Published on 12, July, 2020
Dear All,
You have seen in earlier discussions my issues with above.I would like to start another discussion and take some findings and advice.
Namely when things go wrong with above and you complain this becomes as bad as what is done to you.They defend their own in my opinion and get someone to look at a complaint that either is a colleague or had caused the issue in the first place.
Surely one simple change that could be done is for complaints to any large company or public body the team that look at the complaints are seperate and impartial.
In my previous role I worked in an industry where if a complaint came in you were nervous as you knew that a proper account would be taken form you and the balance was often on the customers favour.I call all this marking your own homework.
It actually is a bad thing because it discourages whistle blowers and it actually lowers standards .
Any thoughts and anyone had the same problems.?
Some lovely organisations even threaten lawyers if you complain.
Maybe there could also be access to free legal advice and support if you complain so that these big organisations would not be able to scare and bully
Cat Loving Man said:Surely one simple change that could be done is for complaints to any large company or public body the team that look at the complaints are seperate and impartial.
For the Police force there is the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) who are supposed to do this role, but they have to balance the incidents/behaviours in question with the risk to reputational harm to the force and the impact this will have on them being able to maintain order.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Police_Complaints_Commission
They were founded in 2003 so are a relatively new body compared to the police themselves.
It was interesting to note that in 2008 over 100 lawyers who specialise in handling police complaints resigned from its advisory body, citing various criticisms of the IPCC including a pattern of favouritism towards the police, indifference and rudeness towards complainants, and complaints being rejected in spite of apparently powerful evidence in their support.
It seems its history is somewhat tarnished.
It is also not clear what percentage of the IPCC is made up from former police officers.
Like most of these public sector bodies there is a sloth like pace in their investigations which allows the officers under investigation time to take action if they want, including moving to other deptartments or finding other jobs and retain their benefits. I doubt it is by design but it is the nature of these organisations.
I doubt many lawyers would be willing to help - the risks of going after the police are just too high unless there is a clear cut case with ample proof to establish they have broken the law themselves. Shoddy treatment of the public just won't cut it and is more likely to get the police in question really annoyed at you and more likely to make your life a special kind of hell.
This is so true the IOPC indeed I have doubts about their independence.To me it is not rocket science and no one or no pubic body should be above the law.It makes no sense to me it would actually raise standards if Police felt if they step out of line they face consequences.This is why they happily say make a complaint and encourage it !