NCJ Number
181460
Date Published
September 1999
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report addresses complaints and discipline charges against police officers in England and Wales from April 1, 1998, to March 31, 1999.
Abstract
The report first covers complaint cases received against the police. Each complaint case represents a single investigation conducted. It may contain one or more separate matters of complaint and may be brought by one or more complainants. The report then deals with the outcome of complaints. The analysis is in terms of individual complaints rather than cases. The report next focuses on officers convicted of criminal offenses and disciplinary charges brought against officers, whether or not these stemmed from complaints by the public. The data show that 20,300 complaint cases were received by the police, 8 percent fewer than in 1997-98. Thirty-five percent of complaints dealt with in 1998-99 were informally resolved, and an additional 36 percent were withdrawn or dismissed. A total of 9,202 complaints required investigation. This was 6 percent less than the previous year. A total of 745 complaints were substantiated, 12 percent fewer than in 1997-98. The number of complaints substantiated was 8 percent of those investigated. Nearly half involved a failure in duty, and 30 percent concerned oppressive behavior. Disciplinary charges were proved against 476 officers, resulting in 124 officers being dismissed or required to resign. Nearly a quarter of the disciplinary charges related to complaints by the public. 13 tables and 5 figures