The Commissioner is not the appropriate authority for either handling and investigating individual complaints, or receiving appeals against the outcomes of complaints reached by Dorset Police. Complaints about the work of the OPCC or individual members of staff should be directed to the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer in the first instance. Types of Complaints The PCC will consider the following types of complaint: Complaints about the conduct of the Chief Constable (the complaint must relate to an incident or course of conduct in which the Chief Constable has been personally involved). Complaints about any member of staff who works for the PCC. The PCC is not able to consider: Complaints about serving officers below the rank of Chief Constable, as these are directly managed by the Force and are subject to separate policies and procedures. Any matter which is the subject of any legal dispute or legal proceedings. Complaints as defined in section 7 of this policy. Complaints made by police officers or members of police staff. This policy sets out the ways in which complaints being handled by the PCC will be dealt with. Persons Eligible to make a Complaint In accordance with the detail provided in section 2 of this policy, the PCC will consider complaints received from persons within the following categories: Any person who has been the target of behaviour they regard as inappropriate or anyone who has witnessed such behaviour. Any person who regards themselves as being adversely affected (this may involve being distressed or inconvenienced) by an incident. Any person acting on behalf of and with the written permission of anyone in any of the categories Complaints against the Constable Direction and Control The police are the direction and control of the Chief Constable, and have operational independence while being accountable for the exercise of police powers. A direction and control complaint is about how a Chief Constable carries out operational management decisions. Direction and control of the Force by the Chief Constable is taken to include the direction and control by any person serving under them. Complaints relating to direction and control would concern: Operational policing procedures Organisational decisions General policing standards within the Force Operational management decisions (where there are no conduct issues)
The Commissioner is not the appropriate authority for either handling and investigating individual complaints, or receiving appeals against the outcomes of complaints reached by Dorset Police. Complaints about the work of the OPCC or individual members of staff should be directed to the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer in the first instance. Types of Complaints The PCC will consider the following types of complaint: Complaints about the conduct of the Chief Constable (the complaint must relate to an incident or course of conduct in which the Chief Constable has been personally involved). Complaints about any member of staff who works for the PCC. The PCC is not able to consider: Complaints about serving officers below the rank of Chief Constable, as these are directly managed by the Force and are subject to separate policies and procedures. Any matter which is the subject of any legal dispute or legal proceedings. Complaints as defined in section 7 of this policy. Complaints made by police officers or members of police staff. This policy sets out the ways in which complaints being handled by the PCC will be dealt with. Persons Eligible to make a Complaint In accordance with the detail provided in section 2 of this policy, the PCC will consider complaints received from persons within the following categories: Any person who has been the target of behaviour they regard as inappropriate or anyone who has witnessed such behaviour. Any person who regards themselves as being adversely affected (this may involve being distressed or inconvenienced) by an incident. Any person acting on behalf of and with the written permission of anyone in any of the categories Complaints against the Constable Direction and Control The police are the direction and control of the Chief Constable, and have operational independence while being accountable for the exercise of police powers. A direction and control complaint is about how a Chief Constable carries out operational management decisions. Direction and control of the Force by the Chief Constable is taken to include the direction and control by any person serving under them. Complaints relating to direction and control would concern: Operational policing procedures Organisational decisions General policing standards within the Force Operational management decisions (where there are no conduct issues)
Complaints%20Policy%20v0.2%20FINAL.docx