Government Must Review Police Accountability

28 September 2023

“Being a police officer today is an extremely difficult and dangerous job – I ask the Government to recognise that officers often have to make split-second decisions when they’re under pressure.”

That was the reaction of Mike Peake, Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation, to the Home Secretary’s announcement that there would be an emergency review of armed policing.

Suella Braverman ordered the review after Metropolitan Police firearms officers handed in their weapons in protest at one of their colleagues being charged with murder. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has also called for reforms in the way police officers are held to account, particularly when they use force or undertake pursuits.

Mike said: “We are currently seeing a rise in police complaints, resulting in more investigations, and consequently more officers being taken off the streets.

“Alarmingly, we are also seeing an increase in the CPS making criminal prosecution decisions relating to police officers, when I believe that, had they simply been a member of the public, they would not be prosecuted.

“Being a police officer today is an extremely difficult and dangerous job. I ask the Government to better acknowledge this, and to recognise that officers often have to make split-second decisions when under pressure, which they should be supported for.”

The current police complaints procedure was problematic, Mike said, adding that it “kind of works backwards”.

He explained: “When a complaint about an officer is made, an initial severity assessment has to be done at the outset, based on whether the allegation can be proven. This is before the investigation starts – an investigation that should uncover the true facts.

“That evidence obtained during an investigation often supports the officer who is complained about, as many allegations are found to be malicious or vexatious. The bigger problem here is that while a lengthy investigation takes its course, by an overworked professional standards department, officers are often restricted from carrying out their operational duties. That is no good for the public, and officers face fear and angst around whether they will lose their job, or even worse.”

Mike added: “It is important to say that no police officer wants to work with a ‘rogue officer’, and those officers need rooting out, but rogue officers are a minority, with the vast majority of officers being decent human beings, putting their own safety at risk every day in order to protect the public.”