‘Unacceptable’ IOPC delays are affecting officer wellbeing

SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers are having to wait “unacceptable” lengths of time for investigations to conclude, the force’s Federation has said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, has been criticised for leaving officers stressed and traumatised as they wait up to seven years in some cases for the outcome of investigations.

Steve Kent, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “I won’t go into specific examples but we have seen the amount of time things have taken… It’s frankly unacceptable. The police are often heavily criticised for delays when carrying out complex investigations. On occasions there have been shocking examples of officers being investigated for years at a time, with little justification.”

Steve also said officers need to be kept better informed as investigations progress: “From the police officer’s point of view, we can be disciplined if we don’t keep victims updated, in line with the victim charter, and also suspects. So we don’t see the difference in why the IOPC refuses to do the same. Maybe there needs to be some binding guidelines set, so they can actually get their act in order.”

He warned that if any officers have any concerns about investigations, or if they are contacted by the IOPC and they don’t feel comfortable, they should contact South Yorkshire Police Federation immediately.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has described the disciplinary process as “draconian” and said that officers are being left under undue stress and pressure as they await outcomes.

Phill Matthews, PFEW conduct lead, said: “Imagine being sent for medical tests and then waiting seven years to get the results. Yet that’s the type of wait causing unimaginable stress and trauma being put on our members by the IOPC…. A staggering 71% of all Directions in the past five years ended without any type of finding against the officers concerned.

“This obviously highlights the waste of time, effort and money currently spent pursuing cases in an untimely fashion, all the time needlessly putting the officers concerned through a protracted hell. In extreme cases officers have been prevented from retiring and left unable to move on with their lives or a new career.

“The impact on these officers cannot be underestimated; it has a profound effect: mentally, physically and often financially, not just for themselves but also for the families they need to lean on. Their lives can spiral downhill and the evidence shows that the longer these investigations continue, the health and wellbeing of the accused officer deteriorates rapidly.”