Guidance

Making a complaint against the police

This guide explains how to complain about the conduct of police officers, police staff or other people working with the police in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and does not decide whether the police, an individual officer or anyone else has acted unlawfully.

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Criminal Justice Hub
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England and Wales
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This guide explains how to complain about the conduct of police officers, police staff or other people working with the police in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and does not decide whether the police, an individual officer or anyone else has acted unlawfully.

When you can complain

You can complain if you are unhappy with the conduct of a police officer, member of police staff or another person serving with the police. You do not need to know the law or prove your complaint before you make it.

Examples include concerns about:

  • how you were treated, including rudeness, aggression or discriminatory behaviour;

  • an arrest, stop and search, detention, use of force or search of your home or property;

  • a failure to act, delays, poor communication or the way an investigation was handled;

  • misuse of police powers, position or information;

  • the handling or disclosure of your personal information; or

  • the conduct of a police officer or member of staff when off duty, where it affects public confidence or may amount to misconduct.

A complaint is about conduct and service. It is not a substitute for an appeal against a conviction, a challenge to bail conditions, an application to court, or a claim for compensation.

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint in any of these ways:

  • Directly to the police force or organisation concerned. Most forces have an online form and a professional standards department.

  • Through the IOPC online complaints form. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will send the complaint to the relevant force or organisation for initial assessment. Using the IOPC form does not usually mean that the IOPC itself will investigate it.

  • By calling 101 for a non emergency route to the relevant police force.

  • In person at a police station. You can attend any police station to make your complaint.

You can also use a written form or ask an adviser, solicitor, family member or another representative to help you.

For current routes and contact details, see the IOPC guide to the complaints process, IOPC complaint submission page, and GOV.UK guidance on complaints about police treatment.

What to include

Give enough information for the force to understand what happened and identify the people involved. Include, if you can:

  • the date, time and place;

  • the name, collar number, vehicle registration or description of anyone involved;

  • what happened, in date order and in your own words;

  • why you are concerned and what effect the incident had on you;

  • details of witnesses and available evidence, such as photographs, video, messages, medical records or reference numbers; and

  • what outcome you would like, such as an explanation, apology, a meeting, correction of records, learning or an investigation.

Keep copies of everything you send and any acknowledgement or reference number you receive. Make a note of the date and time of any telephone call, together with the name of the person you spoke to.

If the event happened a long time ago

There is no strict time limit for making a complaint. However, if the incident happened more than 12 months ago, explain why you did not complain sooner. Delay does not automatically prevent a complaint, but it may affect whether the matter can be investigated effectively or taken further.

This framework is governed by Police Reform Act 2002, Part 2.

Can someone complain for you?

Yes. A representative can make a complaint on your behalf, but they will usually need your written permission. This may be a solicitor, advocate, friend or family member. A parent or guardian does not need written permission when complaining for a child under 16.

What happens next?

The relevant police force or organisation will first assess the complaint. It may:

  • deal with the concern informally, for example through an explanation, apology, meeting or service improvement;

  • make enquiries or investigate;

  • refer the matter to the IOPC where the law or seriousness of the allegation requires it; or

  • decide not to take the complaint further and explain why.

The IOPC oversees the police complaints system, but it does not investigate every complaint. The most serious matters may be independently investigated by the IOPC. Others are handled by the force, sometimes under IOPC direction or supervision.

A complaint does not guarantee that an officer will face disciplinary action, that criminal proceedings will follow, or that compensation will be paid. The outcome will depend on the facts, the available evidence and the applicable procedures.

If you disagree with the outcome

Your outcome letter or email should say whether you have a right to ask for a review, who will carry it out, and how to apply. Depending on the case, the reviewer may be the IOPC, the police force or the local policing body.

You will normally need to apply within 28 calendar days, starting on the day after you were given the relevant outcome information. Explain any late application fully: it may only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. The time limit is set by Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020, reg. 29. See also IOPC reviews and appeals guidance.

Anonymous reports about police corruption or abuse

If you have information about serious police corruption, abuse of position or criminality, you can report it anonymously through Crimestoppers’ Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service.

That route is not the formal police complaints process. It is for passing on anonymous information and may not result in you receiving an outcome, reasons, or a right to request a review. If you want a formal complaint about police conduct to be considered, complain directly to the police force or submit the complaint through the IOPC route.

See Crimestoppers’ Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service.

Urgent situations and other options

  • Immediate danger or an emergency: call 999.

  • You believe a crime has been committed: report the crime to the police. If the allegation concerns police corruption or abuse and you need anonymity, consider the Crimestoppers route above. A report of crime and a complaint about conduct can be separate matters.

  • You need evidence preserved: say this clearly and promptly. Ask the force to preserve relevant body-worn video, CCTV, custody records, call recordings, radio logs, photographs, police notebook entries and digital communications. Do not assume that a complaint alone will preserve all material indefinitely.

  • You are concerned about your personal data: raise this in your complaint and, where appropriate, use the force’s data protection complaint process. You may be able to complain separately to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

  • You want compensation or a court remedy: obtain independent legal advice promptly. A complaint is not a court claim and does not stop a legal limitation period from running.

  • You are involved in criminal proceedings: obtain advice from your criminal defence representative before making detailed statements about the facts. A complaint may create a written record that could later be relevant to proceedings.

A short template you can adapt

I wish to make a formal complaint about the conduct of [name, collar number or description, if known]. The incident took place on [date] at [time] at [location]. In summary, [state what happened in date order]. I am concerned because [explain why]. The evidence or witnesses I am aware of are [list]. Please confirm that this complaint has been recorded, preserve any relevant evidence, and tell me what will happen next.

Key points to remember

  • Make the complaint as soon as you can, but do not assume that a delay prevents you from complaining.

  • Give a clear account, preserve your own evidence and ask for police held evidence to be preserved.

  • A complaint made through the IOPC website normally goes to the relevant force for initial assessment.

  • Crimestoppers can receive anonymous intelligence about corruption or abuse, but it is not a replacement for a formal complaint.

  • Read the outcome carefully and act quickly if it gives you a right to seek a review.

Scope and further help

This article concerns the complaints system for police forces and relevant organisations in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different oversight and complaints arrangements.

For up to date official information, start with the IOPC complaints guide. The complaints framework is principally contained in Police Reform Act 2002, Part 2 and its supporting regulations. The 2025 amendments do not change the practical routes explained in this article.

About this information

Last updated:

Updates to this page

  1. We have updated this guide to make the police complaints process clearer and more practical. It now explains that a complaint sent through the IOPC website will usually go first to the relevant police force, how to ask for evidence to be preserved, what to do if the incident happened more than 12 months ago, and how to challenge an outcome through a review. It also makes clear that anonymous reports to Crimestoppers about police corruption or abuse are not the same as making a formal police complaint. The guide now includes separate information on urgent situations, personal data concerns, criminal proceedings and seeking compensation.