Lengthy Independent Office for Police Conduct investigations costing taxpayers millions of pounds each year

3 February 2021

Drawn-out Independent Office for Police Conduct investigations cost taxpayers millions of pounds each year and take an incredible toll on the officers going through the process, Surrey Police Federation has said. 

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has estimated that an IOPC investigation that lasts up to six months costs £15,101 per officer, which goes up to £302,012 when it drags on for five years or more – 20 times the amount.

The costs are even higher for suspended officers, where a six-to-12-month investigation costs approximately £67,968, and after five years it is a massive £453,115 per officer. This is due to forces having to replace officers while they are suspended.

The findings have been shared with MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee as part of its inquiry into the IOPC and the time taken to resolve complaints against police officers.

Surrey Police Federation Chair Melanie Warnes said: “Lengthy investigations are more than a monetary cost. In recent years, Surrey has seen two IPCC (as was) investigations come to an end after five years and four years from investigation to inquest. The impact of investigations of this length is greater than can be imagined, unless you have been through it.

“Good, experienced officers and staff left the organisation during this time, some doubting their career choices and feeling blamed for something in which they did their best at the time, and despite being investigated for a lengthy period resulted in no misconduct outcome.

“Any lengthy investigation is not an ideal situation for anyone. Officers are more often than not restricted from their full duties. If this is for a long time, they feel deskilled, sometimes not working with their team, who they need for support. Their shift pattern may be changed and they do not have the opportunity to work overtime or use secondary skills which are much-needed within the organisation. The taxpayer misses out – they’re paying towards police officers who are not able to do their job because of a lengthy investigation which results in no misconduct outcome.

“It is not just IOPC investigations that have to be timely, but local PSD ones too. The restrictions are often the same and the organisation fears that an officer under investigation should not be in the evidential chain and therefore meaningful roles for them are minimal within the organisation. Meaningless work often results in the officer’s mental wellbeing deteriorating and results in sickness absence.

“And it is not just the officer who suffers during this time. The impact is felt by their team at work and their family at home. Pressures felt by the officer often affect their family and this can have a devastating result where relationships break down.”

Meanwhile the PFEW continues its Time Limits campaign, which launched in 2019 and pushes for investigations to be concluded within a year, highlighting the impact of long investigations on police officers, their families and colleagues, as well as public trust in policing.

Melanie backs the campaign, saying: “In criminal investigations, there are time limits and the police would be criticised if they took an excessive amount of time to investigate allegations. Time limits are extremely important to investigations and should be adhered to, for all those involved.”