Recommendation 9

We note enhanced opportunities for PCCs to play a greater role in the local complaints process following reforms introduced in 2020. The three models present a unique opportunity for PCCs, as part of their complaint-handling responsibilities, to support proactively and systemically more effective complaints systems within their forces, although nothing in what they do should delay complaint-handling processes any further. Statutory guidance sets out that PCCs and their equivalents hold their chief constable accountable for the performance of the local complaints and disciplinary processes by scrutinising local complaints data for example to identify themes and recurring issues—and how quickly forces resolve those issues— in complaints.