of Director General and Chair roles, will be considered as part of the Home Secretary's periodic review of the IOPC, which is expected to start in early 2022/23.
Paragraph Reference:
6
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) was launched following reforms to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in 2018. The decision to combine the role of the Director General (DG) and Chair of the unitary board of the reformed organisation reflected the recommendation in the independent governance review conducted by Sheila Drew Smith in 20151. The aim of having a single role was to demonstrate the independence of decision-making to enhance public and police confidence, and to maintain a single line of decision making. This was the role to which Michael Lockwood was appointed in January 2018. Scrutiny of and support for the DG is provided by the unitary board, on which, the non-executive directors must be in a majority and there is a senior independent non-executive director. The Home Secretary announced last year that she was bringing forward the first periodic review of the IOPC. Such reviews of the Government’s arms’ length bodies typically consider the effectiveness of an organisation and its fitness for purpose. We agree that the existing governance structure, including this specific recommendation from the Committee, should be looked at as part of this review. We expect this to start early in 2022/23.