Rise in complaints due to 'fluctuations' - top officer

A 66 per cent increase in complaints against police officers andstaff in Carmarthenshire is down to "fluctuation", according to asenior police officer.

But Detective Superintendent Mel Evans, head of professionalstandards at Dyfed-Powys Police, said it was a matter he would keepan eye on.

The number of complaints levelled at officers and staff acrossthe force fell by 28 percent to 129 between July 1 and September 30this year, but 58 of those concerned Carmarthenshire, compared to 35during the same period the year before.

At a meeting of Dyfed-Powys Police Authority's standardscommittee, chairman Alisdair Kenwright asked Mr Evans to explain theincrease.

Mr Evans said: "45 per cent of the complaints were borne byCarmarthenshire. Last year it was Powys.

"It is fluctuations unfortunately. It depends where the businessis coming from.

"We are keeping an eye on it.

"Carmarthenshire because of the population and the staff theyhave got can, law of averages, pick up more anyway."

He said one reason for the reduction in complaints force-wide wasa move towards addressing issues at the outset where possible. Forexample, if someone was upset because the law on licence plates hadnot been properly explained to them then somebody would call andexplain it, he said.

Figures relating to how allegations were dealt with during theJuly to September period showed nearly a quarter were resolvedlocally and just under 14 per cent were upheld.

One upheld complaint concerned an assault victim who was upsethis attacker had received a caution for a violent and unprovokedattack.

The officer should have established the full extent of theinjuries and had a case to answer for misconduct and mismanagement,the report said. In another case, where a complainant was unhappythat the arrest of her live-in carer left her without any care, theinvestigator concluded the arrest was necessary but the officer hadnot given sufficient thought to arranging temporary care, the reportstated. The officer was "given management action", it added.

Mr Evans also produced some statistics on allegations betweenApril and June 2011, which showed the force took 289 days tocomplete local investigations, compared with 130 nationally and 239days in authorities with similar demographics.

It also had more allegations per employee, with 81 per 1,000compared to an average of 49 nationally and 56 in similarauthorities. But only 14 per cent of cases were upheld on appeal,compared with 35 per cent nationally and 38 per cent in similarauthorities. Mr Evans said the data showed the force's robust regimeof recording and investigating complaints meant it lost fewerappeals. The 35 Carmarthenshire complaints lodged in the summer of2010 was eight down on the same period in 2009.

?Complaints by station in Carmarthenshire, July 1 to September 302009/2010/2011: Ammanford 5/1/10 Carmarthen 23/9/14 Llandovery 0/0/1 Kidwelly 3/4/0 Newcastle Emlyn 0/1/0 Llandeilo 2/0/0 St Clears 3/0/1 Crosshands 0/0/8 Dyfed-Powys Police allegations recorded July 1to September 30, 2011: Neglect of duty 36 Incivility 24 Otherassault 11 Irregularity in evidence/ perjury 8 Oppressive conduct 7Lack of fairness & impartiality 7 Others 36, including serious non-sexual assault 1, unlawful arrest/ detention 6 and corrupt practice1. Completed investigations July 1 to September 30, 2011: Upheld/substantiated 13.72 per cent Resolved locally 24.51 per cent Notupheld/ unsubstantiated 48.04 per cent Withdrawn/dispensed/discontinued 13.72 per cent