Complaints
Prior to 2001/02 only complaints against police officers were recorded. The current definition of a complaint now requires that complaints against support staff and special constables should also be included.
It should be noted that as not all forces implemented the new definition within the same year that there maybe large variations in the figures between years due to the change in definition taking effect.
What is a complaint?
The ACPOS (Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland) defines a complaint as:
"Any complaint made by or on behalf of any person against one or more on duty members of a police force and from which it may reasonably be inferred that any act or omission which was made or committed by any of the individuals concerned amounts, or may amount, to a criminal offence or professional misconduct."
The Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill 2006 extends the definition of complaint to mean "a written statement expressing dissatisfaction about an act or omission". In so doing, it widens the parameters to include organisational and quality of service issues. It also now applies to off-duty members of the Scottish Police Service.
The information contained in the statistics on complaints collated by HMICS reflect the definitions shown above.
What is a case?
A 'case' is a single investigation undertaken by an investigating officer into one incident or a group of incidents following a complaint by one or more persons. Thus where a person complains of an assault by an officer during arrest and was then later subjected to threats at the police station, this would be investigated as one complaint case comprising two complaint allegations. Had a second person complained about the assault, this would still be investigated as one case but there would then be two complainers.
The starting date for a case (to decide in which year's figures it should be included) will be the date on which it was first recorded, regardless of the date of the incident of the complaint.
When is a case or complaint classified as disposed?
The following criteria are used to determine whether a case or complaint should be regarded as disposed:
1. Any complaint resulting in conduct proceedings when the conduct hearing terminates and the punishment is communicated to the officer concerned.
2. Where a complaint does not lead to conduct proceedings, when the final decision not to take proceedings has been made by the appropriate officer.
'Substantiated' refers to any complaint allegation which led directly to a finding of guilt in criminal or conduct proceedings, or to the giving of corrective advice directly related to the original complaint.
Those complaints subsequently abandoned due to the non co-operation of the complainer are included within the 'unsubstantiated' data.
The following information is available:
Total number of complaint allegations
Complaint allegations that were disposed
Complaint allegations that were found to substantiated
Complaint allegations that were found to be unsubstantiated
Complaint allegations that were referred to the Procurator Fiscal
Complaint allegations that were resolved
Complaint allegations that were withdrawn
Total number of Conduct cases and Conduct Proceedings
Disposals at Misconduct Hearings
Total number of Formal Efficiency Procedures