Report - Northern Constabulary
- Reference:
- PCCS/00627/PF – NC
- Police Body:
- Northern Constabulary
- Date:
- 30 July 2010
- Download:
- Download Report - Northern Constabulary
The applicant's complaints arose from police involvement with her at her home on 23 December 2006. The police had been called to assist an ambulance crew who had attended at the applicant's home following a call from a concerned relative.
Following the incident the applicant made a series of complaints to Northern Constabulary. Many of these were examined by the former Commissioner in a complaint handling review published previously (PCCS/0806/00174/PF-NC). This review dealt with additional complaints made about the same incident.
Of the five complaints considered, the Commissioner concluded that two had been handled in a reasonable manner. The Commissioner concluded that the remaining three complaints (complaints 2, 4 and 5) were not handled in a reasonable manner. In respect of complaint 2, the Commissioner considered that Northern Constabulary did not address the applicant's true complaint. In respect of complaint 4, the Commissioner found that while the substantive response to the complaint was reasonable, the language used was not. In respect of complaint 5, the Commissioner did not consider that this had been adequately investigated.
The Commissioner raised as a learning point the need for Northern Constabulary to avoid the use of inappropriate language in its responses to complaints. The Commissioner recognised, however, that this deficiency may now be purely historical.