Why is it IPCC Cardiff are unable to cope with police complaints from Welsh police forces?

Waiting for an internal review by Independent Office for Police Conduct of their handling of this request.

Dear Independent Police Complaints Commission,

I am making a request for all the information to which I am entitled to under the Freedom of Information Act, concerning:-

1. How many police complaints submitted to the IPPC by members of the public, that concerned Gwent Police were re-directed from the IPCC Cardiff Offices, to the IPCC Sale Offices, between the time periods of January 2009 to 22 November 2011?

2. Additionally, if the IPCC Sale Office reviewed/handled/investigated a complaint concerning Gwent Police and IPCC Sale Office closes the file and subsequently an appeal is submitted. Does all the case file pertaining to the complaint return to Cardiff, for IPCC Cardiff Office to conduct the appeal process, thus taking possession of all the evidence the complainant has submitted?

I understand that under the FOI Act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Please note that your full reply to the above questions should sent by e-mail to the return address shown in the heading to this message. This is because both the request and its response are published for public scrutiny on the web site through which this request has been made.

Yours faithfully,

Family Y

Adam Lillis,

1 Attachment

Our Ref: 1002861
Your Ref:

Family Y
By Email: [email address]

10th January 2012

Dear Family Y

RE: Your Request for Information

Thank you for your email, received in this office on 9th December 2011, regarding your request for information.

Please see the attached response.

Kind Regards,

Adam Lillis
Freedom Of Information Officer
Directorate of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH
E-mail: [email address]
www.ipcc.gov.uk

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Dear Independent Police Complaints Commission,

You, the IPCC did not address (by the 12 January 2012), the question that was submitted to the IPCC dated 9 December 2011:-

1. How many police complaints submitted to the IPPC by members of the public, that concerned Gwent Police were re-directed from the IPCC Cardiff Offices, to the IPCC Sale Offices, between the time periods of January 2009 to 22 November 2011?

The question unanswered being "HOW MANY ?"

I await the IPCC's response.

Yours faithfully,

W. Williams

Dear Adam Lillis,

The response I requested is long overdue. By law, you the IPCC should have responded by now to the question submited to the IPCC on the 9 December 2011. The question being :-

1. How many police complaints submitted to the IPPC by members of the public, that concerned Gwent Police were re-directed from the IPCC Cardiff Offices, to the IPCC Sale Offices, between the time periods of January 2009 to 22 November 2011?

You, the IPCC did not supply the answer to, "HOW MANY?"

Yours sincerely,

W. Williams

Adam Lillis,

Dear W.Williams,

Thank you for your email regarding your request. I would like to apologise for the delay in responding.

In the period 1 January 2009 to 22 November 2011 the following casework processes were completed by casework managers in the Sale Office where the police force was Gwent:

Appeals (all types) = 0
Dispensations = 2
Discontinuances = 0
Referrals = 14

In the same period, the IPCC received a total of 360 complaints against Gwent Police. The TCC/CCC team location changed last year and there was a period of time when both teams were operational until the full implementation of CCC in Sale. Therefore, these 360 complaints were handled by members of the Sale office and the London office. As you may be aware, complaints against the police are investigated by the relevant police force's PSD unless escalated to the IPCC via a referral from the force. Therefore, these 360 complaints are either forwarded to Gwent Police's PSD to investigate or they are still awaiting consent from the complainant or they were deemed invalid as a complaint.

Kind Regards,

Adam Lillis
Freedom Of Information Officer
Directorate of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH
E-mail: [email address]
www.ipcc.gov.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: W. Williams [mailto:[FOI #96616 email]]
Sent: 13 February 2012 15:07
To: Adam Lillis
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Why is it IPCC Cardiff are unable to cope with police complaints from Welsh police forces?

Dear Adam Lillis,

The response I requested is long overdue. By law, you the IPCC
should have responded by now to the question submited to the IPCC
on the 9 December 2011. The question being :-

1. How many police complaints submitted to the IPPC by members of
the public, that concerned Gwent Police were re-directed from the
IPCC Cardiff Offices, to the IPCC Sale Offices, between the time
periods of January 2009 to 22 November 2011?

You, the IPCC did not supply the answer to, "HOW MANY?"

Yours sincerely,

W. Williams

-----Original Message-----

Our Ref: 1002861
Your Ref:

Family Y
By Email: [email address]

10th January 2012

Dear Family Y

RE: Your Request for Information

Thank you for your email, received in this office on 9th December
2011, regarding your request for information.

Please see the attached response.



Kind Regards,

Adam Lillis
Freedom Of Information Officer
Directorate of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH
E-mail: [email address]
www.ipcc.gov.uk

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Dear Adam Lillis,

I require the IPCC address the following:-

1. Why were complaints made regarding Gwent Police that were submitted to the IPCC Cardiff Offices, be sent to Sale IPCC Offices for a review etc. This same complaint sent back to Gwent Police for a further investigation, yet, finalised by IPCC Cardiff Offices, only to ignore the evidence that was submitted to the IPCC Sale Offices.

2. If a complaint is NOW made concerning Gwent Police:-

a. Which IPCC Offices accepts the police complaint?

b. Which IPCC Offices handles the complaint?

c. Which IPCC Offices finalises the complaint?

I await the IPCC's response.

Yours sincerely,

W. Williams

David Knight,

Our Reference - 1003102

Dear W. Williams

Re: Your Request for Information

Thank you for your email, received in this office on 21 April, regarding your request for information.

Your request is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered within 20 working days. This means you should expect a response by 21/05/12.

If you have any queries about this request, do not hesitate to contact me. Please remember to quote your case reference number in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Joanna Bluck
Executive Assistant to David Knight
Director of Casework & Customer Service
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Email - [email address]

The original of this email was scanned for viruses by the Government Secure Intranet virus scanning service supplied by Cable&Wireless Worldwide in partnership with MessageLabs. (CCTM Certificate Number 2009/09/0052.) On leaving the GSi this email was certified virus free.
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Phil Johnston,

Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your request of 21 April 2012. The IPCC's response to your questions is as follows:

A complaint made to the IPCC about a police force must first be passed to the appropriate authority for a recording decision. All such complaints are processed by our Customer Contact Centre, based in Sale, regardless of the location of the force or the complainant. A subsequent appeal to the IPCC made in respect of a decision by the force not to record a complaint, or an appeal made following an investigation or local resolution process by the force, will normally be sent to the office closest to that force and be dealt with there. However, it may be reallocated to another office if necessary to balance workloads and ensure a timely response. Wherever the appeal is dealt with, any information that had been provided with the original complaint will have been included in our electronic filing system and is available to the casework manager dealing with the appeal.

Thank you for your interest in the IPCC.

Philip Johnston
Directorate of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH
W: 020 7166 3000

-----Original Message-----
From: W. Williams [mailto:[FOI #96616 email]]
Sent: 21 April 2012 14:24
To: Adam Lillis
Subject: TRIM: RE: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Why is it IPCC Cardiff are unable to cope with police complaints from Welsh police forces?

Dear Adam Lillis,

I require the IPCC address the following:-

1. Why were complaints made regarding Gwent Police that were
submitted to the IPCC Cardiff Offices, be sent to Sale IPCC Offices
for a review etc. This same complaint sent back to Gwent Police for
a further investigation, yet, finalised by IPCC Cardiff Offices,
only to ignore the evidence that was submitted to the IPCC Sale
Offices.

2. If a complaint is NOW made concerning Gwent Police:-

a. Which IPCC Offices accepts the police complaint?

b. Which IPCC Offices handles the complaint?

c. Which IPCC Offices finalises the complaint?

I await the IPCC's response.

Yours sincerely,

W. Williams

-----Original Message-----

Dear W.Williams,

Thank you for your email regarding your request. I would like to
apologise for the delay in responding.

In the period 1 January 2009 to 22 November 2011 the following
casework processes were completed by casework managers in the Sale
Office where the police force was Gwent:

Appeals (all types) = 0
Dispensations = 2
Discontinuances = 0
Referrals = 14

In the same period, the IPCC received a total of 360 complaints
against Gwent Police. The TCC/CCC team location changed last year
and there was a period of time when both teams were operational
until the full implementation of CCC in Sale. Therefore, these 360
complaints were handled by members of the Sale office and the
London office. As you may be aware, complaints against the police
are investigated by the relevant police force's PSD unless
escalated to the IPCC via a referral from the force. Therefore,
these 360 complaints are either forwarded to Gwent Police's PSD to
investigate or they are still awaiting consent from the complainant
or they were deemed invalid as a complaint.

Kind Regards,

Adam Lillis
Freedom Of Information Officer
Directorate of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH
E-mail: [email address]
www.ipcc.gov.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #96616 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offic...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your
web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.

The original of this email was scanned for viruses by the Government Secure Intranet virus scanning service supplied by Cable&Wireless Worldwide in partnership with MessageLabs. (CCTM Certificate Number 2009/09/0052.) On leaving the GSi this email was certified virus free.
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.

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!CCS_FOI&DPA,

Our Reference FOI/1003102

Dear Mr Williams

Thank you for your email received in this office on 21/04/2012 regarding the allocation of Gwent Constabulary requests between Cardiff and Sale Regional offices..

I would like to apologise for the delay in responding to your request, this has been due to an increase in the number of requests we receive. I can confirm that I am now in a position to formally respond to you.

I note that you have requested:-

1. Why were complaints made regarding Gwent Police that were
submitted to the IPCC Cardiff Offices, be sent to Sale IPCC Offices
for a review etc. This same complaint sent back to Gwent Police for
a further investigation, yet, finalised by IPCC Cardiff Offices,
only to ignore the evidence that was submitted to the IPCC Sale
Offices.

2. If a complaint is NOW made concerning Gwent Police:-

a. Which IPCC Offices accepts the police complaint?

b. Which IPCC Offices handles the complaint?

c. Which IPCC Offices finalises the complaint?

A complaint made to the IPCC about a police force must first be passed to the appropriate authority for a recording decision. All such complaints are processed by our Customer Contact Centre, based in Sale, regardless of the location of the force or the complainant.

A subsequent appeal to the IPCC made in respect of a decision by the force not to record a complaint, or an appeal made following an investigation or local resolution process by the force, will normally be sent to the office closest to that force and be dealt with there. However, it may be reallocated to another office if necessary to balance workloads and ensure a timely response. Wherever the appeal is dealt with, any information that had been provided with the original complaint will have been included in our electronic filing system and is available to the casework manager dealing with the appeal.

If you are not satisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review by our FOI appeals officer, who has had no involvement in dealing with your request. If you wish to complain about any aspect of this decision, please contact:

Amanda Kelly
Director of Business Services
Independent Police Complaints Commission
90 High Holborn
London WC1V 6BH

All emails requesting a review should be sent directly to: [email address]

Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner; however, I should point out that under section 50(2)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, you are normally obliged to exhaust the IPCC's own internal complaint mechanism before complaining to the Information Commissioner.

Yours sincerely

David Knight

David Knight
Director of Casework & Customer Service
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Email: [email address]

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Dear IPCC

The information that has been provided by the IPCC through this site, following my Freedom of Information request contradicts what took place during my case, involving Gwent Police and the IPCC.

Yours sincerely,

W. Williams