- Conference
- 2022 Police & Justice Service Group Conference
- Date
- 8 June 2022
- Decision
- Carried
Conference is concerned by certain IOPC (Independent Office of Police Complaints) investigations relating to Police Staff are failing to be investigated proportionately. Some cases relating to police contact are demonstrably targeted at Police Staff unjustifiably. It has been shown that investigations are centred in apportioning blame to our members when evidence suggests that they are not responsible for the consequences of certain cases.
Where this is occurring, our members are being put under a massive amount of stress, which is impacting on their mental health, wellbeing and that of their families.
The length of time some of these investigations are taking also has a toll on the health and wellbeing of our members.
Conference therefore call upon the SGE to:
1)Consult with branches to determine the extent of the problem and seek evidence to support their experiences;
2)Raise our concerns with the IOPC where evidence exists following branch consultation;
3)Seek to develop a guide for Police Staff under investigation, highlighting their rights during the investigation;
4)Encourage local IOPC directors to meet with and develop relationships with UNISON branches/regions, so that matters may be raised in a timely fashion;
5) Report back to Police & Justice Conference in 2023.