Force complaint probe "unfair" (From Worcester News)

Force complaint probe "unfair"

8:30pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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WEST Mercia Police has hit back at a report which asserted it received one of the highest levels of complaints.

Figures obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act revealed 117 officers in the West Mercia force had received three or more allegations against them in a 12 month period.

The investigation revealed a total of 2,073 officers across the UK had three or more complaints.

West Mercia’s figure gave the force - which serves Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin - the fifth highest total in the country, behind Northern Ireland, Metropolitan (London), Greater Manchester, and Kent.

But yesterday West Mercia said it was unfair to make such comparisons as each force had its own way of recording and dealing with complaints.

Acting Supt Stacey Williamson of West Mercia’s professional standards department, said: "To compare the statistics of different police forces complaints procedures in this way is deeply flawed.

"When West Mercia Police was contacted by the researcher who put this table together, part of our response to the FoI request included guidance that the figures would not be comparable between forces and that care needs to be taken when drawing conclusions from the results.

"Every force has an informal procedure to assess officers who have received multiple complaints against them to make sure officers behaviour is up to the standards expected of them.

"However, every force has its own way of assessing these and to make a comparison of the figures supplied by forces in response to these requests in misleading. While West Mercia flagged up 117 officers for receiving at least three complaints within a 12 month period, it was only felt necessary to put five officers on a formal review."

To view the figures click here.