Complaint Reviews
In order for you to feel safe, and for Sussex Police to provide the best possible service, this procedure has been produced to make it easier for you to make a formal complaint against the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), their Office (OSPCC) and Sussex Police.
- Download the Complaints Policy and the Complaints Procedure
- Download the Persistent Complainants & Unreasonable Communication Policy
If you wish to file a complaint against Sussex Police then please do so online: Complaints | Sussex Police or telephone 101.
It is the PCC's statutory duty to investigate complaints against the Chief Constable of Sussex Police only. If you have a complaint and are unsure where you should direct it, please continue reading this page for more guidance.
Please note that the Office of the Sussex PCC cannot investigate anonymous complaints and neither the PCC nor their Office will enter into correspondence with individuals who have used foul or abusive language.
If you would like to submit a complaint review, please complete the following form with as much information as possible.
Reviews of Complaints Submitted to Sussex Police
From 1st February 2020, a package of reforms have been made to the complaints and misconduct system. One such change is that the PCC is the review body for certain complaints submitted to Sussex Police. If you have had a complaint recorded and have received an outcome to your complaint, you have a right to apply for a review.
The review will consider whether the outcome of the handling of the complaint is reasonable and proportionate. A review will not be merely a quality check of what has happened before. Where the reviewer finds that the outcome of the complaint is not reasonable and proportionate, the review will be upheld. You should expect a review outcome/update within 38 working days from the date the review application is received by the OSPCC.
What does 'reasonable and proportionate' mean?
"This means doing what is appropriate in the circumstances, taking into account the facts of the matter and the context in which it has been raised, within the framework of legislation and guidance. It means weighing up the matter’s seriousness and its potential for learning, against the efficient use of policing resources, to determine the extent and nature of the matter’s handling and outcome. Considering the matter’s seriousness should involve due regard to the nature of the incident, any actual or potential impact on, or harm to, individual(s), communities or the wider public and the potential impact on confidence in the police and in the police complaints system. A reasonable and proportionate response includes providing a clear and evidence based rationale for any decisions taken." (IOPC Statutory Guidance on the Police Complaints System, 2020)
Should you wish to submit a review, you will need to email your application to us within 28 days from the day after the outcome letter was sent. You can use our application form to set out your review request. Alternatively, you may wish to submit the review in your own words, by email or letter to us.
Our contact details for review submissions are:
Email: pcc@sussex-pcc.gov.uk
Postal address: Sackville House, Brooks Close, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2FZ
Please contact us by email should you wish to receive the form by another format.
Please note: You cannot appeal to the OSPCC about a review decision that we have made. Review decisions are final. This means that any review decisions made by the OSPCC can only be overturned by the courts through the judicial review process. You may wish to seek your own independent legal advice if you intend to pursue this course of action.
Review Data
An overview report of review data from 1 January 2024 to 30 April 2024 can be found here (please note that this document is not currently in an accessible format, please contact us directly for a plain text document).
This report is discussed at the Governance and Integrity Meeting held quarterly and is attended by the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer, Assurance & Complaints Manager, Head of Professional Standards Department and a representative from Sussex Police People Services.
Complaints Data
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) presents information about complaints defined under the Police Reform Act 2002, as amended by the Police and Crime Act 2017. The new legislation came into effect on 1 February 2020. The data sets out performance against a number of measures and compares force results to their most similar force group and with the overall result for all police force areas in England and Wales.
The Police Complaints Information Bulletin is produced on a quarterly basis by the IOPC that covers information about complaints, allegations and reviews recorded.
PCCs must publish the most recent Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) quarterly complaints data for their force and the IOPC annual statistics report, alongside a narrative setting out how the PCC is holding the chief officer to account, and the PCC’s assessment of their own performance in carrying out their other complaints handling functions.
These can be found below
Review Analysis Report 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 can be viewed here.
Dip-check data of Sussex Police's recorded and non-recorded complaints can be viewed here.
The IOPC Annual Statistic for 2023-24 can be viewed here.
Past Review Analysis Reports;
Quarter 1 - 01 April 2024-30 June 2024 performance information for Sussex can be viewed here.
The report to the Police & Crime Panel and the substantial assurance awarded during the internal audit undertaken in March 2021 illustrate how the Police & Crime Commissioner has fulfilled her duty in respect of undertaking reviews of complaints and by holding the Chief Constable to account in relation to the handling of complaints.
More information - please click on each of the headings below to find out more