IOPC investigations need an overhaul

POLICE conduct investigations are still taking far too long and need an overhaul, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

Steve Kent, Federation Chair, said: “We are still seeing occasions where it takes way too long.

“The IOPC should be brave enough to admit that they don’t have the resources to investigate some of their cases. It’s always been my view that the complex investigations should be left to the professionals and that’s the police officers with IOPC oversight. That, for me, is a direction we should be going in unless there’s evidence of collusion or suggestion that it’s inappropriate that force investigates.

“They should leave it to the professionals to deal with it, the professionals being our anti-corruption units and our professional standards, and they should be supervising it. That’s the only way I think ultimately we’re going to get time limits under control.

“Of course there are going to be complex cases that are going to take a long time. I get it. But we’ve had examples of cases which are ver simple misconduct matters that have taken way over a year, and it’s just not good enough frankly. So we need to see action on this.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct admitted that more can be done at the Police Federation of England and Wales Conference earlier this month.

Director-General Michael Lockwood said: “We don’t want a police officer under a cloud longer than they need to.”