Complaints against Ombudsman staff

The request was successful.

Dear Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland,

Please can you confirm/clarify the following:-

All queries should relate to the Ombudsmans duration of existence.

1) How many individual staff have received complaints of any nature from
- the public
- PSNI members

2) How many staff have been subject to a criminal accusation? And of these staff accused how many have been interviewed for the accusations?

3) Who investigates complaints against PONI staff?

4) How many staff have been disciplined. Please break this down into categories of misconduct?

Many thanks

Yours faithfully,

James Marcus

Dear Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland,

Please acknowledge my request

Yours faithfully,

James Marcus

Info, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Dear Mr Marcus,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request, which was received on
13 August 2012 and is currently being processed.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Unit

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Info, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Dear Mr Marcus,

I write in response to your email of 13 August.

1) How many individual staff have received complaints of any nature
from
- the public
- PSNI members

Our records indicate that since the Office opened in November 2000, a
total of 137 complaints have been made against members of staff from the
Police Ombudsman's Office. This includes 85 complaints from members of
the public, and a further 52 from serving or retired police officers.

2) How many staff have been subject to a criminal accusation? And
of these staff accused how many have been interviewed for the
accusations?

Since the Office was established, eight members of staff have been
subject to criminal accusation. Whereas the Office is aware of the
final outcome of the investigation of these accusations, as criminal
investigations are the responsibility of the police, the Office does not
hold and therefore cannot provide information in respect of the
progression of these investigations, including information on interviews
which may have been held.

3) Who investigates complaints against PONI staff?

When a complaint against a member of Police Ombudsman staff is received,
the organisation's Chief Executive will initiate an investigation by a
manager not involved in the issues raised. The outcome of the
invetsigation will be sent to the complainant in writing. If the
complainant remains unhappy, he or she can ask the Minister of Justice
for Northern Ireland to consider the matter.

4) How many staff have been disciplined. Please break this down
into categories of misconduct?

Since the office was established 13 staff have been disciplined, 9 in
respect of gross misconduct and four in respect of misconduct.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Unit

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Info, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Dear Mr Marcus,

I am writing to advise you that there was an error in my response to
your Freedom of Information request sent earlier this morning, in
relation to the number of complaints against Police Ombudsman staff.

The revised figures are that the since the Office was established, a
total of 157 complaints have been against members of staff, including 86
from members of the public and 71 from serving or retired police
officers.

Please accept my apologies for this error.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Unit

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