New name won’t change how officers view IPCC

RENAMING the Independent Police Complaints Commission will not make any difference to how police officers view the organisation, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

“We need them to be efficient and fast and get to the bottom of matters quickly so that the public can have confidence in it, the police can have confidence in it, and it is independent and that the independent part is not just a nametag,” said Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will be reformed and renamed the Office for Police Conduct to “improve efficiency, drive more effective governance and make it more responsive to the public”, the Home Secretary has announced.

“Changing its name is not going to make much of a difference,” added Mr Bowles. “I can remember the Police Complaints Authority, and people criticising that for not being very efficient at dealing with complaints. It’s an absolute necessity that, for both police and the public that we have an efficient service that looks into complaints against the police. “

Common criticisms at the moment for the IPCC are that it’s not independent and also that the investigations just take way too long.

“Absolutely,” concluded Mr Bowles. “The organisation takes far too long to finalise their investigations; and keep officers waiting about the results of cases, especially when they’ve got no case to answer.”

Theresa May has concluded that “the IPCC’s existing governance model is no longer suitable for the expanding organisation and in light of its enhanced role in the reformed police disciplinary and complaints systems, which will be overhauled as a result of measures in the Policing and Crime Bill”.

On 7 March, the Home Secretary announced her intention to bring forward amendments to the Bill to create a new governance model for the police complaints body.