As a mother who has experienced the aftermath of a serious crime involving a loved one, I have found the existing police complaints procedure to be flawed and biased. The current process, which allows law enforcement agencies to investigate their own complaints, lacks transparency and often feels unfair.

During the initial investigation we complained at the lack of action  (zero) as we thought it was unusual for a serious crime to be ignored for a month .

We then raised a secondary complaint which to date has not been addressed.

There were so many failings it was unbelievable and shockingly the wrong dates were used in Court .

Sadly we got a not guilty verdict which was not surprising really as there was no evidence .The police took over 9 months to download his phone and the laws surrounding snapchat had changed which meant all history could no longer be obtained.

While the role of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) exists to improve these functions, it also has its own sets of challenges. It is often a difficult system to navigate and can, unfortunately, end up working against the victim rather than for them.

This issue is not unique to my personal experience but rather represents a systemic concern. According to a 2019 study by Action Against Police Violence, 1 in 3 victims of police misconduct felt that their complaints were unfairly handled.

The existing internal handling of police complaints goes against the principles of justice and fairness. An operational, independent system would significantly boost the public's trust in law enforcement agencies, contribute to accountability, and ensure all complaints are treated fairly and transparently.

It is time to change. To ensure the integrity of our justice system, we must establish an independent police complaints system. Please sign this petition to show your support for this necessary change, guaranteeing unbiased, transparent, and fair handling of police complaints.