THE Independent Office for Police Conduct is taking \u2018years\u2019 to resolve conduct cases involving South Yorkshire Police officers, and it\u2019s \u2018just not good enough\u2019 according to the local Police Federation.<\/p>\n
The Home Affairs Select Committee is shining a light on the IOPC – the body in charge of investigating the actions of police officers – and asking why it can take so long for them to complete their investigations.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent says delays and a lack of upfront communications can having a real impact on affected officers and their families.<\/p>\n
While he recognises the need for the independent body and for officers to be accountable for their actions, Steve says allowing professional standards departments within forces to investigate issues would alleviate some of the problems.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cWe have had police officers who are sometimes investigated for years, and it\u2019s just not good enough. I\u2019ve just had a case that\u2019s been finalised after two years for a relatively simple matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unacceptable that officers are left to wait this long.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the IOPC representatives we spoke to recently time limits [on investigations] have improved greatly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve not seen the statistics behind that, but I take their word for it. But it\u2019s still not, unfortunately, where we need to be with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cThe IOPC is here to stay, but the tricky investigations should be left to professional standards departments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are professionals at rooting out, and actually the best people at rooting out problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
That scenario would then see the IOPC take on a more supervisory role.<\/p>\n
\u201cPSDs should be left to do their work with that independent oversight,\u201d Steve said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s improve things and make the IOPC a supervisory-only body going forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the PFEW is having positive discussions with the IOPC about how things can change, and I look forward to seeing what those changes are.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t have officers who are just doing their jobs and are then placed under intense scrutiny for years and years, which will just destroy their family lives and in some cases, destroy their careers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not acceptable – there needs to be a time limit, and it would be fair and proportionate in terms of dealing with police officers.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of the Police Federation of England and Wales\u2019s #TimeLimits campaign, the Federation will be giving evidence to Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday) on the detrimental and costly impact of lengthy disciplinary investigations on police officers, their families and their colleagues.<\/p>\n
The campaign has pushed for investigations into police officers to be capped at 12 months.<\/p>\n
The IOPC\u2019s figures from 2019\/20 show that cases open for longer than 12 months had decreased from 24 per cent to 17 per cent, but Steve said IOPC investigations went on for far longer than they claimed.<\/p>\n