449 complaints about Humberside Police force over year

HUNDREDS of complaints have been lodged with the police watchdog against the Humberside force.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) received 449 complaints about Humberside Police in 2011-12, which contained more than 900 allegations.

Most complaints related to failure or neglect of duty, rudeness, or minor assault.

The figure is a fall of 15 per cent compared with the previous year when there were 526 complaints.

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Inspector Stewart Miller, of Humberside Police's professional standards branch, said he was pleased to see a fall in the number of complaints against the force.

He said: "It is clear the proactive measures taken by Humberside Police to address dissatisfaction at an early stage, learn the lessons from previous complaints and take developmental action to address officer and staff standards and behaviour, are having a positive impact.

"The culture of learning the lessons from public dissatisfaction and taking appropriate and proportionate action is being promoted throughout Humberside Police.

"The reduction in complaints shows increased local satisfaction with police interaction."

The figures are included in the IPCC report Police Complaints: Statistics for England and Wales 2011-12.

It shows there were 82 appeals to the IPCC about Humberside Police's handling of complaints.

Of those, 45 were about the way the force dealt with a complaint investigation, four were about complaints resolved locally, and 33 came after the force's failed to record a complaint. IPCC inspectors have completed 66 appeals and upheld 20 (30 per cent), below the national average of 38 per cent.

Insp Miller said: "The integrity of investigations conducted can be evidenced by the low rate of appeals against investigations upheld by the IPCC."

Across England and Wales, the IPCC has dealt with a rise in the number of appeals from people unhappy with the way their complaints have been handled by police.

During 2011-12, 6,339 appeals from complainants were made to the IPCC, up 3 per cent on the previous year.

Of those appeals completed by the IPCC, 38 per cent were upheld, a rise of 8 per cent on the previous year.

The total number of complaints recorded by police forces in England and Wales fell for the second consecutive year by nine per cent to 30,143 complaints.

Dame Anne Owers, chair of the IPCC, said the national statistics were worrying.

She said: "It is of concern that not only has there been an increase in the number of appeals to the IPCC from those dissatisfied with the way their complaint was handled, there has also been a considerable increase in the proportion of appeals that we uphold.

"All chief constables should take personal interest in the findings of this report and assure themselves that they and their staff are meeting their obligations to record and resolve valid complaints from the public.

"In particular, they should look closely at the number and type of appeals upheld by the IPCC."