Police Complaints and Misconduct
The Police and Crime Commissioner has 3 main duties in relation to complaints and reviews, they are:
- Appropriate Authority to consider complaints about the Chief Constable,
- Duty to hold the Chief Constable to account in providing an effective and efficient complaints process, and
- Relevant Review Body of some police complaints.
The information on how the Police and Crime Commissioner meets these statutory duties can be accessed here.
At the quarterly Professional Standards Scrutiny Board meetings held with the Deputy Chief Constable and Professional Standards Department the Police and Crime Commissioner scrutinises the manner in which complaints and misconduct allegations are dealt with by North Wales Police. The full terms of reference can be accessed here.
Quarterly and Annual statistics are published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Police Misconduct Hearings
The Police and Crime Commissioner holds a Register of Legally Qualified Persons and Independent Panel Members who are appointed to Police Misconduct Hearings. The Legally Qualified Person will advise the whole Panel which is Chaired by a Senior Officer and accompanied by 2 Independent Panel Members.
It is the responsibility of the Commissioners to appoint them by using the ‘cab rank process’, click here to see the appointment process adopted in Wales.
Misconduct process - non senior police officers(Superintendent and below)
Public confidence in the police is of the highest importance. To secure it, police officers are expected to demonstrate a high level of personal and professional standards of behaviour. An allegation of misconduct against a police officer or a special constable may be deemed appropriate for investigation by the Force’s Professional Standards Department or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).The findings of an investigation will be referred to and formally assessed by the Deputy Chief Constable as the ‘appropriate authority’. If the Deputy Chief Constable considers the allegation as one of gross misconduct, the matter will be referred to a police misconduct hearing for determination and, in the event of the allegation being found to be proved, the imposition of sanctions.
Police Appeals Tribunals
Police Appeals Tribunals (PATs) hear appeals against the findings of gross (serious) misconduct brought by police officers or special constables. PATs are currently governed by Police Appeals Tribunal Rules 2020.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales is responsible for facilitating the hearing which includes appointing the Chair to conduct the proceedings. The Chair will be appointed from a Register of Legally Qualified Chairs held by the Home Office.
Details of upcoming Police Appeals Tribunals will be published on the North Wales Police’s website.