Complimenting Norfolk Constabulary or making a complaint

Your views are important to us.If you are happy or unhappy with the service you have received from us we would like to hear from you as soon as possible.

 

Making a complaint

A member of the public who considers that a police officer or member of police staff has behaved incorrectly or unfairly has the right to make a complaint.

If you make a complaint we will decide whether to record it in accordance with the requirements of the Police Reform Act 2002. If we decide not to record it and you disagree you can appeal to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

We take all complaints seriously, our aim is to deal with them to your satisfaction and all are assessed as to gravity. Dependent upon the nature of your allegations, your complaint may be suitable for Local Resolution. Other cases may need to be investigated and we will decide whether this should be carried out by a local manager or by a specialist investigator from the Professional Standards Department.

 

You should make a complaint within 12 months of the alleged incident unless there are exceptional circumstances, if over 12 months the IPCC may grant the force dispensation not to investigate your complaint.

 

Who can make a complaint?

• You are the person who the behaviour you want to complain about was directed towards.  
• You were ‘adversely affected’* by the behaviour you want to complain about. This means that whether the behaviour was towards you or not, it had some sort of bad effect on you. You might have been distressed or inconvenienced by it, you might have suffered some sort of loss or damage because of it or you might have been put in danger.
• You witnessed the behaviour that you want to complain about. Tthis usually means you were an eyewitness, and not for example that you saw it on TV or read about it.)
• You can make a complaint on behalf of someone else, who falls into one of the categories, with their written permission.

 

Complaints about Non Coduct Issue

Some complaints may be about the way we do things as an organisation, rather than the conduct of any individual; we call these direction and control matters. They include issues such as:

• Force policies
• Organisational decisions
• General policing standards in the force
• Operational decisions

 A complaint can be made by any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the delivery of a policing service, whether they reside in the police area, are visiting it or passing through or have made contact with the police from outside the area.

 

How to give a compliment or make a complaint

• Write a letter to your local police station or to the Professional Standards Department.
• Telephone Norfolk Constabulary on the non emergency number.
• Visit any Norfolk police station.
• Email us via our contact us online form
• Contact us by fax, minicom or text.
• Contact a solicitor or Member of Parliament.
• Visit the IPCC website at  http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/index/complaints.htm