Dear Ms. Pall

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2016030000037

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 01/03/2016.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

"Can you please give me the information on the amount of serving police
officers that are currently in the Met, how many of them have been
complained about, how many complaints there have been from 2010-present
day (or whatever closest time you have) broken down into current serving
and past serving officers, what the complaints were, what date they
occurred, whether they were  followed up/proven/action taken, the area the
complaint was in relation to, the age and ethnicity of the person
complaining. Please could you provide this in a spreadsheet format."

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  In some
circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this deadline.  If this is
likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest
opportunity.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of
complaint.

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above. Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

Yours sincerely

R. Loizou
Support Officer - Freedom of Information Triage Team
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, phone or
write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone:  01625 545 745

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Dear Ms Pall

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2016030000037

I apologise for the delay in processing your request.
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 01/03/2016.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

* Can you please give me the information on the amount of serving police
officers that are currently in the Met,
* how many of them have been complained about,
* how many complaints there have been from 2010-present day (or whatever
closest time you have) broken down into current serving and past
serving officers,
* what the complaints were, what date they occurred, whether they were
 followed up/proven/action taken,
* the area the complaint was in relation to,
* the age and ethnicity of the person complaining.

Please could you provide this in a spreadsheet format..

SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
with our Performance and Analyst team who are responsible for collating
statistics for the MPS. The searches located information relevant to your
request.
DECISION
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find attached to this email, a spreadsheet in which the requested
information has been provided.

DEFINITIONS
Definitions of the ‘allegation types’ as set out within table 2 of the
attached spreadsheet, can be found upon pages 11-17 of the Independent
Police Complaints Commission 'guidance on the recording of complaints'.
These definitions can be downloaded via the internet link below. It is
important to note that the allegation types are broad descriptors of the
allegations made and will contain allegations that range in gravity.

IPCC Statutory Guidance
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/statutor...

Please also find below, definitions of a number of terms within table 3a
and 3b.

'Formal Action' refers to disciplinary action taken under the relevant
police conduct regulations. Depending upon when the misconduct was alleged
to have taken place, disciplinary action would be taken under the Police
Conduct Regulations 2004, the Police Conduct Regulations 2008 and/or the
Police Conduct Regulations 2012.

'Management Action' is not a formal misconduct outcome but is considered
to be part of the normal managerial responsibility of managers in the
police service. Management action may include:

·        Pointing out how the behaviour fell short of the expectations set
out in the Standards of Professional Behaviour
·        Identifying expectations for future conduct
·        Establishing an improvement plan
·        Addressing any underlying causes of misconduct

'Disapplication/Dispensation' refers to instances where a force or police
authority considers that no action should be taken about a complaint.
There are established grounds upon which a dispensation to investigate may
be granted. These include:

·        Where more than 12 months have elapsed between the incident
giving rise to the complaint and the making of the complaint, where there
is no good reason for the delay or injustice would be caused.
·        The matter is already the subject of a complaint.
·        The complaint is anonymous.
·        The complaint is vexatious, oppressive or otherwise an abuse of
the procedures for dealing with complaints.
·        The complaint is repetitious.
·        It is not reasonably practicable to complete the investigation of
the complaint.

A force or police authority must obtain IPCC agreement for a dispensation.

'Local Resolution' refers to instances where the complaint is resolved at
a local level such as a police station or basic command unit. A local
resolution may take the form of:

·        The provision of information and an explanation to the
complainant to clear up a misunderstanding
·        An apology issued on behalf of the police service
·        Identifying lessons from the complaint and accepting that
something could have been handled better
·        An explanation regarding action taken to stop the same thing
happening again
·        Action taken by a manager to change the way a police officer or
member of staff behaves

'Ongoing' refers to instances where the investigation into an allegation
against an officer has not been concluded.

'Substantiated'/'Case to answer' refers to instances where, following
investigation, the investigating officer determines that, based upon the
available evidence, there is a case to answer in relation to an allegation
made concerning an officer's conduct.

'Unsubstantiated'/'No case to answer' refers to instances where, following
investigation, the investigating officer determines that, based upon the
available evidence, there is not a case to answer in relation to an
allegation made concerning an officer's conduct.

'Withdrawn' refers to instances where the complainant or person acting on
their behalf retracts the complaint.

'Discontinuance/Discontinued' refers to instances where a force considers
that it is no longer practical to continue with an investigation and is
unable to conclude the investigation. There are established grounds upon
which a discontinuance may be granted. A force or police authority must
obtain IPCC agreement for a discontinuance.

Maintaining Public Trust in the MPS
Securing and maintaining the trust of the community is integral to the
principle of policing by consent and to continue to do so, the MPS
recognises that its staff must act with professionalism and integrity
whether on or off-duty. The MPS treats each occasion when an allegation is
made about the conduct of its staff extremely seriously and will fully
investigate each incident to determine whether the conduct of that member
of staff has breached the standards of professional behaviour. Where the
conduct of staff is proven to have fallen below the standards of behaviour
expected, the MPS will take robust action to ensure that its staff are
appropriately disciplined and that lessons are learnt from each case.

It is of note that the MPS, as of 11/04/2016, employed 32879 salaried
police officers and 1159 volunteer police officers in the Metropolitan
Special Constabulary and its Employer Supported Policing programme. The
number of police officers that have, following investigation as a result
of a public complaint, been found to have a ‘case to answer’ accordingly,
represents a very small percentage of the police officers employed by the
MPS.

All MPS employees are expected to behave professionally, ethically and
with the utmost integrity at all times. Any instance where the conduct of
our staff is alleged to have fallen below the standards of behaviour
expected is treated extremely seriously by the MPS.

This notice concludes your request for information. I would like to thank
you for your interest in the MPS.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me via email at [email address], quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

Michela Holmes
FOIA Officer

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.  Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 10 Lambs Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NR.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
Twitter: @metpoliceuk

**PREVIOUS EMAIL DID NOT HAVE SPREADSHEET ATTACHED< SORRY!**

Dear Ms Pall
Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2016030000037
I apologise for the delay in processing your request.
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 01/03/2016.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

* Can you please give me the information on the amount of serving police
officers that are currently in the Met,
* how many of them have been complained about,
* how many complaints there have been from 2010-present day (or whatever
closest time you have) broken down into current serving and past
serving officers,
* what the complaints were, what date they occurred, whether they were
 followed up/proven/action taken,
* the area the complaint was in relation to,
* the age and ethnicity of the person complaining.

Please could you provide this in a spreadsheet format..
SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
with our Performance and Analyst team who are responsible for collating
statistics for the MPS. The searches located information relevant to your
request.
DECISION
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find attached to this email, a spreadsheet in which the requested
information has been provided.
DEFINITIONS
Definitions of the ‘allegation types’ as set out within table 2 of the
attached spreadsheet, can be found upon pages 11-17 of the Independent
Police Complaints Commission 'guidance on the recording of complaints'.
These definitions can be downloaded via the internet link below. It is
important to note that the allegation types are broad descriptors of the
allegations made and will contain allegations that range in gravity.
IPCC Statutory Guidance
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/statutor...

Please also find below, definitions of a number of terms within table 3a
and 3b.
'Formal Action' refers to disciplinary action taken under the relevant
police conduct regulations. Depending upon when the misconduct was alleged
to have taken place, disciplinary action would be taken under the Police
Conduct Regulations 2004, the Police Conduct Regulations 2008 and/or the
Police Conduct Regulations 2012.
'Management Action' is not a formal misconduct outcome but is considered
to be part of the normal managerial responsibility of managers in the
police service. Management action may include:
·        Pointing out how the behaviour fell short of the expectations set
out in the Standards of Professional Behaviour
·        Identifying expectations for future conduct
·        Establishing an improvement plan
·        Addressing any underlying causes of misconduct

'Disapplication/Dispensation' refers to instances where a force or police
authority considers that no action should be taken about a complaint.
There are established grounds upon which a dispensation to investigate may
be granted. These include:
·        Where more than 12 months have elapsed between the incident
giving rise to the complaint and the making of the complaint, where there
is no good reason for the delay or injustice would be caused.
·        The matter is already the subject of a complaint.
·        The complaint is anonymous.
·        The complaint is vexatious, oppressive or otherwise an abuse of
the procedures for dealing with complaints.
·        The complaint is repetitious.
·        It is not reasonably practicable to complete the investigation of
the complaint.
A force or police authority must obtain IPCC agreement for a dispensation.

'Local Resolution' refers to instances where the complaint is resolved at
a local level such as a police station or basic command unit. A local
resolution may take the form of:
·        The provision of information and an explanation to the
complainant to clear up a misunderstanding
·        An apology issued on behalf of the police service
·        Identifying lessons from the complaint and accepting that
something could have been handled better
·        An explanation regarding action taken to stop the same thing
happening again
·        Action taken by a manager to change the way a police officer or
member of staff behaves

'Ongoing' refers to instances where the investigation into an allegation
against an officer has not been concluded.
'Substantiated'/'Case to answer' refers to instances where, following
investigation, the investigating officer determines that, based upon the
available evidence, there is a case to answer in relation to an allegation
made concerning an officer's conduct.
'Unsubstantiated'/'No case to answer' refers to instances where, following
investigation, the investigating officer determines that, based upon the
available evidence, there is not a case to answer in relation to an
allegation made concerning an officer's conduct.
'Withdrawn' refers to instances where the complainant or person acting on
their behalf retracts the complaint.
'Discontinuance/Discontinued' refers to instances where a force considers
that it is no longer practical to continue with an investigation and is
unable to conclude the investigation. There are established grounds upon
which a discontinuance may be granted. A force or police authority must
obtain IPCC agreement for a discontinuance.

Maintaining Public Trust in the MPS
Securing and maintaining the trust of the community is integral to the
principle of policing by consent and to continue to do so, the MPS
recognises that its staff must act with professionalism and integrity
whether on or off-duty. The MPS treats each occasion when an allegation is
made about the conduct of its staff extremely seriously and will fully
investigate each incident to determine whether the conduct of that member
of staff has breached the standards of professional behaviour. Where the
conduct of staff is proven to have fallen below the standards of behaviour
expected, the MPS will take robust action to ensure that its staff are
appropriately disciplined and that lessons are learnt from each case.
It is of note that the MPS, as of 11/04/2016, employed 32879 salaried
police officers and 1159 volunteer police officers in the Metropolitan
Special Constabulary and its Employer Supported Policing programme. The
number of police officers that have, following investigation as a result
of a public complaint, been found to have a ‘case to answer’ accordingly,
represents a very small percentage of the police officers employed by the
MPS.
All MPS employees are expected to behave professionally, ethically and
with the utmost integrity at all times. Any instance where the conduct of
our staff is alleged to have fallen below the standards of behaviour
expected is treated extremely seriously by the MPS.
This notice concludes your request for information. I would like to thank
you for your interest in the MPS.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me via email at [email address], quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely

Michela Holmes
FOIA Officer

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.  Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 10 Lambs Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NR.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?
You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.
Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  
Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.
Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:
FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]
In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.
The Information Commissioner
After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.
For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk