COMPLAINTS against West Yorkshire Police have increased for the second consecutive year, according to a police watchdog.
Figures released today by the Independent Police Complaints Commission IPCC showed that the force recorded 940 complaints against its officers – an increase of 4% on the previous year.
Those complaints contained 1,824 allegations – an increase of 11% on the previous year. These figures contrasted with a national trend which saw overall complaints fall by 4%.
West Yorkshire Police's top three areas for allegations were around incivility (328 allegations), other neglect of duty (310) and other assault (314).
IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: “West Yorkshire Police's complaints figures reflected an increase while the national statistics have shown a fall. There is no clear reason why this should be the case and I am sure the force will want to examine this further.
“It is evident that some improvements are still needed in how the force records complaints. The IPCC has upheld 57% of the appeals it has received against West Yorkshire Police’s decisions not to record complaints. That level is disappointing and detracts from the excellent work the force has done elsewhere with complaints. I hope to see an improvement in this area next year.”
