Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) became operational on 1 April 2004. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), funded by the Home Office, but by law entirely independent of the police, interest groups and political parties and whose decisions on cases are free from government involvement.
The new system is designed to raise standards, cut delays, increase public confidence and transform the way police forces handle complaints from the public.
How to Make a Complaint Against the Police
Surrey Police aims to offer the highest standards of customer care and service. In the event that you are not satisfied with the service you have received please contact us. Your feedback and comments are important to us in order for us to improve the service we provide to you. There are two types of complaint that can be made: complaints against our staff and complaints against our policy and procedures.
Complaints against our staff
Complaints against our staff can be made where you feel that the service provided by a police officer or other member of Surrey Police staff has failed to meet the standards you expect. For example, if they have been rude or abused their authority. This type of complaint is seen as 'a complaint against the police' and is covered by legislation and is overseen by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Complaints against policy and procedure
Complaints against policy and procedure refer to the way in which things are done. For example, policies and procedures for investigating crime.
How Do I Make a Complaint?
You can make a complaint directly to Surrey Police or through the IPCC or another organisation. Whatever the route, all complaints must be recorded by Surrey Police itself.
If you want to make a complaint you can:
Visit a police station and our Front Counter Staff will be happy to assist you.
Call us on our non-emergency telephone phone: 101
Write to us at:
Professional Standards Department
Surrey Police Headquarters
Mount Browne
Sandy Lane
Guildford
Surrey
GU3 1HG
or e-mail: PSD@surrey.police.uk
Working hours are 8am till 4pm Monday to Friday
Contact the Independent Police Complaints Commission at:
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BH
Tel: 08453 002 002 (local rate)
or e-mail your complaint to: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
(Calls to 0845 numbers from a fixed line may be charged by your provider. Network Tariffs apply when calling 0845 numbers from a mobile phone. The IPCC do not profit from the provision of this number). The IPCC will pass the details of your complaint to Surrey Police.
You can also contact other agencies
- Citizens Advice Bureau
- Youth Offending Team
- Racial Equality Council
- Probation Service
- A solicitor
- Other Community Groups
You can also nominate a person to act on your behalf (they must have your written consent).
What Should My Complaint Say?
When submitting your complaint to Surrey Police, please ensure the following details are covered:
- Your name, address and contact details
- When it happened
- What happened
- Who was involved
- What was said or done
- Whether there were any witnesses
- How the witnesses can be contacted
- Details of any damage or injury which took place
What can I expect to happen once I have made a complaint?
Once we have received your complaint we will be in contact to discuss the concerns that you have raised, the complaints procedure will also be explained to you at this stage.
Your complaint will be recorded under legislation either as a complaint against our staff or a complaint against our policies and procedures.
During the resolution process Surrey Police have a duty to keep you informed of the progress of the complaint case which will be agreed with you.
Once the complaint has been resolved you have the right to appeal if you are not happy with the outcome. Your appeal will need to be sent to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Surrey Police will inform you of how this can be done during the complaints process.
Contact the IPCC
Visit the Independent Police Complaints Commission web site at http://www.ipcc.gov.uk.
Contact the Independent Police Complaints Commission at:
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BH
Tel: 08453 002 002 (local rate)
Email: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
We will pass the details of your complaint to the police force concerned.
Data Protection
In this section you will find details of your right to access the information that we hold. The Data Protection Act 1998 provides individuals with a right of access to information that may be held about themselves.