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More people than ever are using the police complaints system in England and Wales, according to new figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Between April 2024 and March 2025, the 43 police forces logged 94,940 complaints, an 11% rise on the previous year and the highest number recorded since the IOPC began tracking complaint data.
IOPC Director of Oversight and Casework, David Ford, said the rise reflected changes in police handling and recording of complaints as well as increased public engagement. He suggested the growth did not necessarily indicate falling satisfaction with policing, noting that several forces had improved the way they centralise and process complaints.
While overall complaints increased, the IOPC found significant variation across forces, with some actually reporting reductions. Ford said the data remained vital to the watchdog’s national oversight work, helping to highlight performance issues and identify effective practices.
“Members of the public need to have trust and confidence in the police complaints system,” he said, emphasising that the IOPC’s role is to provide independent scrutiny where necessary.
During the reporting period, forces finalised 91,750 complaints, up 12% on the previous year. Around two-thirds were resolved informally, while a third were handled formally under Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
Of the 31,687 formally managed cases, 60% resulted in an explanation being provided to the complainant. A further 8% led to learning for either an individual officer or a wider police force, and 7% ended with an apology or debrief.
People dissatisfied with how a force handles their complaint can request a review, carried out either by the relevant Local Policing Body or the IOPC. Last year, the watchdog received 2,428 review applications—a 14% increase and the highest number recorded under current legislation.
Of the 2,015 reviews completed, the IOPC concluded that police forces had handled complaints reasonably or proportionately in 70% of cases, an improvement on the previous year.
Ford said the rise in review requests highlighted the importance of the watchdog’s independent oversight, while the improvement in outcomes reflected efforts to ensure forces get complaint handling “right first time”.
He added that the IOPC’s scrutiny aims to reduce unnecessary repeat investigations and ultimately strengthen public confidence in the police complaints system.
For more information, read the full Police complaints statistics for England and Wales report – 2024/25.
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