Most complaints are currently dealt with by the officer’s force, with appeals and more serious complaints investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Home Secretary Theresa May has proposed changing the law so that the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) would deal with all but the most serious complaints.
The IPCC would continue to have jurisdiction over complaints involving criminal activity by officers.
Mrs May says many complainants find the current system “opaque and bureaucratic” and believe it has ‘insufficient independence.”
She says today’s proposed changes would make the system more transparent, a view backed by deputy mayor Stephen Greenhalgh who heads MOPAC on behalf of the Mayor.
While the Met has been making progress in cutting crime, Mr Greenhalgh said this “is not enough” to ensure public confidence in the force.
He commented: “This increased oversight and point of accountability where it comes to corruption is something we have to get right and I’m delighted the Home Secretary is moving in this way.”
The Home Secretary’s proposals are subject to a public consultation which runs until February 5th.
