Complaints over police in the West Midlands on the rise

In 2015/16 there were 1,168 complaints made against West Midlands Police compared to 1,145 the previous year, an increase of two per cent.

The figures published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) revealed across England and Wales the overall number of complaints has fallen by eight per cent.

In Staffordshire there was a reduction in the number of complaints, down from 516 in 2014/15 to 410 in 2015/16, a decrease of 21 per cent.

In West Mercia there was a fall of one per cent from 513 complaints in 2014/15 to 509 last year.

Looking at the national picture, the IPCC said the procedure for complaints is too complicated and that there is too much variation in how they are handled from force to force.

IPCC Chair, Dame Anne Owers, said: "We know that the police complaints system is over-complex and over-bureaucratic, and that is part of the reason for the inconsistencies between forces.

"Forces can deal with complaints informally through local resolution, but if complaints are so serious that they could result in disciplinary action, they have to formally investigate them.

"Some forces choose local resolution in over 70 per cent of cases; others investigate over 70 per cent.

"It is very unlikely that the profile of cases among forces varies so widely; so this appears to be a postcode lottery."

In the West Midlands 69 per cent of cases were investigated and 16 per cent were dealt with through the local resolution process.

Staffordshire Police investigated 62 per cent and dealt with 26 per cent informally while in West Mercia 62 per cent of cases were investigated and 23 percent were dealt with informally.

Dame Owers, added: "When complainants are dissatisfied with a local police investigation, they can appeal.

"Some of these appeals are dealt with by the force itself; others come to the IPCC.

"We have previously expressed concerns about forces marking their own homework. Overall, the IPCC is twice as likely to uphold an appeal as local forces.

"We welcome the fact that the Policing and Crime Bill currently before Parliament responds to concerns.

"It seeks to simplify the system and make it more accessible, and crucially provides independent review of all local police complaint investigations, through either Police and Crime Commissioners or the IPCC."

In the West Midlands there were 251 appeals made, a nine per cent decrease on the previous year.

In Staffordshire there were 115, a 42 per cent increase, and in West Mercia there were 114, a 7 per cent decrease.

Chief Superintendent Andy Nicholson, Head of West Midlands Police Professional Standards Department, said: "There were 23 more complaints made against the force in 2015-16 compared to the previous 12 months ? but over the last two years the number of allegations made against staff and officers has fallen by about a quarter.

"In the last year there were 221 allegations per 1,000 people employed by the force ? that's one of the lowest rates in UK policing and well below the national average which sits at around 300.

"However, it's always disappointing when a member of the public is unhappy with the service received. We always take complaints seriously and will listen to people who come forward to say they're dissatisfied."