IOPC Still Taking Too Long

THE Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says it is now completing 90% of its investigations into officers within 12 months, but cases are still dragging on for too long, according to Hampshire Police Federation.

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said: “The IOPC is still taking too long and I notice that the statistics they give exclude major investigations. We know people who have been investigated by the IOPC and it’s easily been going on for 18 months – there seems no drive from them to do anything any quicker. It’s very frustrating and it has a massive impact on those officers.”

Zoë said she would continue to push for shorter investigations: “And not just IOPC cases, but our local PSDs [Professional Standards Department] as well. They’re all taking far, far too long. It shouldn’t be a battle all the time to get updates on what’s happening, but it is.

“For officers who are being investigated, it’s on their minds every minute of every day, and it’s really damaging.”