Federation statement regarding IPCC annual report

24 September 2009

EMBARGOED UNTIL 0001HRS THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2009

23 September 2009

Responding to the publication of the IPCC Annual Report and the increase number of complaints against the police, Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:

“One of the strengths of British policing is our accountability to the public we serve but you have to look carefully at these latest complaints against police statistics and not just focus on the headline figures. These complaints not only reflect the increasing pressures on police officers but also highlight the need to invest in appropriate training for officers so they have the confidence and skills to deal with the challenging situations they face.

“Despite many of these initial complaints not being upheld or proven, these statistics demonstrate that some forces are not learning lessons and those systemic and structural faults which hinder policing need to be addressed. It needs to also be borne in mind that the very nature of policing means that often police officers are interacting with those who would rather not be stopped or questioned by police and that may explain why a considerable number of complaints are later dropped or unfounded.”

ENDS

 

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