Guides

Plain-English explanations of how police complaints, reviews and claims actually work.

• How long does a police complaint take?What the published figures show about how quickly forces log complaints, contact complainants and finalise cases.
• How police complaint reviews work, and who reviews whatIf a force's answer to your complaint does not stand up you can apply for a review. Which body reviews it depends on the complaint, and applying to the wrong one wastes time.
• What happens when you complain about the policeFrom making a complaint to the outcome and any review: the steps, who does what, and what each stage can and cannot get you.
• What 'no further action' means after a stop and searchSeven in ten recorded stop and searches end in no further action. What that outcome means, and what it does not mean.
• Your rights during a police stop and searchWhat an officer must tell you before searching you, what they can require you to remove, and what to do if none of it happened.