Surge in West Midlands complaints to police watchdog

The number of cases referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission by the West Midlands force has soared, official figures reveal.

There were 90 referrals between April 1 and June 30 compared to 46 during the same period last year, a report to the Strategic Policing and Crime Board has disclosed.

The largest rise is in the category entitled 'deaths following police contact' – up from 10 to 22. Sexual offences have increased from one to six.

Chief Supt Andrew Nicholson, head of West Midlands Police Professional Standards department explained in the report: "There has been a significant increase in IPCC referrals during this reporting period.

"Death following police contact is of the utmost importance to the public and the force. The majority of the increase in referrals in this category involves missing persons.

"As these involve police contact any subsequent death is a mandatory referral."

He added: "There is a shift in the reporting of sexual offending with victims having greater confidence to come forward.

"Generally serious sexual offences are where officers or staff are accused of an offence and require mandatory referral.

"The increase shown here relates to an historical allegation of sexual abuse prior to the officer joining our force; an historic allegation against a retired officer, however it relates to a period when the officer was still serving and three referrals relating to one officer for 'on duty conduct.'

"All of these matters are currently subject of either live investigation or criminal proceedings."

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Between April 1 and June 30 there were 306 complaints against West Midlands Police from the public compared with 271 over the same period 12 months earlier.

But Mr Nicholson pointed out: "There is an increase of 35 complaints but the assessment team have improved their efficiency with regards to the timeliness of recording complaints.

"It is reasonable to expect this uplift to flatten throughout the performance year as the improved efficiency becomes business as usual and for the final figures to be broadly in line with those recorded last year."

Each recorded complaint may be made up of more than one allegation and therefore there are always more of these but the number levelled against West Midlands officers and staff that averages 59 per 1000 employees is 19 per cent fewer that other UK forces of similar size.

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There has also been a slight rise in conduct cases - those identified internally and not involving a complaint from the public - which went up from 80 to 83.

The main allegation types were 'discreditable conduct,' 'duties and responsibilities' and 'honesty and integrity.'